Sociology (SOCI)

SOCI 1301  Principles of Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course is designed to introduce to students to the scientific study of human interaction, social institutions, and dynamic changes in society. The focus is on the critical interplay between the individual and society, in particular, how and individual impacts society, and in turn how societal structures organize human life. This course meets the standards for the "Social and Behavioral Science" category of courses under the core curriculum. Required for all sociology majors, minors and BAAS degrees with a concentration in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 1306  Social Problems  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Application of sociological principles and theoretical perspectives to major social problems in contemporary society such as inequality, crime and violence, substance abuse, environmental issues, deviance, globalization, or family problems. This course meets the standards for the "Social and Behavioral Sciences" category of courses under the core curriculum. Required for all sociology majors, minors and for BAAS degrees with a concentration in sociology. This class is a prerequisite for SOCI 2330 and is a prerequisite option for many sociology electives. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 2330  The Craft of Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course prepares students for academic success as sociologists. The focus of the course is on sociological approaches to researching, reading, thinking, and writing. This course addresses key concepts in the discipline such as social structure, agency, application of the sociological imagination, and social constructionism. Required for all sociology majors, minors, and BAAS degrees with a concentration in sociology.

Prerequisites: ENGL 1302 and either SOCI 1301 or 1306.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 2356  Gender and Society  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course offers an investigation of the effects of social structure and institutions on gender role formation and maintenance; how gender roles have changed and the effects of those changes; and the continuing power of gender roles. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 2356 and SOCI 3363. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 2361  Introduction to Mexican American, Latinx, and Borderlands Studies  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

A survey of the multidimensional and interdependent nature of the United States-Mexico regional interaction and development. A focus on southwest borderlands dynamics which impact upon culture, social institutions, ecological and demographic characteristics. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate level students.

SOCI 2386  Intro to Borderlands Studies  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate level students.

SOCI 3302  Social Deviance  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this course students will explore the breadth of non-normative behaviors, how some behaviors become labeled deviant, how social control is exercised, how deviance contributes to social cohesion in society and subcultures, the symbolic power of deviance, and how deviance intersects with class, gender, race, and age. (Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3302 and CRIM 3302.) TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3304  Sociology of Popular Culture  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Examination of the classic and contemporary social scientific definitions and theories of culture, and popular versus “high” or elite culture(s). Explores various forms and arenas of popular culture, such as television, film, sports, and music, institutions and popular culture, popular culture in relation to identity (race, class, gender, and sexuality) and popular culture generally. TSI Restriction(s): Reading and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301 or SOCI 1306.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3310  Sociological Theory  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this course students will be introduced to the uses and components of sociological theory, key sociological concepts and paradigms, and seminal classical and contemporary sociological writings and theories. Required for all sociology majors and for BAAS degree with sociology concentration. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3310 and SOCI 4383. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 2330.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3311  Social Psychology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Students will use a sociological lens to explore the relationship between society and the individual; the effect of other people on individual behavior; and the theories and seminal research of social psychology. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3311 and SOCI 3301. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing

Prerequisites: ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3312  Health and Society  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course surveys the social determinants and consequences of health and disease in the United States. It moves beyond a biological perspective to understand how disparities across different social statuses, such as social class, race and ethnicity, and gender, impact health outcomes. Students will be introduced to key theories of health and illness and study the social organization of the U.S. health system. This course fulfills a requirement for the Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology degree. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301 or SOCI 1306 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3313  LGBTQ+  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course will explore an array of theories, commonly known as Queer Theory, and empirical studies related to LGBTQ+ community. The major themes in this course will address power, knowledge, social inequality, intersectionality, identity, and activism. This is a prescribed elective coursed for students pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3320  Research Methods in Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

The foundational concepts, assumptions, and approaches in qualitative and quantitative research; the scientific method; and research ethics. Students will apply knowledge gained in this class through application to a hands-on, semester-long research project. Required for all sociology majors and for BAAS degrees with a sociology concentration.

Prerequisites: SOCI 3310.
Corequisites: SOCI 3330. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3320 and SOCI 4382. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3322  Juvenile Delinquency  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Incidence, types, causation, patterns, processes, treatment agencies and research as related to juvenile delinquency. Selected practical experiences such as trips to juvenile institutions. (Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3322 and CRIM 3322.) TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3330  Statistics for Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course introduces students to descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will learn to us professional statistics software to conduct analyses and incorporate the results into the research process. Required for all sociology majors and for BAAS degrees with a sociology concentration. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3330 and SOCI 3381.

Prerequisites: SOCI 3310 and any one of the following: MATH 1314, MATH 1324, MATH 1332 or MATH 1342.
Corequisites: SOCI 3320. This course is prerequisite for SOCI 4392. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3330 and SOCI 3381. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3340  Environmental Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This class explores the social dimensions of environmental problems including competing perspectives on them and analyses of their causes and impacts. This course fulfills a requirement for the Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology degree. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306,or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3350  Myths & Reality-Marrige/Family  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this course, students will explore the location and role of family in social structure, the functions of marriage and family, and the ways in which this critical social institution has adapted to and reflects larger social changes. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3350 and SOCI 4307. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3360  Inequality and Social Stratification  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this course students will explore the causes of, explanations for and consequences of inequality; how inequality is perpetuated or modified; class consciousness; and major axes of stratification. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 3360 and SOCI 4312. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3361  Mexican Americans: Identity, Movements, and Social Justice  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course focuses on Mexican Americans in the United States and the intersections between identity and social movements that have occurred throughout history in their push for civil, political, and human rights within the realms of citizenship, immigration, economic exploitation, environmental justice, and women's rights. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, ENGL 1302, or SOCI 1306.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3362  Immigration, Racial Politics, and Nation  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course uses a sociological analysis to explore the race-making, and story-telling narratives of the United States as it embarked in nationhood. The course will focus on racial domination and resistance in relation to settler colonialism, chattel slavery, and immigration restrictions in forming America and an imagined “American” national community. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3364  Sociology of Religion  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this course students will explore beliefs, values, practices, and institutional organizations of religions, the role of religion in society, and the role of religion and religiosity social conflict and social change. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3365  Social Movements  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

A study of concepts and processes associated with the birth, membership, organization, maintenance, and effects of social movements by examining past and ongoing social movements, key social movement theories, and the effects of social forces such as globalization and technology on social movements. ( Credit May not be obtained in both SOCI 3365 and SOCI 3332). TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 3370  Introduction to Human Services  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this class students will receive an overview of the application of sociology to hands-on work addressing social problems including the demands, values, and core competencies in human services such as social work. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4320  Law and Society  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

An in-depth examination of law and society through the philosophy and evolution of legal systems and legal institutions. The major functions of law as agents of social control, dispute resolution and societal engineering are addressed. (Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 4320 and CRIM 4320.)

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4331  Demography & Population Problems  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Basic demographic concepts and formulae, historic and contemporary population trends, and effect of demographic changes on social norms, culture, and structure are covered in this course. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4340  Topics: Environmental Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Literature and research in areas of Environmental Sociology not otherwise treated in depth in available courses. May be repeated once for credit when topics differ. Students with less than 60 hours are encouraged to contact the instructor before enrolling. This is a prescribed elective course for students perusing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).

SOCI 4341  Water and Society  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Water is the lifeblood of society. This course examines the interdependencies of social institutions and water resources; inequalities in access, use and contamination of water; and water policy and politics. Students will have the opportunity to experience vital water resource locations.

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306,or ENGL 1302 TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4342  Technology and Society  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

A study of technology and society from the perspective of social values, ethics, sociology, social environment, politics and economics. . Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 4342 and SOCI 4324. This is a prescribed elective course for students perusing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4343  Social & Natural Systems of the United States-Mexico Borderlands  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course investigates the interaction of human society and the natural environment along the US-Mexico border. Issues such as population growth, resource use, economic development, and environmental degradation will be covered in the context of the border region. This is a prescribed elective course for students perusing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4344  Urban Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This class covers the culture, history and growth patterns of cities; demographic and ecological patterns and trends; problems of housing, mobility, education, and community organization; enclaves, aversive racism, and spatial aspects of inequality. Cannot receive credit for both SOCI 4344 and SOCI 3351. This is a prescribed elective course for students perusing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4350  Selected Topics in Family  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Literature and research in areas of Family and Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality not otherwise treated in depth in available courses. May be repeated once for credit when topics differ. Students with less than 60 credit hours are encouraged to speak with the instructor before enrolling. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).

SOCI 4351  Families and Inequality  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course focuses on the effect of inequality on families; how families perpetuate economic systems and social inequalities, how workforce changes and economic cycles affect families, and how social structures and inequalities impact individual and family choices and opportunities. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4352  Deconstructing Disney: Race, Gender, and Age  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course employs the process of deconstruction to analyze the intersection of and assumptions about gender, race, and age as presented in one of the most enduring influential agents of popular culture: Disney. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4353  Mexican American Families  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course will educate students on the structure and culture of Mexican American families. The role of this important institution will be examined in the context of the broader Mexican American experience. Data and empirical research along with significant cultural artifacts important for understanding Mexican American families will be examined. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4354  Sex, Sexuality, and Society  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course explores sexual behaviors, variations, and development; contested and changing understandings of sexuality and sexualities; and associated social and cultural phenomenon. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 4354 and SOCI 3369, or PSYC 3369. This is a prescribed elective course for students perusing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4362  Race and Ethnicity  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This class focuses on a critical analysis of the concepts of race and ethnicity; the formation of racial and ethnic identities; the imposition of identities on groups and individuals; and the dynamic nature of racial and ethnic labels. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4363  Afrx-Latinxs: Race, Culture, and Transnationalism  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Through lectures, readings, film analysis, discussion and writing it is the goal of this course to illuminate the processes, actions, and histories that have impacted the lives of Afrx-Latinx people. This course will illustrate how Afrx-Latinx are a complex group of people with different experiences in the United States and that are deeply embedded in the histories, locations, structures and institutions of the United States. We will also investigate the structures that organize the migration flows from the Caribbean, Central and South American Nations. Prerequisite(s): SOCI 1301 or ENGL 1302. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302. SOCI 1301 or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4364  Women of Color  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

In this class students will explore the complex patterns of identity and social status based on the intersection of race, ethnicity, and citizenship and the lingering influences of history. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4366  Regression & Data Analysis Soc  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course covers the principles of linear and logistic regression including: simple and multiple regression, dummy-variables, interaction and moderation effects, and regression assumptions and diagnostic. Students will continue to develop their professional statistics software sills and research production.

Prerequisites: SOCI 3330 TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4371  Aging in America  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course provides an introduction to aging viewed through a sociological lens, including individual and societal implications, historical and cross-cultural comparisons, racial/ethnic and gender-based differences in the meaning and consequences of aging, and contemporary population and policy issues associated with aging. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 4371 and SOCI 4341. This is a prescribed elective course for students perusing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in sociology. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Enrollment limited to students in the BS_SOCI program.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4372  Death and Dying  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course explores the processes, meanings, norms, policies, and institutions that create and maintain our understandings and rituals surrounding the processes of death, dying, and bereavement. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302.

Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4380  Selected Topics in Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

Literature and research in areas of sociology not otherwise treated in depth in available courses. May be repeated once for credit when topics differ. More than six hours credit may not be obtained from both SOCI 4308 and 4380. Students with less than 60 credit hours are encouraged to speak with the instructor before enrolling. Prerequisite(s): SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, or ENGL 1302. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).

SOCI 4391  Sociology Internship  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This is an internship program designed to provide outstanding sociology students with an opportunity to acquire hands-on experience related to their career goals in for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations or government agencies. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 3320, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and instructor's approval.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).

SOCI 4392  Sociology Capstone  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This course is the culminating experience of the sociology major. Students will synthesize previous learning in order to conduct a semester-long research project. This course will develop writing, peer review, and presentation skills so that students produce a final research paper which will be presented in a public showcase. Required for all sociology majors. This is required for all sociology majors and BAAS degrees with a concentration in sociology. Credit may not be obtained in both SOCI 4392 and SOCI 4303. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 3320 and SOCI 3330.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

SOCI 4393  Directed Research in Sociology  
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
  

This is an opportunity for outstanding sociology students who will be able to acquire hands-on research experience by conducting research under the guidance of a faculty member. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing

Prerequisites: SOCI 3320, and SOCI 3330, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and with instructor approval.

Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).