Sociology, B.A.

About the Sociology Bachelor’s Program

Sociology is the study of groups in society and individuals in those groups. Areas of specialization and faculty expertise include criminology and deviance, intimate relationships and families, race and ethnicity, inequalities, gender, aging, social psychology, medical sociology, culture, education, religion, food, social research methods, and social theory. A major or minor in sociology is beneficial to students planning careers in a variety of areas, including business, law, law enforcement, government, international development, medicine, social services, education, public relations and marketing. The department also offers a criminology concentration  for sociology majors who wish to specialize in this area. Courses in sociology fulfill core curriculum requirements in the social and behavioral sciences and multicultural core requirements in the College of Arts & Sciences and the university.

A student majoring in sociology must complete 30 hours in sociology, 24 of which must be upper-division courses (3000 or 4000). At least 6 hours of the College of Arts & Sciences general education requirements must be upper-division. Communication literacy requirements will be met in the required upper-division core courses specified below through numerical data analyses, written papers, and visual/audio in-person or Web-based presentations. A maximum of 9 hours of transfer credit may be accepted for the major. Core course requirements are as follows:

• SOC 1301 , SOC 3391 , and SOC 3392 .
• Either SOC 3393  or SOC 3394 . Student expecting admission to graduate work in sociology should take both of these courses.

Communication Literacy Requirement. Communication Literacy Requirement. Students attending Texas Tech University for the first time in the Fall 2017 term or later will complete a Communication Literacy requirement in their program(s) of study.

Texas Tech University’s transition from the Writing Intensive requirement to the Communication Literacy requirement signals the university’s awareness that in addition to the fundamental role that writing plays in enabling students to explore, develop, focus, and organize a message, other types of communication must also be taught as appropriate for a student’s discipline. Throughout each program of study, then, students must be given ample opportunity to develop their skills in forms of communication central to that program. Communication Literacy courses for the Sociology major include: SOC 3392 , SOC 3393 , SOC 3394 , and SOC 3391 .

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