Degrees Offered:
- B.A.: Sociology
- B.A.: Sociology with Criminology Concentration
- B.A.: Sociology with Cultural Anthropology Concentration
- Minor: Sociology
Course Listings
- Click here to read complete descriptions of the Sociology courses offered at Wittenberg.
Degree Overview:
The sociology major emphasizes the development of a sound background in the theoretical understanding and the methodological skills needed for social science research. A hallmark of the sociology program is the individualized Senior Thesis project. Students work intensively with a faculty member as well as with each other to complete an in-depth sociological study during their senior year. Most students choose to review the sociological literature on a particular topic. Topics from recent years include anorexia nervosa, Brazil's development policy, and the effect of unemployment on the family. Students are encouraged to engage in research either by analyzing survey data or by collecting their own data on a topic. For example, one student developed a questionnaire for college males regarding attitudes toward future wife's employment. Another student did observational research to analyze the friendship patterns among four-year-olds.
Sociology students often study off campus for one or more semesters in such programs as the Urban Term in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., the Swedish Program in Stockholm, or Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. Interested students should discuss these opportunities with their advisor and the director of international education. Many students also take advantage of internships with social agencies, business and industrial organizations, or governmental agencies to combine practical experience with research on a sociological problem.
Some students find that sociology or anthropology courses are part of an interdisciplinary program such as East Asian Studies, Russian Area Studies, Women's Studies, Environmental Studies or Urban Studies; others discover that a sociology minor can complement a major in other disciplines, such as one of the other social sciences (e.g. Psychology or Political Science).
Degree Requirements:
Major in Sociology
The sociology major is comprised of 37 credits in sociology. Required courses include Sociology 101, 307, 360 and 498. Twenty additional credits are selected from departmental offerings; eight of these credits must be at the 300 or 400 level. The student may use only four credits in Sociology 490 or 491 toward the major. A 2.0 GPA in sociology courses is required, and majors are expected to attend regularly scheduled Sociology Colloquia.
Required in Related Departments
The student must complete one of the following courses outside the department: BUSN 210, CMDM 300, COMP 121, COMP 150, DATA 227, ECON 200, MATH 112, PHIL 110, POLI 260, or PSYC 201.
Required Courses: 17 Credits
- SOCI 101: Introduction to Sociology
- SOCI 307: Research Methods (Prerequisites: SOCI 101S and minimum math placement 23.)
- SOCI 360: Sociological Theory
- SOCI 498: Senior Thesis (Prerequisites: SOCI 307)
Elective Courses: 20 Credits
- 110: Cultural Anthropology
- 201: Topics in Sociology/Anthropology
- 210: Sociology of Family
- 213: Serial Murder
- 214: Penology and Social Control
- 215: Crime and Media
- 220: Culture in the Classroom
- 245: Gender and Society
- 250: Sociology of Deviance
- 270: Sociology of Oppressed Groups
- 271: Anime and Japanese Youth Culture
- 277: Islam and Islamic Societies
- 280: Animals and Society
- 285: Food Justice
- 290: Global Change
- 301: Special Topics in Sociology/Anthropology
- 315: Cultural Travel Writing
- 322: The Sociology of Sexuality: Purity, Perverts, and Pornography
- 330: Wealth, Power, and Poverty
- 340: Sociology of Religion
- 350: Race and Ethnicity
- 355: Juvenile Delinquency
- 370: Criminology and Criminological Theory
- 376: Law and Society
- 380: Identity, Self, and Society
- 430: Seminar
- 490: Independent Study (see note 2)
- 491: Internship (see note 2)
NOTE 1: A student may elect to take Senior Honors Thesis (SOCI 499) in place of Senior Thesis (SOCI 498) if approved by the department to pursue honors in sociology.
NOTE 2: A student may count only one 490 or 491 course toward the major.
Minor in Sociology
The sociology minor is comprised of Sociology 101 and 16 additional credits in sociology courses. Eight of these 16 credits must be at the 300 or 400 level. Sociology 490 and 491 can be used toward the minor only with departmental approval.
Course Offerings
- 101: Introduction to Sociology (Required)
- 110: Cultural Anthropology
- 201: Topics in Sociology/Anthropology (see note 1)
- 210: Sociology of Family
- 213: Serial Murder
- 215: Crime and Media
- 220: Culture in the Classroom
- 245: Gender and Society
- 250: Sociology of Deviance
- 270: Sociology of Oppressed Groups
- 271: Anime and Japanese Youth Culture
- 277: Islam and Islamic Societies
- 280: Animals and Society
- 285: Food Justice
- 290: Global Change
- 301: Special Topics in Sociology/Anthropology
- 307: Research Methods
- 315: Cultural Travel Writing
- 322: The Sociology of Sexuality: Purity, Perverts, and Pornography
- 330: Wealth, Power, and Poverty
- 340: Sociology of Religion
- 350: Race and Ethnicity
- 355: Juvenile Delinquency
- 360: Sociological Theory
- 370: Criminology and Criminological Theory
- 376: Law and Society
- 380: Identity, Self, and Society
- 430: Seminar
- 490: Independent Study
- 491: Internship