Gallaudet University
Who We Are
Our Work
Overview
News & Stories
Sep 26, 2023
Sep 25, 2023
Sep 22, 2023
Upcoming Events
October 4, 2023
October 5, 2023
University Wide Events
No Communication Compromises
Areas of Study
Schools
Programs
Changing the world
Research
Community & Innovation
Research Experiences & Services
Our Global Presence
Global at Home
Global Learning For All
Global Engagement
Your Journey Starts Here
Admissions
Financial Aid
Explore Our Campus
Connect
Discover
Influence
Directories
Popular Keywords
Jan 1, 1970
Sep 29, 2023
Explore
Quick Links
Requirements
Opportunities
Program Outcomes
Accreditation
Job Outlook
Faculty and Staff
FAQs
Contact
GU
/
Sociology
B.A. in Sociology
Email Us
Students planning to major in sociology must have a grade of "C" or better in SOC 101. For continuation in the major, students can have no more than one grade of "D+" or lower in a major required course or major elective course.
Summary of Requirements
Required pre-major course 3 credits
Sociology attempts to understand how societies function. The course explores how social forces influence our lives and our chances for success. It also examines social groups, the relationships among social groups, and the ways groups get and maintain power.
ENG 102 or the equivalent
Required Sociology courses 22 credits
Problems of research planning; collection, analysis, and presentation of research data. Significant studies from various fields of sociology and related disciplines exemplifying different research approaches will be analyzed.
SOC 101
An introduction to descriptive statistics and methods of organizing, presenting, and interpreting data. Covers measures of central tendency, measures of association for two variables, and some multivariate analyses. Includes computer analysis of real data.
MAT 045 or the equivalent, SOC 334 or permission of the instructor
This course will analyze the causes and consequences of major social problems of our time. Applying sociological theories, problems such as group conflict, family disorganization. poverty, violence, and hunger are examined.
This course will cover major sociological and criminological theories, both from classical and contemporary writers. It will then consider whether these theories can help us better understand controversial social situations, such as union organizing, the pro-choice/pro-live movement, and gang rape.
SOC 101 and two additional sociology courses
Students will apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to an internship in a site agreed upon with the internship professor. For four credits, the student will work 120 hours in the internship and attend a 1-hour class weekly. Students will be required to complete reading assignments and write papers applying the concepts and ideas in the readings and classroom sessions to their workplaces. This course is offered during the fall semester only. Students must have confirmation of an internship placement that starts by the first Friday of the semester.
Permission of the instructor
This course is designed to encourage students to integrate previous course-work into a conception of sociology as an approach to inquiry and a useful tool. This is the first half of a year-long course. Students will develop a topic, discuss relevant theories, do a literature review, and write a brief proposal which includes discussion of hypotheses, variables, methods, and sampling techniques.
SOC 334, 375, and 423
This course continues the work of SOC 491. Students will collect data, do qualitative and quantitative analyses, and write a project report. Students will also present their results to their classmates.
SOC 491
Elective courses 15 credits
SOC 405: Topic to be specified
Choose five courses:
This course will begin with developing an understanding of the concept of 'culture' and then will focus on the complexities and varieties of Deaf cultural experiences. Students will be asked to engage course materials through multi-disciplinary approaches in order to gain a critical appreciation of Deaf lives within historical, political and global contexts.
Grade of C or better in DST 203 or ASL 270 or permission of the instructor.
This course is an experiential seminar. Students learn about the criminal justice system through a combination of weekly field trips, discussions with guest lecturers, and classroom discussions. Highly recommended as a first course in criminology for students who are considering working in the criminal justice system, as well as for students who would just like an insider''s view of police departments, courts, and correctional institutions in the United States.
The course will examine each of the different parts of the American criminal justice system (policing, courts, and corrections), the procedural laws governing the system, and the ways the various parts of the system are interrelated and interdependent. The interaction between the Deaf community and the criminal justice system will be used as a special case, and students will learn about their rights as deaf individuals and how to protect those rights.
GSR 102 or the equivalent
While our responses to death and dying would seem to be very personal and therefore individually determined, they are, in fact, greatly influenced by the beliefs of society. Therefore, this course will not only examine the physiology of death and dying, but will primarily emphasize the sociology of death and dying. Focus will be on social factors related to causes of death and routines and rituals related to dying, death, funeral and burial practices, and grieving.
A study of racial and ethnic relations in the United States. The course focuses on the characteristics of various American racial and ethnic groups, some of the causes of racial/ethnic group oppression, and racial/ethnic group responses to oppression.
A survey of selected sociological topics related to deafness and deaf people. Socialization, education, inequality, diversity, and disability-related issues are among the topics discussed in this course.
This course examines the social construction of deviance. That is, it examines how society makes rules for behavior, how those rules change over time, and who tends to benefit (and who tends to be limited) because of society's rules. The question of whether deviance is ''good'' or ''bad'' for society will also be examined. Finally, the course will consider what happens to people who break society's rules, both in terms of how society views rule-breakers and how they view themselves.
This introductory course explains sociological perspectives on gender. Focusing on American experiences with gender, the course covers gender socialization, gender roles, and gender inequality. This course also addresses ''nature vs. nurture'' debates, which seek to understand to what extend gender roles are formed by biology or society.
Permission of the instructor.
A study of the problems of human origin, the nature of race, the social structure of preliterate societies, and the development of social institutions.
Special Topics in the discipline, designed primarily for sophomores. Students may enroll in 295 Special Topics multiple times, as long as the topics differ.
This course examines how work is related to societal and technological changes. Topics include long-term trends in the nature of work and the differences in work among major segments of the labor force, including differences by race, gender and disability. The course also examines how globalization is affecting work and workers in the United States as well as in selected other countries.
The course considers social structure, cultural, and demographic components of physical and mental illness. Stages of illness behavior, from prevalence of symptoms and recognition of them to recovery or death, will be identified, and the social and cultural determinants of each stage will be discussed. The health care system and problems in health care delivery will be considered.
This course examines how society treats young people who break the law, the social causes of juvenile delinquency, and rates of juvenile delinquency.
Covers inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, and advanced topics in data analysis. Includes computer analysis of real data and emphasizes appropriate usage, presentation, and interpretation of results.
SOC 375
Special topics in the discipline, designed primarily for juniors. Students may enroll in 395 Special Topics multiple times, as long as the topics differ.
This course will examine a specific issue that poses current problems in the criminal justice system. Examples include: the exploding prison population, the challenges of policing post-9/11, and deaf people in the criminal justice system. This course may be repeated as topics change.
A study of gender and social class inequality. The course emphasizes theoretical and conceptual issues related to inequality, characteristics of various social stratification systems, and minority group responses to social inequality.
Special topics in the discipline, designed primarily for seniors who are majors or minors. Students may enroll in 495 Special Topics multiple times, as long as the topics differ.
Intensive supervised study and research on topics of the student's selection.
Senior standing in the department
Students will be able to:
The employment for Social Workers is expected to grow 13% from 2019 to 2029, with an average annual salary of $50,470. Learn more here.
The employment of Social and Community Service Managers is expected to grow by a 17% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $69,600. Learn more about careers in social and community service management.
The employment of Human Resources Managers is expected to grow by a 6% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $121,220. Learn more about a career as a human resources manager.
The employment of Market Research Analysts is expected to grow by a 5% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $65,810.Learn more about career opportunities as a market research analyst.
The employment of Training and Development Managers is expected to grow by a 11% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $115,640. Learn more about career opportunities as a training and development manager.
Fill out our inquiry form for an Admissions Counselor to contact you.
Create an account to start Your Applications.
Assistant Professor