Courses
SOC 1101 Introduction to Sociology: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to the scientific point of view in the study of group life, social institutions, and processes. Partially satisfies Objective 6 of the General Education Requirements. F, S, Su
SOC 1102 Social Problems: 3 semester hours.
Theoretical analyses and application of research to selected current social issues and social institutions such as politics, economics, education, medicine, families, the military, crime and corrections, religion and related major social forces. Partially satisfies Objective 6 of the General Education Requirements. D
SOC 1199 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
SOC 2201 Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies: 3 semester hours.
This course will examine gender and sexuality from a sociological perspective. It will focus on the socio-cultural meanings of femininity and masculinity and how these intersect with race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age and other aspects of identity. This course will also consider how incorporating the concept of gender into theories of human life can help explain broader social processes, and the ways in which our social conceptualization of gender change over time. Satisfies Objective 9 of the General Education Requirements. F, S, Su
SOC 2231 Juvenile Delinquency: 3 semester hours.
Theories of delinquency, criminal behavior, and law enforcement in relation to the modern social institutions in American culture. F, S
SOC 2248 Critical Analysis of Social Diversity: 3 semester hours.
Critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues and debates surrounding social categories such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality. Students will utilize and assess various sociological theories and will critically examine how social diversity affects and is affected by other social and cultural dynamics. Satisfies Objective 7 of the General Education Requirements. F, S
SOC 2295 Criminal Justice Internship: 1-4 semester hours.
Required reading assignments and daily journal to be completed. Maximum of four credits per semester. May be repeated for up to 6 credits. PREREQ: Permission of instructor. F, S, Su
SOC 2299 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
SOC 3301 Classical Social Theory: 3 semester hours.
A survey of the foundation of sociological thought from the Enlightenment to 1945. The focus is on the recurring themes in sociology and the importance of classical theory to understanding contemporary sociological theory and current social issues. F
SOC 3308 Sociological Methods and Social Work Research: 3 semester hours.
Introduces the principles and procedures of scientific research and includes a variety of strategies and tools for studying social phenomena. Equivalent to SOWK 3308. F, S
SOC 3309 Social Statistics: 3 semester hours.
A survey of statistical techniques focusing on descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing and correlations. Students work in computer labs and use software for statistical analysis commonly used in the social sciences to produce descriptive and summary statistics for large data sets. F, S
SOC 3310 Introduction to Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to Criminal Justice will introduce students to the historical background, important trends, and emerging issues in criminal justice. Students will learn about core topics in criminal justice-including policing, corrections, and criminal law and courts, as well as special topics such as hate crimes, sex offenders, and domestic violence-while learning how to solve problems they are likely to face in a variety of criminal justice career paths. F
SOC 3330 Sociology of Health and Illness: 3 semester hours.
Sociological examination of health and illness including historical and cultural variations, health care and physician-patient issues. S
SOC 3368 Sociology of Religion: 3 semester hours.
Sociological theories of religion with an emphasis on how religious groups in the United States both shape and are shaped by American culture, politics, and demographic contexts. D
SOC 3399 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
SOC 4403 Contemporary Social Theory: 3 semester hours.
Survey of major perspectives within contemporary (post-World War II) sociological theory, including phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, intersectionality, postmodernism, and globalization theory. This course focuses on the application of theory to analyzing current social issues and culture. Students will also learn how theory both enables and constrains research and practice. S
SOC 4408 Advanced Sociological Methods: 3 semester hours.
Emphasizes advanced techniques in research design, data measurement, and multivariate analysis utilizing computer application. PREREQ: SOC/SOWK 3308 and SOC 3309. D
SOC 4412 Sexuality and the Body: 3 semester hours.
This course explores the social construction of sexuality and the body. Students will examine how sexuality and the body function as both literal and symbolic sites of political discourse and how sexuality and the body illuminate, accommodate, resist, and transform the machinations of social power. PREREQ: SOC 2201 or minimum of 60 semester hours completed. F
SOC 4421 Families in Social Context: 3 semester hours.
Examination of the family as a social institution shaped by larger social structures. The course introduces students to basic concepts and theories, historical perspectives, facts, and processes of family formation and dissolution. Equivalent to SOWK 4421. F, S
SOC 4431 Criminology: 3 semester hours.
Analysis of criminal law, law enforcement, judicial roles and processes, correctional approaches, the criminal offender and societal reactions. Theory and research as applicable to behavior and institutional relations. S
SOC 4435 Environmental Sociology: 3 semester hours.
The scientific study of how human societies interact with, shape, and perceive nature and the biophysical environment. Special emphasis on current environmental challenges (especially climate change, natural disasters, and environmental justice) and their social causes and consequences. Equivalent to SOWK 4435. ES
SOC 4436 Elite Deviance and Crime: 3 semester hours.
Explores the types of criminal behaviors engaged in by the American socioeconomic and corporate elite. The course first explores and identifies who this elite is and then examines their ideological and economic history in American society. Specific examples of elite and corporate crime are presented and discussed in class. Equivalent to POLS 4436 and SOWK 4436. EF
SOC 4438 Sexual Crimes: 3 semester hours.
Complex relationships of human sexuality to law and crime. A range of sexual attitudes, practices and lifestyles will be discussed in the context of cultural norms, legal parameters and personal expression. Students will be introduced to cultural variations in defining and addressing sexuality and crime. Current theoretical explanations of sexual offending and U.S. social policies and clinical interventions for sexual offenders. Equivalent to SOWK 4438. PREREQ: SOC 2201 or SOC 3310 or minimum of 60 semester hours completed. S
SOC 4451 Victimology: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to theory and research about individuals and populations that have been victimized by interpersonal, institutional, and state-sanctioned violence and abuse. Topics include: intimate partner violence, sexual assault, bias-related crimes, and post-traumatic syndrome as a result of war, torture, social, or environmental catastrophes. Students will become acquainted with community services, specialized programs within the criminal justice system, and practitioners who treat "survivors" of violence and abuse. Equivalent to SOWK 4451. PREREQ: SOC 2201 or SOC 3310 or minimum of 60 semester hours completed. F
SOC 4452 Gang Violence: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to the sociological study of juvenile street gangs, prison gangs, and organized crime syndicates with special attention devoted to violent behavior. Topics include: early development, definitions, immigration, ethnicity, gender, victimization, theories, prison gangs, desistance, American Mafia, Russian organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and drug trafficking. A central course goal is to better understand gangs in order to prevent their growth and proliferation. Equivalent to SOWK 4452. OF
SOC 4453 Serial Murder: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to the sociological study of serial murder. Topics include: mass murder, typologies of serial murder, cults and the occult, psychopathology, sociological theories, sexual predators, criminal paraphilia, stalking, team killers, female serial murderers, victims, global issues, forensic science, and profiling. Understanding and applying competing theoretical perspectives is emphasized. OS
SOC 4454 Guns and Mass Shootings: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to the sociological study of the role that guns have in the production of various types of violence, particularly mass killings. Topics include: guns as self-protection, the costs of gun violence, causes of gun violence, firearms regulation, effectiveness of gun policy, gun-related movements, trends in mass shootings, dangerous people and places, role of guns in mass killings, and mass shooting policies and preventions. Special attention will be devoted to proposed policies and their potential effectiveness. Equivalent to SOWK 4454. ES
SOC 4455 Prisons, Reentry, Reintegration: 3 semester hours.
A critical overview of the issues involved in the processes of incarceration, reentry, and reintegration into the community. Topics include: the historical origins of the prison, theories of correction, and the social factors that shape the prison and the context in which returning citizens reenter their communities. Equivalent to SOWK 4455. Su
SOC 4456 Substance Abuse: Family and Community: 3 semester hours.
Examination of substance abuse issues and problems within the context of families and communities, paying particular attention to differing theoretical frameworks and value systems. Students will study evidence-based models of prevention and intervention for those affected by addiction. Equivalent to SOWK 4456. S
SOC 4457 Fundamentals of Forensic Behavioral Science: 3 semester hours.
Introduction to the multidisciplinary (neurobiological, psychological, sociological, anthropological) nature of forensic behavioral science with a particular emphasis on violent criminal behavior. Topics include pattern identification of violence, targeted public violence and threat assessment, crime prevention and safety planning, multidisciplinary psychosocial assessments, and expert witness and court testimony. The course is designed to help integrate coursework related to the forensic sciences. Equivalent to SOWK 4457. PREREQ: SOC 3310 or minimum of 60 semester hours completed. S
SOC 4462 Power, Class, and Prestige: 3 semester hours.
Theories and empirical data on social inequality. Exploration of the unequal distribution of socioeconomic resources, social status, life chances, and access to power for different groups and persons in the United States. S
SOC 4466 Rural Sociology and Community Development: 3 semester hours.
Examines the social construction of rurality as well as sociological theories of rural community development and contemporary social processes related to social change and restructuring in rural communities. Overview of the demographic, economic, political, environmental, health, interpersonal, and criminological factors that shape opportunities and barriers to rural community development. Equivalent to SOWK 4466. OS
SOC 4482 Sociology Internship: 1-3 semester hours.
Apply sociological principles in such ways as assisting the supervising professor with a lower-level course, conducting study groups, or small group instruction. Credits not applicable toward the major. May be repeated for up to 6 credits. PREREQ: Permission of instructor; junior status; minimum of 12 hours and 3.0 GPA in Sociology. D
SOC 4483 Independent Problems in Sociology: 1-4 semester hours.
Readings, observations, applied work, or data analysis in content area not offered in our curriculum. May be repeated for up to 6 credits. PREREQ: Permission of the instructor; advanced junior status; minimum of 12 hours and 3.0 GPA in Sociology. D
SOC 4491 Topics in Sociology: 3 semester hours.
Topical reading, discussion, exploration, experience, and demonstration of learning on selected topics. May be repeated for up to 9 credits with different content. D
SOC 4492 Topics in Criminology: 3 semester hours.
Topical reading, discussion, exploration, experience, and demonstration of learning on selected topics. May be repeated for up to 9 credits with different content. D
SOC 4499 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
