Courses : Academic Bulletin

SOC-P 510 Seminar on Organizations and the Individual (3 cr.) Focuses on the interplay between social structural factors and individual actions. Examines basic principles of social organizations as well as variations in types of organizational arrangements. Explores impact of organizational structures on individual behavior and attributes, and the implications of various behavioral strategies adopted by individuals functioning within organizations.

SOC-P 514 Health and Health Care Issues (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing. An investigation of health and the health care system in the U.S. with focus on issues, problems, and alternatives for policy reform.

SOC-P 517 Social Stratification and Social Practice (3 cr.) This course examines social stratification as both an area of scientific inquiry and sociological practice. Course content covers the historical and cross-cultural variations in social stratification, systems of inequality, and the social policies associated with addressing inequality.

SOC-P 540 Principles of Sociological Theory and Practice (3 cr.) P: Undergraduate course in social theory. This course will introduce graduate students to the theoretically informed practice of sociology. Students will develop the ability to use social theory in the analysis of society and social life.

SOC-P 550 Statistical Techniques for Sociological Practice I (3 cr.) P: One basic undergraduate statistics course. Course focuses on how to use statistical analysis to answer common questions in the practice of sociology as well as on what statistical techniques are useful to answer sociological practice questions, how to apply them and interpret their results. Specific methods to be covered include documentary, ethnographic, survey, experimental design, secondary data analysis, social indicators, focused literature reviews, and library research techniques.

SOC-P 560 Topics in Sociological Practice (3 cr.) This is a graduate seminar in selected topic areas in sociology, exploring the nature of sociological practice within each area (e.g., policy issues and/or intervention strategies as applied to health). May be repeated with different topics.

SOC-P 562 Topics in Policy Analysis (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing. Graduate seminar in selected topic areas in sociology, focusing on the analysis of social policy within each area.

SOC-P 570 Applied Research Methods (3 cr.) P: Undergraduate course in sociological research methods. Course covers the methodological tools and practical knowledge needed to conduct applied social research. Students will be exposed to a variety of methods and will learn how to choose the most appropriate method for specific research problems and settings, and understand advantages and disadvantages for each.

SOC-P 576 Graduate Seminar in Sociological Pedagogy (3 cr.) Develop and refine personal teaching philosophy, learn the standards of good course design, explore learning styles, and examine best practices in course delivery and student assessment. Exposure to the field of the scholarship of teaching and learning.

SOC-P 578 Mediation and Conflict Resolution Strategies (3 cr.) Explores the nature of conflict in human social relations and strategies for conflict resolution. Students will learn and practice techniques for proactively and constructively dealing with interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Successful completion of course will enable student to be a certified community mediator in a variety of disputes.

SOC-P 650 Statistical Techniques for Sociological Practice II (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and P550 or equivalent. Designed to be a continuation of study of statistics as they are used by the practitioners of social science. Explores intricacies of statistical procedures most likely needed by practitioners including factor analysis and index construction, measures of association, and simple and multiple regression.

SOC-P 670 Advanced Applied Research Methods (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and P570. Designed to provide greater depth of knowledge for topics discussed in P570 such as focus groups, case studies, survey research, needs assessment, and outcome evaluations.

SOC-P 695 Independent Research in Sociological Practice (1-3 cr.) P: Permission of instructor and completion of P540, P550, and P570. Provides the student an opportunity to engage in independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. The student works with a faculty member in developing and carrying out a research plan. Course requirements are negotiated between the student and the supervising faculty member. May be repeated with different topics.

SOC-P 697 Professional Development (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing. Covers professional socialization into the practice of sociology, including professional ethics, grantwriting, development of various types of proposals, professional organizations and services, and developing a career as a practicing sociologist.

SOC-P 698 Practicum in Sociological Practice (3 cr.) P: Permission of the program director, all core courses and 12 credit hours in approved electives. First semester, students will develop a research proposal and obtain necessary approvals. Second semester, students work with a client organization, produce a report, present findings. May be taken multiple times; only 6 credit hours count toward the completion of degree requirements.

SOC-P 699 Master’s Thesis Research (3 cr.) P: Permission of program director, all core courses and 12 credit hours in approved electives. First semester, students develop a research proposal and obtain necessary approvals. Second semester, students carry out applied research, produce a thesis, and present findings. May be taken multiple times; only 6 credit hours will count toward degree requirement.

University Graduate School Bulletin 2013-14