Table of Contents - The Sociology Student Handbook

The Department offers a Major and Minor in Sociology as well as a Major and Minor in Crime and Society. A Major and Minor in Anthropology are also offered but are not reviewed here.

Before deciding on a major or minor, many students want to know the objectives of the degree program in which they are interested. What follows is a brief overview of the objectives for degrees in Sociology.

The Objectives of a Sociology Degree

The objectives of a sociology degree include, but are not limited to:

gaining an understanding of human beings in a social setting, as actors in that setting and as elements upon which the social setting acts;

developing an appreciation for the development of historical and contemporary sociological perspectives on social life, its causes and consequences;

creating a familiarity with the methods and techniques of social research;

building an understanding of the structure of societies, their dynamics and problems;

producing an ability to apply sociological knowledge in an occupational or graduate school setting;

providing the student with a body of knowledge which may further prepare him or her for participation in society as a socially informed citizen;

offering an academic program of study which emphasizes the importance of integrating an area of concentration (chosen by the student) with sociological theory and methodology;

developing an ability to communicate through the written word.

The Department offers a wide variety of courses in sociology, anthropology, and in criminal justice. The Missouri State Catalog provides a current and complete list of these courses including brief descriptions, the number of credit hours for which each may be taken, and when they are offered (S=Spring Semester, F=Fall Semester, D=On Demand Only).

Although several sociology courses are offered in the summer and during intersessions, no such indication is shown in the Catalog. Contact the Department (by email or by calling 417-836-5640) if you would like to know what is being offered during those periods.

The Sociology Major
(B.S. and B.A. degrees)

The sociology major at Missouri State has undergone several changes over the many years the Department has been in existence. The most recent revision of the major was in 1990 and produced a timely, streamlined, well-focused, and practical academic program of study.

The knowledge and skills obtained by means of majoring in sociology may be used to develop careers in either the private or public sectors or for furthering one's academic career through graduate study. (Section VI provides additional information on careers using a sociology degree while Section VII contains information about graduate study.)

The major in sociology requires a minimum of 36 credit hours consisting of the following:

DESCRIPTION	HOURS
Core Requirements	18 Credit Hours
Electives	18 Credit Hours consisting of: 9 hours in Sociology and 9 hours in Sociology, Anthropology or Crime and Society
Minimum Total	36 Credit Hours

Each of the two elements (Core and Electives) of the Sociology Major are more fully described below.

The Core Component of the Sociology Major

The CORE requirement consists of six courses (see below). Most students will take SOC 150 (Introduction to Society) as a part of their General Education Requirement. The Principles course introduces students to the major topics of study, perspectives, theories, concepts, and terminology of the field of sociology.

Four of the remaining five courses introduce the student to different and important aspects of sociology including how social data is gathered (methodology), how the findings may be analyzed (statistics), and what theoretical framework or perspective may be used to explain the findings (theory) and the study of social structure and process. The last of the core courses (SOC 495) is taken following all other core courses and the student's area of concentration.

A grade of "C" or better is required in the core courses before a student will be allowed to enroll in SOC 330 (Sociological Analysis). Additionally, a "C" or better in SOC 330 will be required before a student may enroll in SOC 498 (Senior Seminar).


Hours	Core Courses (Click here for all course descrptions)
3	SOC 150 - Introduction to Society
3	SOC 201 - Research Methodology
3	SOC 302 - Statistics for Social Research
3	SOC 325 - Introduction to Sociological Theory
3	SOC 330 - Sociological Analysis
__3	SOC 498 - Senior Seminar
18	Total Hours Required in Core

The Elective Component of the Sociology Major

The remaining eighteen hours of electives must be selected from Anthropology, Sociology, or Crime and Society courses. Students taking a minor within the department (such as a minor in CAS or ANT) may not apply courses from the minor toward the Sociology major. Please see the following "Note" concerning practicum and internship courses.

NOTE: Concerning Internship and Practicum Courses
SOC 489 - Internship in Sociology, 1 to 6 hours. This course may be taken for up to 6 of these 9 hours only upon completion of the prerequisites (18 hours in SOC with at least a 2.5 G.P.A. & permission of instructor.
CJS 490 - Internship in Crime and Society, 3-6 hours. Students majoring in sociology and minoring in CAS may take up to six hours of CAS 490 and count those hours as part of the elective requirement for the sociology major. Credit hours taken in CAS 490 may NOT be counted toward the elective requirement for the minor in CAS.

SOC 297, 397 or 497 - Special Topics, 1-3 hours. These courses may be used to meet the elective requirement for the sociology major as long as the student has received prior permission to take these courses from his/her academic advisor. No more than six hours in these courses may be used to satisfy the elective requirement for the sociology major.

The Sociology Minor

The Sociology minor complements a broad range of majors including, but not limited to, psychology, history, political science, management, marketing, journalism, communications, theater, recreation, nursing, education, and religious studies.

The minor in sociology consists of eighteen (18) hours including a CORE of nine (9) hours of electives as follows:

Hours	Courses
3	Soc 150 - Introduction to Society
3	Soc 201 - Research Methodology
3	SOC 325 - Intro. to Sociological Theory
__3	Electives (from SOC, ANT, and/or CAS)
18	Total Hours Needed for a Sociology Minor