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Undergraduate

Bachelor's Degree Programs
Sociology

Major in Sociology

Sociology courses are designed to take advantage of the unique resources of an urban campus. The curriculum emphasizes the applied aspects of sociology as well as those segments of sociology necessary for advanced study. Courses in sociology serve to broaden the understanding of all students and should be of particular interest to students preparing for careers in professional social science, education, government, law, criminal justice, urban affairs, social service, medical service fields, and business. In an ever-changing environment, the Department of Sociology strives to provide students with diverse educational experiences, including traditional education and fieldwork and/or survey research experience. Undergraduate majors are encouraged to participate in internships and research projects as part of their educational experience.

Students completing the Sociology B.A. program will achieve the following:

  • Understand the sociological perspective
  • Be familiar with major sociological concepts and classical and contemporary theories
  • Understand research methods and research design
  • Be able to interpret qualitative and quantitative social data and possess basic statistical skills
  • Possess substantive knowledge in disciplinary subfields
  • Be able to critically evaluate claims and evidence based on social data
  • Have the ability to conduct and write up basic data analysis to answer a sociological research question
  • Be able to apply the sociological perspective to concrete social issues locally and globally

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Sociology (SOC) requires satisfactory completion of the following:

  • A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a B.A. degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts.
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required for graduation.
  • A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed after formal admission to IU Indianapolis.
  • A minimum of 21 credit hours of major coursework must be completed in residence in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis. Course work completed on an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program counts as residential credit.
  • A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each major course.
  • Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, except in cases of variable title courses, internships, and other special courses, no course will be counted more than once toward graduation.

IU Indianapolis General Education Core

A list of accepted courses in the IU Indianapolis General Education Core can be found here.

Core Communication (6 credits)

  • ENG-W 131: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I (3 credits) or ENG-W 140: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry: Honors (3 credits) completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) sections of ENG-G 131 have been designated for students whose first language is not English.

  • COMM-R 110: Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 credits)

Analytical Reasoning (6 credits)

  • College math from List A (3 credits)
  • List A or List B (3 credits)

Cultural Understanding (3 credits)

  • A world language course is recommended

Life and Physical Sciences (6 credits)

  • A laboratory science component is required

Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences (9 credits)

  • Arts & Humanities (3 credits)
  • Social Science (3 credits)
  • Additional Arts & Humanities or Social Science (3 credits)

Transfer students entering IU Indianapolis from another public university in Indiana who have completed the transferable general education core at their home campus will not need to complete the IU Indianapolis General Education Core.

Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Competencies

First-Year Experience (1-3 credits)

  • SLA-S 100: First Year Success Seminar
  • Other: First Year Seminar from another school at IU Indianapolis

Transfer students with 18 or more credit hours are not required to take this course.

Writing Proficiency (3 credits), completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher, chosen from the following:

  • ENG-W 230: Writing in the Sciences
  • ENG-W 231: Professional Writing Skills
  • ENG-W 270: Argumentative Writing

Transfer students may satisfy the writing proficiency by completing course work equivalent to ENG-W 231, ENG-W 230, ENG-W 270, or GEWR-UN 200 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher at another campus or institution.

Transfer students with 80 or more transfer credits may petition for exemption from the Writing Proficiency requirement.  Petition available in the Miriam Z. Langsam Office of Student Affairs, Cavanaugh Hall room 401.

Analytical Proficiency (3 credits), chosen from the following: 

  • ECON-E 270: Introduction to Statistical Theory in Economics and Business
  • PHIL-P 208: Causality and Evidence
  • PHIL-P 262: Practical Logic
  • PHIL-P 265: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
  • POLS-Y 205: Analyzing Politics  
  • SOC-R 359: Introduction to Sociological Stats

Analytical Proficiency is in addition to the Analytical Reasoning area in the IU Indianapolis General Education Core. Analytical Proficiency courses may be shared with major requirements if applicable.

Life and Physical Sciences Laboratory

One laboratory science course is required, but may be part of the coursework taken in the IU Indianapolis General Education Core.

Arts and Humanities (3 credits) - Courses in one’s first major field of study cannot be used to fulfill this requirement

100 or 200 level course chosen from the following disciplines

  • Africana Studies (AFRO)
  • American Studies (AMST)
  • American Sign Language (ASL) excluding World Languages courses
  • Classics (CLAS) excluding World Languages courses
  • Communication Studies (COMM-R, excluding COMM-R 110, and COMM-T only)
  • East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) excluding World Language courses
  • English-Creative Writing or Writing and Literacy (ENG-W), excluding courses in the Writing Proficiency area.
  • English Literature (ENG-L)
  • Film Studies (FILM)
  • Folklore (FOLK) excluding FOLK-F 101
  • German (GER) excluding World Language courses
  • History (HIST) excluding HIST-H 105, HIST-H 106, HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, HIST-H 114
  • Latino Studies (LATS)
  • Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS)
  • Museum Studies (MSTD)
  • Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
  • Philosophy (PHIL)
  • Religious Studies (REL)
  • Spanish (SPAN) excluding World Language courses
  • Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) excluding WGSS-W 105
  • World Languages and Cultures (WLAC)

Social Sciences (3 credits) - Courses in one’s first major field of study cannot be used to fulfill this requirement

100 or 200 level course chosen from the following disciplines

  • Africana Studies (AFRO)
  • Anthropology (ANTH)
  • Communication Studies (COMM-C and COMM-M only)
  • Economics (ECON)
  • English-Linguistics (ENG-Z)
  • Folklore (FOLK)
  • Geography (GEOG)
  • Global and International Studies (INTL)
  • History (HIST) only HIST-H 105, HIST-H 106, HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, HIST-H 114
  • Journalism and Public Relations (JOUR)
  • Latino Studies (LATS)
  • Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS) excluding MHHS-M 201
  • Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
  • Political Science (POLS)
  • Psychology (PSY)
  • Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)

World Language and Perspectives (0-14 credits) - This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:

  1. Completion of second-year proficiency in a single world language.
    1. Second-year proficiency is demonstrated by:
      1. passing the full second-year sequence of courses in a single language or
      2. completing a third or fourth-year course1
  2. Completion of third-semester proficiency in a single world language and one course in History selected from HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, or HIST-H 114.
  3. Completion of first-year proficiency in a single world language; one history course selected from HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, or HIST-H 114; and one course selected from the Global History and Perspectives list:
    1. ANTH-A 104: Intro to Cultural Anthropology
    2. CLAS-C 213: Sport and Competition in the Ancient World
    3. EALC-E 232: China Past and Present: Culture in Continuing Evolution
    4. ENG-L 245: (The Empire Writes Back) Intro to Caribbean Literature
    5. GEOG-G 130: World Geography
    6. HIST-H 108: Perspectives on the World to 1800
    7. HIST-H 109: Perspectives on the World since 1800
    8. HIST-H 113: History of Western Civilization I 
    9. HIST-H 114: History of Western Civilization II
    10. INTL-I 100: Intro to International Studies
    11. LATS-L 228: An Interdisciplinary Look at U.S. Latino/a Identities
    12. POLS-Y 217: Introduction to Comparative Politics 
    13. POLS-Y 219: Introduction to International Relations
    14. REL-R 212: Comparative Religions
  4. Non-English native speaker with approved waiver.

Courses in World Language and Perspectives may also satisfy General Education Core Cultural Understanding. 

        1 Students interested in receiving credit for lower-division language courses, see the section ‘‘Special Credit for Foreign Language Study.’’

Advanced Courses

Students are required to have 42 credit hours in 300-400 level coursework including courses in their major. Of the 42 advanced credits, 9 credit hours must be 300-400 level coursework outside the first Liberal Arts major field of study and from the School of Liberal Arts. Students seeking dual degrees are exempt from completing 9 credits hours in 300-400 level coursework outside their major and from the School of Liberal Arts.

Major Requirements (30 credits)

  • SOC-R 100: Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 351: Social Science Research Methods (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 359: Introduction to Sociological Statistics (3 credits)

One Theory course selected from one of the following:

  • SOC-R 355: Social Theory (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 356: Foundations of Social Theory (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 357: Contemporary Sociological Theory (3 credits)

One Capstone course selected from one of the following:

  • SOC-R 494: Internship Program in Sociology (3 credits)*
  • SOC-R 497: Individual Readings in Sociology (3 credits)*
  • SOC-R 498: Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

* Prerequisite: 3.0 GPA in Sociology   

15 additional credits of other Sociology courses listed in this bulletin, under Courses.

Medical Sociology Concentration (30 credits) 

  • SOC-R 100: Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 351: Social Science Research Methods (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 355: Social Theory (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 359: Introduction to Sociological Statistics (3 credits)

ONE of the following:

  • SOC-R 381: Social Factors in Health and Illness (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 382: Social Organization of Health Care (3 credits)

One Capstone course selected from one of the following:

  • SOC-R 494: Internship Program in Sociology (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 497: Individual Readings in Sociology (3 credits)
  • SOC-R 498: Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

9 credits of medical Sociology courses, selected from the following:

  • SOC-R 320: Sexuality and Society
  • SOC-R 321: Women and Health
  • SOC-R 327: Sociology of Death & Dying
  • SOC-R 335: Aging and the Life Course
  • SOC-R 381: Social Factors in Health and Illness (if R382 was taken above)
  • SOC-R 382: Social Organization of Heath Care (if R381 was taken above)
  • SOC-R 385: AIDS and Society
  • SOC-R 410: Alcohol, Drugs and Society
  • SOC-R 415: Sociology of Disability
  • SOC-R 485: Sociology of Mental Illness
  • SOC-R 495: Topics in Medical Sociology

One additional Sociology elective to total 30 credits.

Sociology Courses

Open electives
Candidates for a degree in the IU School of Liberal Arts must complete the IU Indianapolis General Education Core requirements, the baccalaureate competencies, and the requirements of their major department. Usually, students will still need to complete additional hours in order to reach the graduation requirement of 120 credit hours. These remaining credit hours are known as open electives.

 

5-year BA/MA in Sociology Admission Requirements

5-year BA/MA in Sociology: The dual accelerated BA/MA in Sociology (thesis and nonthesis track options), which is available to Sociology majors only, allows students to complete a BA and an MA in five years instead of six. The program consists of three years of undergraduate coursework, a fourth year of combined undergraduate and graduate coursework, and a fifth year of exclusively graduate coursework.

  1. Admission and Continuation Requirements
    1. IU Indianapolis Sociology Major
    2. Completed at least 60 credit hours overall and 12 hours in the major, including:
      1. SOC-R100 (Introduction to Sociology), and
      2. SOC-R359 Introduction to Sociological Statistics
    3. Minimum GPA of 3.3 (B+) overall and a 3.5 (B+/A-) in their major coursework.
    4. All graduate courses counting to the BA major in year four (senior year) must be completed with a grade of B or higher to continue in the graduate program in year five.
  2. Declaration of Intent to Pursue the BA/MA Degree and MA Application Process
    1. Junior Year Three: Eligible students submit internal sociology department
      1. Declaration of Intent to Pursue the Accelerated Degree to the Sociology Director of Graduate Studies.
    2. Senior Year Four: Students provisionally approved for the accelerated program will apply for admission to the MA program through the graduate school. As part of the application process, students are required to submit:
      1. 2 faculty letters of recommendation (at least 1 from a member of the IU Indianapolis Department of Sociology faculty),
      2. a personal statement, and
      3. a single-authored writing sample.


5-year BA/MA in Sociology (Course Only or Thesis Option):

A total of 18 undergraduate credit hours and 30 graduate credit hours, distributed as follows: R100 Introduction to Sociology, R359 Sociological Statistics, R351 Research Methods OR R355 Social Theory, and 9 undergraduate credits of electives taken in Years 1-4, 6 hours of core* graduate credits and 6 hours of graduate electives in Year 4, and 18 hours of graduate courses including 6 hours of core courses and 12 hours of graduate electives. Students on the thesis track will complete an addition 6 credit hours of thesis coursework (S569 M.A. Thesis) by the end of summer Year 5.


*Core graduate courses: R551 Quantitative Research Methods, S540 (or equivalent) Sociological Theory, R559 Advance Statistics, S659 Qualitative Methods
 

Dual Degree Advantage (BA only)

The Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are waived for IU Indianapolis undergraduate students whose first major is outside the School of Liberal Arts and whose second major is a Bachelor of Arts degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis. Students are only required to complete the courses in their major of choice in Liberal Arts. The IU Indianapolis General Education Core or the Indiana transferable general education core must be successfully completed. Students must complete the degree outside Liberal Arts in order to have the Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies waived for degree completion. The Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are only waived for students who actively pursue and complete another degree program outside of Liberal Arts. Both degrees must be completed at the same time.