Program Contact: Xi Chen 203-582-6408
Students interested in careers in therapy, social work and social justice, as well as those interested in law and politics, are often attracted to sociology. American society is in the midst of rapid social change, which affects families, schools, the economy, healthcare systems and social institutions. Students in the Sociology major graduate with marketable skills equipping them to analyze social change and address a wide range of social issues.
Sociology majors examine invisible structural forces and learn how these affect organizations and individuals. They analyze broader social trends, including trends in illness and wellness, changes in marriage and family formations, rates of educational attainment or patterns of hiring in organizations. These valuable sociological skills can be used to study nearly any aspect of social life—schooling, health and well-being, religious devotion, immigration patterns and more. Sociology majors find a place to explore and develop their own unique interests and talents with thoughtful mentorship and guidance from faculty in the department.
The required internship course, which is one of the program's capstone experiences, allows students to apply their sociological skills in real-world situations. Through the close mentorship of our departmental internship coordinator, students gain valuable insight into how their acquired knowledge and capabilities translate into marketable job skills. The program retains a long list of possible placement sites—from work in schools, hospitals and foster care settings to providing assistance with newly arrived immigrants to mentoring disadvantaged youth—to ensure that students can match their internship experience to their interests. Graduating seniors in Sociology are well prepared to continue their education or assume careers in teaching, social work, public administration, healthcare, law and criminal justice.
Students majoring in sociology must meet the following requirements for graduation:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| University Curriculum 1 | 46 | |
| Modern Language Requirement | 3-6 | |
| Core Requirements | ||
| SO 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| or SO 225 | Social Problems | |
| or SO 244 | Race, Gender and Class: Social Inequalities | |
| SO 205 | From College to Career | 1 |
| SO 244 | Race, Gender and Class: Social Inequalities | 3 |
| SO 290 | Research Methods 2 | 3 |
| SO 392 | Internship in the Community 3 | 3 |
| SO 382 | Studying Social Issues with Statistics 4, 5 | 3 |
| SO 400 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| 18 Credits of Electives 6 | 18 | |
| Free Electives | 27 - 31 | |
| Total Credits | 113-120 | |
- 1
All students must complete the University Curriculum requirements.
- 2
Students who are double majoring in Sociology and Criminal Justice must take either SO 290 or CJ 290 but are not required to take both. Students double majoring in Sociology and Criminal Justice must replace one course with a UC elective.
- 3
Students who are double majoring in Sociology and Criminal Justice must take either SO 392 or CJ 392 but are not required to take both. Students double majoring in Sociology and Criminal Justice must replace one course with a UC elective. Students who are double majoring in Sociology and Political Science must take either SO 392 or PO 295 but are not required to take both. Students who are double majoring in Sociology and Political Science must replace one course with a UC elective.
- 4
If students take MA 206 to fulfill the university quantitative literacy requirement, MA 206 can be used to fulfill the sociology statistics requirement. The sociology statistics course (SO 382) cannot be used for the university quantitative literacy requirement.
- 5
Students who are double majoring in Sociology and Data Science must take either SO 382 or MA 285 but are not required to take both. Students double majoring in Sociology and Data Science must replace one course with a UC elective. Students who are majoring in Sociology and Economics must take either SO 382 or EC 272 but are not required to take both. Students who are majoring in Sociology and Economics must replace one course with a UC elective. Students who are majoring in Sociology and Psychology must take either SO 382 or PS 206 but are not required to take both. Students majoring in Sociology and Psychology must replace one course with a UC elective.
- 6
One of the electives could include AN 101 or AN 103; and one could be a criminal justice (CJ) course that is not cross-listed with sociology.
Social Work and Community Services Concentration
Students may take nine of the 18 required elective credits in the Social Work and Community Services Concentration. A sociology degree with a concentration in social work and community services integrates a traditional liberal arts education with specialized training and field background for students who intend to pursue a career in community services or pursue graduate education in social work, health-related fields, or public administration. Society is increasingly faced with challenges in the delivery of community services to a growing set of underserved populations. For students who want to work for a community agency, for nonprofits that help disadvantaged individuals or families, for mental health and counseling services, in social work, or for local and state government, this concentration provides a perfect background. Students focus their coursework on the areas of social institutions, policy, inequality and social issues. They also complete an advanced internship in the field, providing them with the experience and expertise to work with a wide range of client needs. For those wishing to pursue graduate education in social work, the concentration provides the necessary background coursework helpful for success in graduate programs and work experience that will help distinguish students in the application process.
For this applied concentration, students must take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SO 394 | Advanced Internship in the Community | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| SO 211 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| SO 225 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SO 232 | Women in the Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| SO 250 | Youth Crime | 3 |
| SO 260 | Social Control and Deviance | 3 |
| SO 265 | Work and Occupations,Sociology of Work | 3 |
| SO 270 | Community Program Development | 3 |
| SO 315 | Social Work Case Management | 3 |
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate the following competencies:
- Diversity Awareness: Students learn to identify the perspectives of diverse groups and the effect of group membership on life experiences and life chances.
- Social Scientific Literacy: Students learn the logic of research methodology and to be able to understand and critique the results of scientific research generated by scholars in the discipline.
- Critical Thinking: Students apply disciplinary theories and concepts to interpret various social phenomena and scholarship from multiple perspectives through clear oral and written articulation.
- Sociological Understanding of Society: Students are able to discuss the theories, critical concepts and ideas that form the basis of disciplinary knowledge and will understand how social structure affects the distribution of cultural and material resources across social groups.
Admission Requirements: College of Arts and Sciences
The requirements for admission into the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences programs are the same as those for admission to Quinnipiac University.
Admission to the university is competitive, and applicants are expected to present a strong college prep program in high school. Prospective first-year students are strongly encouraged to file an application as early in the senior year as possible, and arrange to have first quarter grades sent from their high school counselor as soon as they are available.
For detailed admission requirements, including required documents, please visit the Admissions page of this catalog.
Transfer into the Sociology Major
Seamless Transfer Agreement with Gateway Community College (GCC), Housatonic Community College (HCC) and Norwalk Community College (NCC)
Under this Transfer Agreement, GCC, HCC and NCC graduates will be guaranteed admission into a bachelor’s degree program with third year (junior) status at Quinnipiac University on the condition that they:
- Graduate with an associate in arts, an associate in science in business, College of Technology engineering science, nursing or an allied health degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (this may be higher in specific programs).
- Satisfy all other Quinnipiac University transfer admission requirements and requirements for intended major.
Quinnipiac University agrees to accept the general education embedded in these associate degree programs in accordance with Quinnipiac preferred choices for general education as meeting all the requirements of its undergraduate general education except for the Integrative Capstone Experience and where courses are encumbered by the major (e.g., General Chemistry for the Disciplinary Inquiry Natural Science requirement for a Biochemistry major).
Suggested Transfer Curriculum for BA in Sociology
A minimum of 60 credits is required for transfer into the BA in Sociology program. Below is a recommended plan of study for the first two years prior to matriculation at Quinnipiac University.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| English I | 3 | |
| Principles of Sociology | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| English II | 3 | |
| Sociology Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Sociology Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Sociology Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60-62 | |
Please note: The BA in Sociology program at Quinnipiac University requires the completion of an internship. Students transferring in their junior year should expect to take the pre-internship course (SO 205) in the fall of their junior year, then can complete their internship in any subsequent semester.
Shown below is one of many possible paths through the curriculum. Each student's individual academic plan is crafted in consultation with their academic adviser.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| Milestones: Earn 30 credits, meet with your adviser at least once a semester and have a GPA of 2.00 or higher. | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SO 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| MA 110 | Contemporary Mathematics | 3 |
| EN 101 | Introduction to Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
| FYS 101 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SO 225 | Social Problems | 3 |
| EN 102 | Academic Writing and Research | 3 |
| University Curriculum course | 4 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Milestones: Earn 60 credits and a GPA of 2.00 or higher. Meet with your adviser at least once per semester to discuss academic, experiential learning, career and co-curricular opportunities. | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SO 244 | Race, Gender and Class: Social Inequalities | 3 |
| SO 290 | Research Methods | 3 |
| SO Elective at the 200 level | 3 | |
| Language at the 101 level | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SO 382 | Studying Social Issues with Statistics | 3 |
| SO Elective at the 200 level | 3 | |
| Language at the 102 level (Satisfies CAS Language Requirement) | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Milestones: Earn 90 credits and a GPA of 2.00 or higher. Meet with your adviser at least once per semester. Participate in study abroad, complete internship or research opportunities. | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SO Elective at the 200 level | 3 | |
| SO Elective at the 200 level | 3 | |
| SO Elective at the 300 level | 3 | |
| SO 205 | From College to Career | 1 |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SO 392 | Internship in the Community | 3 |
| SO Elective | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Milestones: Earn 120 credits and a GPA of 2.00 or higher. Complete possible minor or double major and prepare for graduation. | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SO 400 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| SO Elective | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SO Elective | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| University Curriculum course | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 1 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |