Major Requirements
Required Courses
| Course Number | Course Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 300 GW | Sociological Analysis GWAR (SOC 300 GW is a prerequisite for all other required courses in the major) | 4 |
| SOC 370 | Classical Theories of Society or | 4 |
| SOC 371 | Contemporary Theories of Society | |
| SOC 392 | Introduction to Research Methods | 4 |
| SOC 393 | Quantitative Analysis of Social Data or | 4 |
| SOC 394 | Sociological Field Methods | |
| SOC 500 | Senior Seminar or | 3 |
| SOC 501 | Internship: Applied Sociology (2) and | |
| SOC 502 | Internship Seminar: Applied Sociology (1) | |
| Total Required Courses | 19 | |
Sociology Electives
In fufilling the elective requirements students must complete at least one course from each of the following two areas*
Area 1: Inequalities in the United States
| Course Number | Course Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 272 | Social Inequality: Poverty Wealth, and Privilege | 4 |
| SOC 330 | Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the US: Class Gender, and Nation | 3 |
| SOC 362 | The Social Construction of Deviance and Conformity | 4 |
| SOC 400 | Variations in Human Sexuality | 3 |
| SOC 455 | Punishment and Social Control | 3 |
| SOC 464 | Families & Society | 4 |
| SOC 467 | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Cultures and Society | 4 |
| SOC 468 | Social Aspects of Human Sexuality | 4 |
| SOC 469 | Gender and Society | 4 |
| SOC 490 | Sociology of Popular Culture | 4 |
Area 2: Global Inequalities
| Course Number | Course Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
|
SOC 461 |
Ethnic Relations: International Comparisons | 4 |
| SOC 471 | Societal Change and Development | 4 |
| SOC 477 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 480 | City in a Global Society | 4 |
| SOC 481 | Sociology of Brazil | 3 |
| SOC 482 | Global Immigration and Immigrants | 3 |
| SOC 483 | Global Sociology | 4 |
| SOC 645 | Identities, Inequalities & Struggles in Latin America | 3 |
Total Number of Units for Electives: 23-24
Total Number of Units for Major: 42-43
*The remaining units may include additional courses from these areas, 3-4 upper-division units outside sociology upon approval of a sociology advisor and any other course with a sociology prefix including SOC 105, SOC110, SOC 200, SOC 245 and courses taken at other institutions.
Please note that the Department of Sociology accepts up to 12 lower-division units as electives toward the major. These units can be transferred credits or taken at SFSU, including SOC 105 and SOC 245. Students must have a total of 30 upper-division units toward the major.
The department strongly encourages students interested in pursuing an MA or PhD in Sociology to take both SOC 370 and 371 and all three methods courses (SOC 392, 393, and 394).
Complementary Studies
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least twelve units of complementary studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.)
Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the complementary studies requirement. Additional ways to complete complementary studies for students in the sociology major:
-
Option 1: 12 units of courses in departments or programs in the College of Ethnic Studies that are not cross-listed with SOC.
-
Option 2: partial completion of any minor degree program approved by a sociology advisor
-
Option 3: 12 units of a single foreign language
Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a faculty advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.
Faculty advisors determine what counts as complementary studies courses.