The Degree
The degree program in sociology provides students with the analytical tools to help them understand the links between individual experiences and the larger society. In examining social life and social change, the department focuses on questions of power, culture, and inequality in the U.S. and at the global level, combining a comparative-historical perspective with the scientific and humanistic vantage points of the social sciences. All students are exposed to classical and contemporary sociological theories and learn to apply both quantitative and qualitative approaches to sociological research.
The complexity of the field of sociology is reflected in the wide range of courses offered in the department, and in the varied interests and backgrounds of the faculty. Students may elect to pursue a generalist approach to the discipline or to specialize in one of the complementary areas of concentration. These concentrations include: Communities, Urbanization, and Culture; Power and Inequality in Global Perspective; and Crime, Justice, and Law and Society.
We share in USD’s mission to work towards peace and social justice, with a special emphasis on the Catholic intellectual and social tradition. Strong community service-learning components and field experience placements in community agencies provide an opportunity for students to link abstract sociological concepts to concrete social issues in the search for solutions to pressing societal problems.
Preparation for the Major (9 units)
SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOCI 100 Introduction to Ethnic Studies OR
SOCI 110 Contemporary Social Issues OR
SOCI 215 Perspectives on the City (formerly SOCI 115 Introduction to Urban Communities)
SOCI 160 Social Statistics (Fall semester only)
Major Requirements
24 upper-division units chosen in consultation with the student's major advisor, to include:
Upper Division Required Courses (6 units)
SOCI 322 Classical Sociological Theories (Fall semester only) OR
SOCI 323 Contemporary Sociological Theories (Fall semester only)
SOCI 324 Methods of Social Research (Spring semester only)
Upper Division Elective Courses (18 units)
18 additional upper-division units, 12 of which must be selected from the courses specifically listed under the students declared area concentration. Students who wish to have a generalist perspective in sociology rather than an area concentration must select two courses from each of the three area concentrations. (The concentrations are Power and Inequality; Community, Urbanization, and Culture; or Crime, Justice, Law and Society. See the concentrations page on the department website.)
Residency Requirement
At least 15 of the 24 upper-division units must be taken at USD. No more than 6 non-USD units taken abroad will be accepted for credit toward the Sociology major.
The Social Science Teaching Credential
Students wishing to earn a Social Science Teaching Credential may do so while completing a major in Sociology. The specific requirements for the teaching credential differ from the general requirements of the Sociology major. Students interested in pursuing a Social Science Teaching Credential should consult the Bulletin for the Liberal Studies major.
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