Sociology

Principles of Sociology (SOC 1001) represents the bridge between the Department of Sociology & Criminology and the Merrimack College community. It is taken by many students either to satisfy an institutional distribution requirement in the social sciences, or as the required entry-level course to admit any student, including Sociology majors or minors, to upper-level sociology courses.

In addition to Principles of Sociology, students who major in Sociology are required to take a minimum of nine four-credit courses from among the department’s offerings. Sociology majors take five required courses and five elective courses, for a total of ten Sociology courses.

The following five courses are required of all Sociology majors:

• SOC 1001    Principles of Sociology
• SOC 4300    Social Class in America (Spring course)
• SOC 4600    Research Methodology (Fall course)
• SOC 4725    Social Theory
• SOC 4740    Statistical Analysis (Spring course)

The Department strongly recommends that students majoring in Sociology take SOC 4300, SOC 4600, SOC 4725, and SOC 4740 during their junior year.

Sociology majors' five elective courses may be chosen from the following list of regularly offered courses:

• SOC 2050        Social Work
• SOC 3040        Juvenile Delinquency
• SOC 3050W     Female Deviance, Crime and Social Control
• SOC 3060        White Collar Crime
• SOC 3120        Sociology of Law
• SOC 3150        Social Movements
• SOC 3200        Criminology and Penology
• SOC 3300W     Sociology of Education
• SOC 3330        Racial and Ethnic Minorities
• SOC 3350        Alternative Approaches to Criminal Justice
• SOC 3370        Urban Sociology
• SOC 3400        Population Problems
• SOC 3430        Criminal Justice and Mental Health
• SOC 3450        Sociology of the Family
• SOC 3500        Domestic Violence
• SOC 3600        Sociology of Health
• SOC 3700        Hate Crimes
• SOC 3850        Sociology of Aging
• SOC 4810/4815    Directed Study
• SOC 4860/4865    Social Service Field Work

In addition to the required and elective courses in Sociology, the Department advises that students develop proficiency in a foreign language as part of their undergraduate curriculum. Languages in which there is a sociological literature and which are taught at Merrimack College include French, Italian, and Spanish.

Sociology students are permitted, and often encouraged, to pursue a course of study that involves a double major in a related social science department such as Psychology, Political Science, or Economics. Nonetheless, a major in Sociology also makes sense with disciplines outside the social sciences (English, Fine Arts, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, or World Languages and Cultures), or outside the liberal arts either in business, or in the natural sciences.

Sociology majors also have a wide choice, depending on career intentions, on selecting a minor. Often Sociology majors select a minor in one of the related social science departments such as Psychology, Political Science, Economics, or Women’s Studies. But again, a major in Sociology may also decide to minor in a discipline outside the social sciences or outside the liberal arts either in business, or in the natural sciences. For those wishing to pursue a career in public health, for example, a double major or minor in Biology or Health Sciences makes sense. For those who wish to work in the area of human resources, a double major or minor in Business is a sensible option to consider. For students considering careers in social work or human services, a double major or minor in World Languages and Cultures, especially Spanish, is advisable. In today’s post-modern, global society, the sociological perspective provides a valuable type of critical thinking and informed analysis that is increasingly required in other areas of study. In addition to the major and minor programs in the Department, Sociology students also may create a self-designed major that allows them to do interdisciplinary work with a strong sociological focus.

The required courses in Sociology provide a solid foundation for students who wish to pursue graduate study in Sociology. It also serves as an excellent preparation for students considering a graduate degree in law, criminal justice, conflict resolution, public health, social work, gerontology, human services, public administration, human resources, journalism, or business.

The following resources, published by the American Sociological Association, also are made available to students in the Department of Sociology and Criminology:
• Careers in Sociology (5th edition)
• Embarking Upon a Career with an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology
• Sociologists in the Corporate World: Academic, Research and Practice Roles in Business and Industry