Sociology
Application Deadline
- Spring: Dec. 2
- Summer: March 31 (early sessions)
- Fall: July 21
Class Begins
- Spring: Jan. 9
- Summer: May 8 (early sessions)
- Fall: Aug. 21
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Arts
in Sociology
WSU College
College of Arts and Sciences
Understand Society. Make a Difference.
Have you ever wondered how society affects people’s behavior? Do you want to better understand social problems in our world and work to solve them? If so, the first step is looking beyond the surface level and realizing that “things are not always what they seem,” which is the foundation of sociological thinking.
What You’ll Learn
WSU’s undergraduate sociology major, now offered completely online, develops student skills in critical thinking, quantitative and symbolic reasoning, research methods, information literacy, communication and life-long learning. The program will help you develop a deep understanding of fundamental features of society—including diversity and inequality, the problem of social order, and the intersection of society and the environment. These versatile skills and knowledge prepare you for a wide range of exciting career opportunities, including, but not limited to, social work, healthcare, education, criminal justice, law, politics, business, and marketing.
WSU Online Sociology Degree Strengths
- The Department of Sociology at WSU’s College of Arts and Sciences is home to several award-winning faculty members and has been consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation.
- Research is important to sociologists—undergraduate students have unique opportunities to work with faculty and graduate students pursuing a wide array of fascinating research topics.
- In sociology course work, students focus on developing various useful skills that will be utilized when entering the labor market and/or graduate school. These include: analytic problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, expressive and persuasive writing skills, innovation and the ability to understand issues from a multicultural/global perspective.
Note: All career statistics come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Program of Study
All courses are available online
All WSU undergraduates must complete a minimum of 120 semester credits of which 40 credits must be at the 300 – 400 level. Students must also complete the University Common Requirements (UCORE). These can generally be satisfied with a direct transfer degree. For a list of direct-transfer agreements, visit WSU’s Transferring an Associate Degree web page.
Students must also fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences graduation requirements and the program requirements of the degree.
A student may be admitted to the Sociology major upon making their intention known to their advisor.
16 semester credits – all courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted
- SOC 101 [SSCI] – Introduction to Sociology
- SOC 310 – Development of Social Theory
- SOC 317 [M] – Research Methods in Sociology
- SOC 321 – Quantitative Techniques in Sociology I (4 cr)
- SOC 495 [CAPS] [M] – Internship Capstone
Choose five classes (15 semester credits)
- SOC 102 [SSCI] – Social Problems
- SOC 230 – Society and Technology
- SOC 245 – Sociology of Sport
- SOC 251 [DIVR] – The Sociology of Sex, Relationships, and Marriage
- SOC 300 [DIVR] [M] – Intersections of Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality
- SOC 332 [SSCI] – Sustainability and Society
- SOC 334 – Medical Sociology
- SOC 340 [DIVR] – Social Inequality
- SOC 350 – Social Psychology
- SOC 351 [DIVR] – The Family
- SOC 352 – Youth and Society
- SOC 360 – Social Deviance
- SOC 361 [DIVR] – Criminology
- SOC 362 – Juvenile Delinquency
- SOC 368 – Drugs and Society
- SOC 372 – The Sociology of Film
- SOC 384 – Sociology of Gender
- SOC 418 – Human Issues in International Development
Choose four classes (12 semester credits; 6 credits must be 300 or 400 level)
- COM 101 [SSCI] – Media and Society
- COM 464 – Gender and the Media
- COM 470 – Mass Communications Theories and Theory Construction
- COMSTRAT 312 – Principles of Public Relations
- COMSTRAT 380 – Advertising Principles and Practices
- I BUS 380 – International Business
- MGMT 301 – Principle of Management and Organization
- MKTG 360 – Marketing
- SOE 110 [BSCI] – The Environment, Human Life, and Sustainability
- SOE 312 [DIVR] – Natural Resources, Society, and the Environment
- Any AMER_ST, ANTH, ASIA, CES, CRM_J, ECONS, H_D, HISTORY, HONORS, PHIL, POL_S, PSYCH, and WGSS courses.
All students, including community college transfer students with an approved transferable AA degree from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona or Hawaii, or students pursuing a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences, will be held to the following additional requirements:
- Foreign Language: Complete 2 years of high school or 1 year of college in a single foreign language
- Additional 3 semester credits of [SSCI,] [HUM], or [ARTS] for a total of 12 semester credits of UCORE
- Additional 1 lab credit of [BSCI], [PSCI] for a total of 8 semester credits and 2 labs.
Please review the online WSU Catalog for additional information about specific degree requirements.