BA, BS, and minor in sociology

Academic Programs

The Department of Sociology offers both a bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degree in sociology, the bachelor of arts in sociology 100% online, as well as a minor in sociology.  Regarding the sociology courses required of the BA and BS in sociology, the only difference between the the two degrees is that the BS in sociology requires students to take SOC 405 Voluntarism.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the major or minor in sociology requires: (1) completion of SOC 301 Social Statistics (or approved equivalent) with a grade of C or better, (2) a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, and (3) a minimum GPA of 2.0 in any sociology courses taken prior to the time of application.

Application to the Major or Minor

All students must officially declare their major in sociology in order to pursue an undergraduate degree in sociology. Students may declare their major (or minor) by submitting the online Application for Major/Minor form.  Students who have already declared a major in another college (e.g., Business, Education, Music, Social Work, Speed, etc.) and wish to switch to a major in sociology should complete the"Change Major Request" form now available in ULink (under the "Registration" heading).

Advising in the Major or Minor

Once a student has been approved by the Arts & Sciences Advising Center as a sociology major or minor, A&S Advising will forward his/her file to the Department of Sociology, after which the student will receive a formal letter of welcome from Dr. Jonetta Weber, Director of Academic Services and undergraduate advisor. Once the student has received this letter from Dr. Weber, he/she may contact her to schedule an advising appointment.

While sociology majors and minors are not required to see an advisor each semester for approval of their course schedules, they are encouraged to contact the advisor with questions or concerns. Meeting with an advisor can ensure the appropriate selection of courses and provide an opportunity to discuss any problems.

Intended/Prospective Majors
Although students who have not been approved by A&S Advising as sociology majors or minors cannot receive formal advising from the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Sociology, any student who has not declared his/her major or minor in sociology but is interested in talking with the undergraduate advisor in Sociology should contact Dr. Jonetta Weber, the Director of Academic Services.

Graduating Seniors

Preliminary Degree Check
Students who have reached senior status (have earned at least 90 credit hours) are encouraged to meet with the undergraduate advisor, Dr. Jonetta Weber, at the beginning of their senior year to discuss the final courses needed to graduate and to review their preliminary degree check, a document detailing the student's remaining courses, including any general electives, needed for completion of the student's degree.

To request a preliminary degree check, submit the online form at the A&S Advising Center's website. The degree check will be mailed directly to the student (and copied to Dr. Weber) from the A&S Advising Center.  Students should contact Dr. Weber with any questions about the preliminary degree check.

Senior Honors Thesis
A student interested in pursuing a senior honors thesis in sociology should visit the Honors Program website for eligibility and procedural requirements.  Once a student has determined eligibility, he/she should contact Dr. Jonetta Weber who will assist in identifying an appropriate sociology faculty member to supervise the thesis.

During the semester in which the student plans to conduct the thesis research/writing, he/she must register for SOC 498 or 499. SOC 498 is a one-credit hour course which should be taken only if the student has already completed some work toward what will become their thesis project. For example, a student who wrote a lengthy research paper in a 400-level sociology class and wishes to expand on that paper for a thesis project would take SOC 498. However, if a student has done no prior work related to the thesis project, he/she should register for SOC 499.

Graduation
Eligibility: To be eligible to graduate, students must have (a) earned the minimum total hours required for their degree; (b) earned at least 50 credit hours at the 300+ level; and (c) earned a 2.0 GPA in sociology and a 2.0 overall.  Students must also complete an exit exam on Blackboard (covering general information from the core courses in sociology) for department assessment purposes as part of their graduation requirements. Students will be notified by Dr. Weber mid-semester of their last semester about the specifics of this requirement.

Applying for graduation: To apply for graduation, students must complete a "degree application" in ULink (ULink > Student Services > Registration/Student Services > Degree Application). The application period for summer generally runs from April 15 – June 8; for fall, August 20 – September 14; and for spring, November 15 - January 28. All degree candidates, whether or not participating in commencement, must apply for their degrees by the deadlines. Those missing the deadline should contact A&S Advising at (502) 852-5502.

Attending Commencement: Once approved for graduation, students will receive notification and can visit the University's Commencement website for information regarding cap/gown, invitations, picking up their diplomas, etc.