BA in Sociology
North Central College
Key Information
Campus location
Naperville, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 42,866 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* tuition fee
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Why pursue a sociology degree at North Central College?
As a sociology student, you will develop a set of perspectives and tools that can lead to a fulfilling and productive career and a life informed by an understanding of social change and social justice. The critical framework of sociology, and the core ideas of discipline, as well as professors and fellow students, will present you with intellectual challenges, inconvenient truths, and intriguing ideas- all with the intent of furthering your development and growth as an engaged citizen in the contemporary world.
By pursuing social science, you will be able to expand your comprehension of social concepts and their consequential social problems (ex. race and racial inequity) by analyzing everyday human behavior, conducting empirical research, and more.
You can also:
- Choose a concentration in criminal justice, community studies, or general sociology.
- Add a Chicago Area Studies Minor, which dives deeper into urban sociology and breaks down the makeup of Chicago's social structure and urban life.
- Learn more about the community through Community Engaged Learning projects and volunteer with organizations like WorldRelief, Circle K, and North Central’s Cardinals in Action.
- Apply for a Richter Grant to fund your research study anywhere in the world.
- Join the Alpha Kappa Delta sociology honor society.
Curriculum
Sociology, BA
Sociology is the study of social interactions among individuals and social groups. It developed as an intellectual and moral response to the problems and possibilities brought about by the democratic and industrial revolutions of the past and the ongoing challenges of promoting a just, fair, and meaningful life in the present era. As a sociology student, you will develop a set of perspectives and tools that can lead to a fulfilling and productive career and a life informed by an understanding of social change and social justice. Along the way, the core ideas of the discipline, as well as professors and fellow students, will present intellectual challenges, inconvenient truths, and intriguing ideas—all with the intent of promoting your own development and growth as an engaged citizen in the contemporary world.
Sociology opens up many engaging career pathways and offers valuable preparation for positions in many different types of organizational settings such as educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations, private corporations, and government agencies. With a bachelor's degree in sociology, graduates are positioned to obtain and excel in occupations such as urban planners, social service providers, public health workers, community liaisons, journalists, educators, admissions counselors, public relations professionals, juvenile counselors, and police officers. For those students who are considering an advanced degree, sociology facilitates entry into professional programs in law, social work, public policy, theology, administration (e.g. public, business, fine arts), as well as master's and doctoral programs in sociology.
Major Requirements
Core Courses
- SOCI 100 - Life Chances and Choices: Introduction to Sociology
- SOCI 250 - Pathways in Sociology
- SOCI 200 - Social Inquiry I: Quantitative
- SOCI 300 - Social Inquiry II: Qualitative
- SOCI 350 - Social Life and Social Theory
- SOCI 400 - Sociological Culminating Experience
Inequalities Course
One of the following:
- SOCI 210 - Gender: Patterns/Privileges/Possibilities
- SOCI 211 - Race/Ethnicity: Conflict and Change
- SOCI 212 - Social Class: Get Ahead/Fall Behind
Pathway Courses
Three courses from any of the following three areas:
Problems Courses
- SOCI 220 - Crime, Law, and Society
- SOCI 221 - Youth Justice, Crime and Law
- SOCI 222 - Power-Based Personal Violence
- SOCI 223 - Community and City Life
Tools Courses
- SOCI 295 - Research Practicum
- SOCI 330 - Policing and Corrections
- SOCI 332 - Chicago Encounters
Institutions Courses
- SOCI 340 - Criminal Justice System
- SOCI 341 - Schools and Society
- SOCI 342 - Families and Intimate Relationships
- SOCI 343 - Health, Illness, and Care
- ANTH 345 - Religion, Spirituality, and Community
Additional Requirements for the BA Degree
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language.
Career Opportunities
Whether you have an undergraduate, master's degree, or doctoral degree, sociology opens up many engaging career pathways and offers valuable preparation for positions in different types of organizational settings such as educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations, private corporations, and government agencies.
Internships
- Mental health services intern, Wheaton, IL
- Intern, Illinois State Police, Downers Grove, IL
- At-risk youth mentor, Metropolitan Family Services, Wheaton, IL
- Intern, HHS Planning and Consulting, Chicago
- Refugee resettlement intern, World Relief, Aurora, IL
- TLC youth advocate, Hesed House, Aurora, IL
- Adult probation services intern, 19th Judicial Circuit, Waukegan, IL
- Exploring diversity intern, Bardwell School, Aurora, IL
- Not-for-profit management, Appalachia Service Project, Johnson City, TN
Careers
- Urban planner
- Social service providers
- Public health workers
- Community liaisons
- Journalists
- Educators
- Admission counselors
- Public relations professionals
- Juvenile counselors
- Police officers
For those students who are considering an advanced degree, sociology facilitates entry into professional programs in law, social work, public policy, theology, administration (e.g. public, business, fine arts), as well as master and doctoral programs in sociology.