B.S. in Sociology
James Madison University
Key Information
Campus location
Harrisonburg, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 6,434 / per semester *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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* in-state tuition fee | $15,076: out-of-state tuition fee. Additional fees may apply
Introduction
If you want to change the world, you need to know how the world works.
Sociologists study the causes and consequences of social inequality. They also explore the social aspects of the environment, technology, politics, health, globalization, social movements, social justice, markets, mass media/popular culture, and more. Through coursework and projects, sociology majors gain hands-on experience doing sociology, which includes: immersion in the daily life of groups, interview methodology, examining recorded interaction, interpreting historical documents, analyzing large national surveys, and producing sophisticated social critique.
The sociology program develops the student's ability to analyze the social world by using diverse sociological theories and research methods. It stresses the importance of social, cultural, and historical contexts for understanding relationships between and among individuals and the social structures that make up societies. Students will gain the ability to think broadly and critically about the diversity of social organizations and practice locally and globally. Students will also develop the ability to take a disciplined and scholarly approach to understand the world in which we live.
The major in sociology strongly develops skills in critical thinking, research, analysis, writing, and communication. Sociology students frequently go on to post-graduate education and/or careers in both public and private employment sectors.
Concentrations
The sociology program encourages majors to select electives that create a coherent program of study suited to their special needs and interests. Such a focus would involve four or more courses from the following concentration groupings:
- Communities, Inequalities, and Public Policy
- Environments, Technologies, and Innovation
- Markets and Cultures
- Political and Global Analysis
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Required Courses
- General Education 41 Credit Hours 1
- Quantitative requirement 3 Credit Hours 2
- Scientific Literacy requirement 3-4 Credit Hours 2
- University electives 32-33 Credit Hours
- Major requirements (listed below) 39 Credit Hours
Footnotes
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 In addition to course work taken to fulfill General Education requirement.
Major Requirements
To earn a B.S. degree with a sociology major, students must complete a minimum of 39 credit hours in sociology. Of these credit hours, 18 are required courses; the remaining 21 credit hours are electives chosen from over 30 sociology courses. Students must observe the prerequisite sequencing of required courses as shown in the course descriptions.
Students must earn at least a “C-” in all sociology classes or any course that is substituted for a sociology core course. If a student earns below a “C-” in a course, they can re-take the course once in order to meet the “C-” standard.
Courses
- SOCI 110. Social Issues in a Global Context [C4GE] Credits: 3.00
- SOCI 140. Microsociology: The Individual in Society [C5SD] Credits: 3.00
- SOCI 200. Development of Sociological Thought and Method Credits: 3.00 1
- SOCI 231. Introduction to Social Statistics Credits: 3.00 2
- SOCI 300. Sociological Inquiry Credits: 3.00 3
- SOCI 480. Senior Seminar in Sociology Credits: 3.00 4,5,6
- Sociology electives 21 Credit Hours 7
Footnotes
1 Prerequisite for SOCI 200: SOCI 110, SOCI 140 or SOCI 101.
2 Students can substitute SOCI 231 with MATH 220, PSYC 210 or COB 191, but must take an additional sociology course to complete the required 39 hours of sociology.
3 Prerequisite for SOCI 300: SOCI 200 and SOCI 231 (or equivalent), sociology majors only.
4 Prerequisite for SOCI 480: SOCI 300.
5 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
6 Students may fulfill the senior seminar requirement by completing a supervised internship with a substantial writing expectation. Students must secure their own internship placement before enrolling in the internship course and should consult an adviser or the sociology program coordinator for details. Students may also fulfill the senior seminar requirement by successfully completing the SOCI 499 Honors Thesis sequence.
7 If a course other than SOCI 231 is used to meet the statistics requirement, 24 elective credits will be required to reach the 39 credit hour total.
Recommended Schedule for Majors
Transfer students on a two-year course of study should change “Year” in this sequence to “Semester.”
The following is an example of a four-year course of study for a student seeking a degree in sociology:
First Year
- SOCI 110. Social Issues in a Global Context [C4GE] Credits: 3.00
- SOCI 140. Microsociology: The Individual in Society [C5SD] Credits: 3.00
- Sociology elective 3 Credit Hours
Second Year
- SOCI 200. Development of Sociological Thought and Method Credits: 3.00
- SOCI 231. Introduction to Social Statistics Credits: 3.00
- Sociology electives 3 Credit Hours
Third Year
- SOCI 300. Sociological Inquiry Credits: 3.00
- Electives 6-9 Credit Hours
Fourth Year
- Sociology electives 6-9 Credit Hours
- SOCI 480. Senior Seminar in Sociology Credits: 3.00 (majors take this any time after completing SOCI 300)
Career Opportunities
A successful career and a meaningful life is what it’s all about. Whether it’s an internship, a great first job or a top graduate school appointment, JMU Dukes make their dreams ignite. You will, too.
Some of the most fascinating subjects explored by sociologists include:
- Sex and gender: Do men and women have different hiring, employment, and promotion experiences? This would be a research question for a sociologist specializing in how sex and gender affect the workplace.
- Medical sociology: How is AIDS transmitted (and thus prevented) in different subgroups of the population? How has a public opinion about AIDS shifted? These are the concerns of medical sociologists.
- Organizations and occupations: Which management styles increase productivity and worker satisfaction would engage the attention of an organizational sociologist.
- Racial and ethnic minorities: Do minority children get "tracked" within the public schools? Do minority parents get "cooled out" from participating in and knowing about the informal power structure within schools? Someone specializing in minority relations would explore these questions.
- Family: Are children of divorced parents more likely to divorce, or to reject marriage themselves? What factors predict whether abused children would fare better in foster care or be reunited with their birth family? These would be possible subjects for a family sociologist.
Job Prospects
Given the breadth, adaptability, and utility of sociology, employment opportunities abound for BA graduates. You can secure entry-level positions in many of the areas previously mentioned in defining the scope of sociology. The following list of possibilities is only illustrative — many other paths may be open to you. Employment sectors include:
- Social services — in rehabilitation, case management, group work with youth or the elderly, recreation, or administration.
- Community work — in fund-raising for social service organizations, nonprofits, child-care or community development agencies, or environmental groups.
- Corrections — in probation, parole, or other criminal justice work.
- Business — in advertising, marketing, consumer research, insurance, real estate, personnel work, training, or sales.
- College settings — in admissions, alumni relations, or placement offices.
- Health services — in family planning, substance abuse, rehabilitation counseling, health planning, hospital admissions, and insurance companies.
- Publishing, journalism, and public relations — in writing, research, and editing.
- Government services — in federal, state, and local government jobs in such areas as transportation, housing, agriculture, and labor.
- Teaching — in elementary and secondary schools, in conjunction with appropriate teacher certification.
Scholarships and Funding
Madison awards more than 400 one- to four-year scholarships each year to incoming students. The primary criterion for merit-based scholarships is exceptional academic performance. Other selection criteria may include leadership, involvement, and career goals.
The Madison Scholarships Hub is the application center for all JMU Foundation scholarships at James Madison University. To access the Madison Scholarships Hub, log in to MyMadison. Under the Applicant tab, click on the Madison Scholarships Hub logo.
All students are encouraged to fill out the General Application in the Madison Scholarships Hub to be considered for various scholarship opportunities. Qualifications for the majority of our scholarships are based on the General Application information as well as information pulled directly from your admissions application.
Review the criteria carefully for any recommended scholarship opportunities you are presented with and if you meet the qualifications, click apply to submit the additional required information. Deadlines vary across departments so be sure to complete the General Application as soon as possible to receive full consideration. Some scholarship opportunities become available starting in the fall while others open later so be sure to check back in January, February and March.