Undergraduate Study in Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers course work leading to either a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, or a minor in sociology. Additionally, a bachelor of science in Agricultural & Rural Policy Studies is offered.
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates of all these programs will understand and demonstrate:
- general knowledge of sociology
- research methods in sociology
- critical thinking skills
- application of sociology to pressing social issues
- sociological and professional values
- information technology skills
- communication skills
- personal and career development
Graduates understand how social institutions, communities, and organizations work and change; they can examine the causes and consequences of conformity, deviance, and inequality. They can apply sociological understanding of human behavior to practical work situations and everyday life. Graduates can read critically, think independently, and communicate effectively about social issues and social policy.
Degree Requirements
As majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Sociology students must meet College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University-wide requirements for graduation in addition to those stated below for the major.
University Requirements:
| International Perspective | 3 | |
| US Diversity | 3 | |
See http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/courses/div-ip-guide.html for a list of approved courses. | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Communications:
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| One of the following | 3 | |
| Business Communication | ||
| Proposal and Report Writing | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| LIB 160 | Introduction to College Level Research | 1 |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
World Languages and Culture:
| 3 years H.S. | ||
| SPAN 097 | Accelerated Spanish Review | 0 |
| 2 semesters college | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
Departmental Requirements for Sociology Majors
A program of study that meets the needs and interests of the student and department requirements will be developed in consultation with the major advisor. Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in their core courses. Programs of study will include:
| SOC 115 | Orientation to Sociology | 1 |
| SOC 134 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 302 | Research Methods for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| SOC 401 | Contemporary Sociological Theories | 3 |
| 6 credits of 200+ Sociology courses | 6 | |
| 18 credits of 300+ Sociology courses | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 34 | |
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree
In addition to the program of study above, students must select complementary courses that will lead to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. Programs leading to a bachelor of arts degree will emphasize additional coursework in groups I and III of the general education requirements. Programs leading to a bachelor of science degree will emphasize additional coursework in groups IIA and IIB of the general education requirements. Some of the possible areas of coursework include criminal justice, community (urban and rural) sociology, family sociology, sociology of work, research methods and statistics, social change and development, social inequality, social psychology and sociological theory.
Bachelor of Arts complementary coursework:
| STAT 101 | Principles of Statistics | 4 |
| or STAT 104 | Introduction to Statistics | |
| At least 9 additional arts and humanities and/or social science courses | 9 | |
LAS approved arts and humanities and/or social sciences courses. General education courses cannot be cross-listed or dual-listed with Sociology courses that count toward the major. | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
Bachelor of Science complementary coursework:
| STAT 101 | Principles of Statistics | 4 |
| or STAT 104 | Introduction to Statistics | |
| At least 9 additional credits in natural science, math, or statistics | 9 | |
LAS approved mathematics and/or natural science courses. In addition, these courses may be used: STAT 301, STAT 401D, STAT 404, STAT 407, STAT 415, STAT 421, STAT 479; PSYCH 440; HD FS 449; ECON 308, ECON 376; C R P 451 and WGS 402. General education courses cannot be cross-listed or dual-listed with Sociology courses that count toward the major. | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
LAS majors require a minimum of 120 credits to graduate, including a minimum of 45 credits at the 300/400 level. You must also complete the LAS world language requirement and career proficiency requirement.
Students in all ISU majors must complete a three-credit course in U.S. diversity and a three-credit course in international perspectives. Check (http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/courses/div-ip-guide.html) for a list of approved courses. Discuss with your advisor how the two courses that you select can be applied to your graduation plan.
Majors must complete both ENGL 150 Critical Thinking and Communication and ENGL 250 Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition. According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 250. In addition, majors must also take an advanced course in ENGL 302 Business Communication or ENGL 309 Proposal and Report Writing or ENGL 314 Technical Communication with a grade of C or better.
Sociology, Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS)
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOC 115 | 1 | Sociology 200+ | 3 |
| SOC 134 | 3 | ENGL 250 | 3 |
| ENGL 150 | 3 | Social Science Choice | 3 |
| LIB 160 | 1 | Arts and Humanities Choice | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Choice | 3 | Arts and Humanities Choice | 3 |
| STAT 101 or 104 | 3-4 | ||
| 14-15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Sociology 200+ | 3 | Sociology 300+ | 3 |
| Sociology 300+ | 3 | Sociology 300+ | 3 |
| World Language/International Perspectives | 3-4 | World Language/International Perspectives | 3-4 |
| Arts and Humanities Choice | 3 | Natural Science Choice | 3 |
| Natural Science Choice | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| LAS 203 | 1 | ||
| 15-16 | 16-17 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Sociology 300+ | 3 | SOC 302 | 3 |
| U.S. Diversity | 3 | Sociology 300+ | 3 |
| Natural Science Choice | 2 | Complementary Course (approved Arts and Humanities or Social Science course if seeking a BA; approved Math or Natural Science course if seeking a BS) | 3 |
| Social Science Choice | 3 | Electives 300+ | 6 |
| Electives 300+ | 6 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOC 401 | 3 | Sociology 300+ | 3 |
| ENGL 302, 309, or 314 | 3 | Complementary Course (approved Arts and Humanities or Social Science course if seeking a BA; approved Math or Natural Science course if seeking a BS) | 3 |
| Complementary Course (approved Arts and Humanities or Social Science course if seeking a BA; approved Math or Natural Science course if seeking a BS) | 3 | Electives 300+ | 6-9 |
| Electives 300+ | 6 | ||
| 15 | 12-15 | ||
Sociology Minor
The department offers a minor in sociology which may be earned by completing 15 credits in sociology with a minimum 2.0 GPA. At least 9 of the 15 credits must be at the 300 level or higher with a minimum of 6 of those credits taken at ISU. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college or university requirement.
Students are required to earn credit for the following courses:
| SOC 134 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Additional 12 credits in Sociology courses | 12 | |
9 credits must be 300+ | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Graduate Study
The Department offers study toward the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, with majors available in Sociology and Rural Sociology, as well as a graduate minor in Sociology for students majoring in other departments. The Department offers concentrations in a number of areas, e.g., community studies and development; sociology of families, inequality, food systems, agriculture and environment; criminal justice/criminology; methodology; social change and development; and social psychology. The Department of Sociology does not offer a non-thesis option Master’s degree program.
The Department accepts applicants for the PhD program from students who hold a Master's degree, as well as from students who wish to enter the program directly with a Bachelor's degree.
Contact information: Kyle Burgason, 202 East Hall, 515-294-9898 or burgason@iastate.edu.
Graduates have a broad understanding of sociology, address complex societal problems, and communicate effectively with scientific colleagues and the general public in both formal and informal settings. They understand sociological theory, conduct research, and are prepared to educate college students and contribute to public policy. Although the Department stipulates no language requirement for either the degree master of science or the degree doctor of philosophy, specifying competence in one or more languages may be desirable in some instances.
The Department also participates in the interdepartmental graduate major in Sustainable Agriculture, and the interdepartmental graduate minor in Gerontology.
Course requirements are listed below. Information about examinations, theses and dissertations, POS committees and other requirements are available on the Department of Sociology website.
Ph.D. Core Degree Requirements
Although responsibility for determining the student's course work resides with the Plan of Study (POS) committee, the Department of Sociology outlines core courses that must be taken by all students. A graduate course taken elsewhere can be substituted for the Ph.D. core requirements with approval by the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE) in consultation with the student's POS committee.
A minimum of 72 semester credits (including master's degree credits) is required for graduation.
Required Courses for the Ph.D. Degree
| STAT 582 | Regression for Social and Behavioral Research | 3 |
| SOC 506 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOC 511 | Research Methodology for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| SOC 512 | Applied Multivariate Statistics for Social and Behavioral Research | 3 |
| SOC 513 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 534 | Race, Class and Gender Inequality | 3 |
| SOC 591 | Orientation to Sociology | 1 |
| SOC 607 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOC 699 | Research (minimum 8 credits) | 8 |
| 14 three-credit elective courses as specified on the POS | 42 | |
| No more than 12 credits of 590 (special topics) may be applied toward the Ph.D. degree requirements. | ||
| Total Credits | 72 | |
Ph.D. Minor / Co-Major Requirements
Required Courses for the Ph.D. Minor
| SOC 506 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| or SOC 607 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | |
| SOC 511 | Research Methodology for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| One of the following two courses: | ||
| SOC 512 | Applied Multivariate Statistics for Social and Behavioral Research | 3 |
| or SOC 513 | Qualitative Research Methods | |
| Two 3-credit graduate-level courses in Sociology. | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Required Courses for the Ph.D. Co-Major
| STAT 582 | Regression for Social and Behavioral Research | 3 |
| SOC 506 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOC 511 | Research Methodology for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| One Course in Advanced Methodology: | ||
| Applied Multivariate Statistics for Social and Behavioral Research | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods | ||
| SOC 534 | Race, Class and Gender Inequality | 3 |
| SOC 591 | Orientation to Sociology | 1 |
| SOC 607 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | 3 |
| 3 additional three-credit graduate-level courses in Sociology | 9 | |
| A minimum of 28 total credits is required for the PhD co-major | ||
Co-Major Requirements for the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture
The Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture (GPSA) develops student competence and expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable agricultural systems. The program's curriculum satisfies the formal requirements for the MS and Ph.D. degrees, as established by the ISU Graduate College, and fosters transdisciplinary and systems-level thinking.
The Department does not offer double majors in sociology.
For admission to the co-major program contact the graduate program coordinator.
M.S. Core Degree Requirements
Although responsibility for determining the student's course work resides with the POS committee, the Department of Sociology outlines core courses that must be taken by all students. A graduate course taken elsewhere can be substituted for the core requirements with approval by the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE) in consultation with the student's POS Committee.
Required Courses for the M.S. Degree
| STAT 587 | Statistical Methods for Research Workers | 4 |
| SOC 506 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| or SOC 607 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | |
| SOC 511 | Research Methodology for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| SOC 513 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| or STAT 582 | Regression for Social and Behavioral Research | |
| SOC 591 | Orientation to Sociology | 1 |
| SOC 699 | Research | 1-8 |
| 4 three-credit elective courses as specified on the POS | 12 | |
| No more than 6 credits of 590 (special topics) may be applied toward the M.S. degree requirements. | ||
| Total Credits | 27-34 | |
M.S. Minor / Co-Major Requirements
Required Courses for the M.S. Minor
| SOC 506 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| or SOC 607 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | |
| SOC 511 | Research Methodology for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| Two 3-credit graduate-level courses in Sociology. | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Required Courses for the M.S. Co-Major
| STAT 587 | Statistical Methods for Research Workers | 4 |
| SOC 506 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| or SOC 607 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | |
| SOC 511 | Research Methodology for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| One Course in Advanced Methodology: | ||
| STAT 582 | Regression for Social and Behavioral Research | 3 |
| or SOC 513 | Qualitative Research Methods | |
| SOC 591 | Orientation to Sociology | 1 |
| 2 additional three-credit graduate-level courses in sociology | 6 | |
| A minimum of 20 total credits is required for the M.S. co-major | ||
| The department does not offer double majors in sociology at the graduate level. Admission requirements to the co-major program are the same as for the major. | ||
Co-Major Requirements for the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture
The Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture (GPSA) develops student competence and expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable agricultural systems. The program's curriculum satisfies the formal requirements for the MS and PhD degrees, as established by the ISU Graduate College, and fosters transdisciplinary and systems-level thinking.