Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus and Allan Hancock College
Sociology explores the nature and dynamics of human society and the interrelationship between individuals and their social groups. The goal of sociological study at Cal Poly is twofold. The first objective is to develop a sociological imagination that enables students to see their personal circumstances and problems in context of the broader, local, national, and global forces that shape their lives. The second objective is to prepare students for graduate studies and careers in such fields as criminal justice, law, social services, complex organizations, and teaching. Sociology also offers general education courses that provide an understanding of the complexity and diversity of the world’s peoples and their problems. Some courses focus on American society, emphasizing issues of class, race, ethnicity and gender. Other courses have a global orientation dealing with both the past and present diversity of the world’s societies, economies, politics and religions.
Internship Requirement
As a means of promoting relevant job skills, hands-on learning, and field experience, majors are encouraged to complete an internship. Students who complete an internship may register for SOC 4440 in any term for 2-12 units of credit, not to exceed 12 units total. The department will assist students in identifying suitable internships. However, students are encouraged to explore options for themselves based upon their interests.
Concentrations
Criminal Justice
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Prepares students for careers in the criminal legal field, such law enforcement, corrections, probation, victim advocacy, rehabilitation, law, and other criminal justice agencies. A foundation in criminological theory is provided and contemporary issues and debates are examined in a socio-historic and global context. Students learn about and critique criminal legal policies, compare and contrast sources of crime data and crime rates, and evaluate and synthesize empirical research on crime, violence, victimology, and victimization as they relate to US society and other nations.
Organizations
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Prepares students for careers in HR and other industry management roles, nonprofit and political office administration, and social justice organizing. Students study a range of organizational theories and applications, from classical Weberian approaches to organizational behavior to contemporary critical frameworks in relation to both common and unusual, and traditional and contemporary organizational forms.
Social Justice
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Prepares students for careers in community organizing, public policy, human rights advocacy, and related fields. Courses provide a foundation in the principles of social justice and examine the root causes of inequality and oppression both domestically and globally. Students engage with contemporary debates about structural inequality, global development, climate justice, and human rights. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills to analyze power relations, critique policy, and apply sociological theory to advocacy, organizing, and social change.
Social Services
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Prepares students for a variety of careers: social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology and other helping professions such as teaching or nursing. Courses explore multiple theories and psychological approaches. Students learn about different types of counseling , basic counseling techniques, and case management approaches used in social agencies and medical social work. Students will have opportunities to tour local clinical and forensic settings. Paid and unpaid internships for students to provide supervised direct services are available with many local agencies.
Individualized Course of Study
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus and Allan Hancock College
An Individualized Course of Study consists of 16 units of coursework to be selected by the student in consultation with and approved by a faculty advisor. At least 10 of the 16 units must be at the 3000-4000 (upper-division) level. The student must also provide a written justification for the courses and the way they constitute a cohesive, integrated course of study. The list of courses is a contract between the student and the Department.
Program Learning Objectives
- Achieve an international/global perspective of societies.
- Develop an understanding of the problems of the U.S. as a pluralistic society.
- Learn to apply a holistic/integrated approach to social problems.
- Develop data collection skills and techniques used by modern sociology.
- Be prepared to enter careers which use the skills and knowledge of sociology.
- Demonstrate critical thinking concerning global issues.
- Demonstrate the writing skills necessary to communicate effectively.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirements (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major, Support or Concentration courses may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| SOC 1101 | Orientation to the Sociology Major | 1 |
| SOC 1110 | Comparative Societies (4B) 1 | 3 |
| SOC 1111 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SOC 2216 | U.S. Race and Ethnic Relations (USCP) | 3 |
| SOC 2218 | International Political Economy | 3 |
| SOC 2222 | Classical Social Theory | 3 |
| SOC/WGQS 3311 | Sociology of Gender and Sexuality | 4 |
| SOC 3353 | Research Methods for Sociology | 4 |
| SOC 4461 | Senior Project I | 2 |
| SOC 4462 | Senior Project II | 1 |
| SOC 4464 | Professional Development for Sociologists | 1 |
| STAT 1110 | Applied Statistical Concepts and Methods (2) 1 | 3 |
| Writing-Intensive Sociology Elective | ||
| Select from the following: (Upper-Division 4) 1 | 3 | |
| Global Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Migration | ||
| Sociology of the Life Course | ||
| Sociology of the Global South | ||
| Sociology Electives | ||
| Select any SOC course 2 | 15 | |
| Lower-Division Social Sciences Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Concentration or Individualized Course of Study | ||
| (See list of Concentrations and Individualized Course of Study below) | 16 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 34 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 4 | 18 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 2
12 units must be at the 3000-4000 level.
- 3
Courses from the following disciplines will be acceptable towards the lower-division Social Sciences course: Anthropology, Ethnic Studies, Geography, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, or Women's, Gender, and Queer Studies.
- 4
If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
Concentrations
Criminal Justice
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| SOC 3302 | Criminology | 4 |
| SOC 4402 | Gender, Crime, and Violence | 4 |
| or SOC 4412 | Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice | |
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 8 | |
| Social Work, Social Advocacy, and Social Service Agencies | ||
| Sociology of Complex Organizations | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Violence | ||
| Juvenile Justice and Delinquency | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice | ||
| Theories of Social Work in Counseling Agencies | ||
| Internship 1 | ||
| Jurisprudence | ||
| Civil Rights in the U.S. | ||
| Civil Liberties | ||
| Feminist Legal Theory | ||
| Psychology of Conflict and Justice | ||
| Forensic Psychology | ||
| Child Abuse and Neglect | ||
| Self, Organizations, and Society | ||
or COMS 3320 | Intergroup Communication | |
or PSY 2252 | Social Psychology | |
or PSY 3304 | Intergroup Dialogues | |
| Incarceration and Society: Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
A maximum of 6 units may count towards approved electives.
Organizations
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| SOC 3395 | Sociology of Complex Organizations 1 | 4 |
| or SOC/WGQS 4423 | Gender and Work | |
| Select from the following: 1 | 3-4 | |
| Self, Organizations, and Society | ||
| Intergroup Communication | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: 1 | 8-9 | |
| Legal Responsibilities of Business | ||
| Leadership and Organizations | ||
| Human Resources Management | ||
| Leading Social Innovation | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Small Group Collaboration and Creativity | ||
| Training and Development | ||
| Gender, Race, Class, Nation: Critical Computing and Engineering Studies | ||
| The U.S. Presidency | ||
| U.S. Congress | ||
| Public Policy and Administration | ||
| Intergroup Dialogues | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice | ||
| Internship 2 | ||
Select any course that was not taken to satisfy a requirement listed above | ||
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
At least one concentration course must be in Sociology. A minimum of 16 units is required for the concentration, at least 10 of which must be upper-division. Units in excess of total will be applied towards major's free electives.
- 2
A maximum of 6 units may count towards approved electives.
Social Justice
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| Select from the following: 1 | 6-8 | |
| Social Movements | ||
| Sociology of the Environment | ||
| Global Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Migration | ||
| Social Change | ||
| Sociology of the Global South | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Violence | ||
| World Population Processes and Problems | ||
| Global Climate Justice | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Incarceration and Society: Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: 1 | 8-10 | |
| Climate and Humanity | ||
| The Global Environment | ||
| Internship 2 | ||
Select any course that was not taken to satisfy a requirement listed above | ||
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
A minimum of 16 units is required for the concentration. Any additional units may be applied towards major's free electives.
- 2
A maximum of 6 units may count towards approved electives.
Social Services
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| SOC 3303 | Social Work, Social Advocacy, and Social Service Agencies | 4 |
| SOC 4414 | Theories of Social Work in Counseling Agencies | 4 |
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 8 | |
| Adolescence | ||
| Cultural Production and Ethnicity | ||
| Gender, Race, Culture, Science, and Technology | ||
| Politics of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the U.S. | ||
| Civil Rights in the U.S. | ||
| Social Movements and Political Protest | ||
| Urban Politics | ||
| The Politics of Poverty | ||
| Psychology of Death | ||
| Psychology of Aging | ||
| Behavioral Effects of Psychoactive Drugs | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Sociology of the Family | ||
| Self, Organizations, and Society | ||
| Sociology of the Life Course | ||
| Social Change | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Violence | ||
| Juvenile Justice and Delinquency | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice | ||
| Practical Interviewing and Counseling Skills in Social Work | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Internship 1 | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Women's and Gender Studies | ||
| Religion, Gender, and Society | ||
| Seminar in Women's, Gender, and Queer Studies | ||
| Feminist Theory | ||
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
A maximum of 6 units may count towards approved electives.
Individualized Course of Study
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus and Allan Hancock College
An Individualized Course of Study consists of 16 units of coursework to be selected by the student in consultation with and approved by a faculty advisor. At least 10 of the 16 units must be at the 3000-4000 (upper-division) level. The student must also provide a written justification for the courses and the way they constitute a cohesive, integrated course of study. The list of courses is a contract between the student and the Department.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 9 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 34 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 5B | Life Sciences | 3 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) | 1 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Total Units | 34 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.