2022-2023 Cal Poly Humboldt Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Cal Poly Humboldt Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Sociology, B.A.


Sociology students find an active and supportive departmental culture that surrounds coursework in sociological theory, methods, and current social issues. The program provides students with the necessary tools to analyze social interactions, systems,  and structures. Department faculty members have a strong commitment to social justice that shapes course offerings and content. The program examines historical and contemporary understandings of race, class, gender, disability, and sexuality with the stated intent of pushing students to reimagine what they thought they already knew. 

Sociology does not seek to produce one form of knowledge; rather, it seeks to understand the social processes through which knowledge is produced. Thus, emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills. 

Due to the breadth, adaptability, and practical applications of sociology, students with a B.A. in Sociology choose to work in many different sectors: non-profit, private business, social services, education, health services, public relations, criminal justice, and government. Service learning, capstone internships, and faculty-supervised research are integrated into the curriculum. The Sociology Student Association, and outreach organizations on campus such as YES House, creates additional opportunities for students to connect with each other, faculty, and local community organizations.

We recommend that students who are interested in this major take math, writing and social science courses (history, psychology, sociology) in high school.

Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree


A bachelor’s degree requires a total of 120 units. Students must fulfill General Education & All-University Requirements , residency, unit, and GPA requirements as outlined in the Bachelor’s Degree Requirements .

Requirements for the Major (47 Units)


Students must complete all courses for the major with a grade of C- or better.

Knowledge Based Requirements (16 Units)


Complete four courses with at least one from chosen from each category. Students may request that a sociology course not listed be approved to count in one of the knowledge areas below. No more than 8 units of upper division SOC courses that have GE designations can be counted toward the major.

Capstone (3 Units)


Complete one course from the following

Weekend Workshops:


The Department of Sociology offers 1-2 unit weekend workshops around pressing social issues and popular topics. We encourage our students to enroll in these workshops, but the units may not be counted as part of the required 47-48 unit major requirement. Exception: A student who needs to ”make up” 1-2 units for 3-unit courses transferred from another college or university.

Sociology, B.A. Program Learning Outcomes


Students completing this program will:

  • effectively communicate orally about social science theory and methods (oral communication)
  • effectively communicate in writing about social science theory and methods (information literacy)
  • identify systems of power and privilege and methods for creating diverse, inclusive, and just communities (social justice)
  • explain the relationships between communities, social systems, institutions, and the natural world (sustainability)
  • evaluate research designs and analytic techniques (critical thinking - methods)