Sociology is the study of social behavior, social institutions, and social structure. Students enrolled in the B.A. program cultivate research and writing skills, engage with local communities, and promote solutions for pressing social problems. They are prepared for graduate and professional school, as well as a variety of careers in research, public policy, education, social work, counseling, urban planning, community organizing, and more.

The Department of Sociology offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with four options:

• I. General Sociology Option - Sociology explores a broad range of critical social and scientific issues concerning multiple facets of society. It prepares students for a wide variety of careers and professional programs and informs them about how social forces influence individuals, groups, and institutions. It provides the basis for those who wish to do applied research and those who wish to gain an overall understanding of society before seeking careers related to social agency, public policy, public administration, urban planning, counseling, and other service occupations. The General Sociology Option is designed for students who wish to pursue these ideas broadly without focusing on one particular area.
• II. Inequalities and Diversity Option The Inequalities and Diversity Option builds on the strength of Cal State LA as a diverse, urban institution situated in a major global city. The option-specific courses provide students with concentrated study on topics relevant to various types of social inequalities, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic and immigration status, and gender and sexuality. Students also examine the ways the state and institutions like the family, education, medical, and carceral systems, perpetuate inequalities of various forms. Students consider why and how inequalities are socially embedded, as well as the multitude of ways individuals, networks, and groups collectively organize to bring about visions of social and environmental justice. Students enrolled in the Inequalities and Diversity option are prepared for advanced studies in the social sciences and humanities, professional programs like medicine and law, and careers involving engagement with diverse and multicultural populations. They are empowered to advocate for the rights and needs of marginalized populations.
• III. Law and Society Option  The Law and Society Option explores a broad range of critical social and scientific issues concerning multiple facets of the law, including crime, deviance, human rights, and legal institutions from a sociological perspective. It prepares students for a wide variety of careers and professional programs and informs them about how social forces influence the legal system and how the law affects society, definitions of deviance and crime, and explanations for why individuals engage in these activities. It is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced study in areas such as sociology, law, graduate law and society programs, public health, criminology, social welfare, education, and business administration; those who wish to do applied research on law-related issues; and those who wish to gain a sociological understanding of law and society before seeking careers in health professions, criminal justice, social work, politics, public policy or policy analysis, public administration, urban and environmental planning, counseling, and other service occupations. 
• IV. Social Gerontology Option - The Social Gerontology Option provides students with the theoretical and research background in the sociology of aging needed to develop social programs for the elderly and evaluate the effectiveness of those programs. This option is particularly timely because aging baby boomers have created the largest cohort of senior citizens in U.S. history leading to many new career opportunities in a variety of related fields.  Because Social Gerontology is inherently multidisciplinary, it examines not only the social aspects of aging but also the biological, socio-cultural, developmental, and policy aspects.  As such, students gain an understanding of how aging influences all spheres of self and society across the life course.

Requirements for the Degree

120 units are required for the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, 51-52 of which are in the major. The 51-52 major program units are distributed as follows:

27-28 units of core courses

24 units of option courses

Consult with an adviser for the specific number of units required in all other areas of the degree, including GE and free electives.

Directed Study Experience

Sociology majors can earn up to 1-3 units per semester up to a maximum of 6 units through Undergraduate Directed Study, SOC 4990 , which allows students to expand on their special interests in an area that is more specialized than the department’s normal course offerings. Students meet regularly with their faculty supervisor. Individual research projects may involve library research, case studies, or field research.

Directed Study Criteria for all Options:

• 2.75 GPA
• Junior or senior standing.
• Students must have approval from the supervising sociology professor, the Department Chair, and NSS. 

Honors Program in the Sociology Major

The Sociology Department sponsors an Honors Program for our top sociology majors. Toward the end of their undergraduate experience, sociology honors program students conduct an independent research project under the supervision of a Sociology Department faculty member and write an honors thesis.

Those who successfully complete the Honors Program will receive the following statement on their diplomas and transcripts: Graduated with Departmental Honors in the [Option] in Sociology.

Honors Program Eligibility Criteria

• Minimum GPA of 3.5
• Completion of option-specific required course: SOC 4600  for Inequalities and Diversity; SOC 4880  for Law and Society; SOC 4500  for Social Gerontology.
• Registration in the option-specific honors thesis course (after obtaining permission to enroll, typically the semester prior to enrollment): SOC 4960  for Law and Society; SOC 4930  for all other options.

 Recommended Major Preparation for UD Transfer    Learning Outcomes    Roadmap