PDF reflects print version of the catalogue (beginning to East Asian Languages and Cultures)Sociology
Undergraduate Degrees
Students of sociology examine the patterns of social life, focusing on the relationship of individuals to society and the interaction of culture, economy and politics in shaping social life. The greater Los Angeles area provides a natural laboratory for students to explore such sociological themes as race relations, work and workplace, immigration, the family in a changing society, population trends, globalization, religion, and the criminal justice system.Matching the special strengths of our faculty and cutting edge research in the discipline, USC’s sociology program offers two central areas of concentration — social inequality, and social change and public policy. Many of our undergraduate courses include opportunities to engage actively with the community and to pursue multi-faceted independent research projects.
Honors Program
Seniors with 3.5 GPAs in the major and 3.25 overall are encouraged to participate in the sociology honors program consisting of two intensive senior honors seminars (SOCI 494 and SOCI 495). Under faculty guidance, honors students design and complete a significant piece of original sociological research.Juniors and seniors who have made substantial progress toward completion of the program and have achieved a 3.3. GPA in sociology and a 3.0 GPA overall are eligible for the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honors Society.
Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Nine courses (36 units) are required to complete the major.All sociology majors must complete the four core courses of sociology:
| Core courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI 200 | Introduction to Sociology | 4 |
| SOCI 313 | Sociological Research Methods | 4 |
| SOCI 314 | Analyzing Social Statistics | 4 |
| SOCI 370 | Sociological Theory | 4 |
Five additional courses are required for the major. These are to be chosen from the elective upper division sociology courses grouped into two theme areas:
Theme Area I: Social Inequality
Theme Area II: Social Change and Public Policy
All students are required to take at least one course from each of the two theme areas.
All students must achieve an overall average of C (2.0) or better in the nine courses required for completion of the major.
Theme Areas and Theme Area Specialization
Students who complete four upper division courses in a single theme area will receive departmental recognition and documentation of their “expertise” in their chosen area of specialization — social inequality, or social change and public policy.Social Inequality — courses address the character, causes and consequences of social inequality, paying particular attention to immigration, race, ethnicity, gender, sexualities and/or class. These courses include:
| Social Inequality courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| AMST 357 | Latino Social Movements | 4 |
| SOCI 305 | Sociology of Childhood | 4 |
| SOCI 342 | Race Relations | 4 |
| SOCI 350 | Social Exclusion, Social Power, and Deviance | 4 |
| SOCI 355 | Immigrants in the United States | 4 |
| SOCI 356 | Mexican Immigrants in Sociological Perspective | 4 |
| SOCI 360 | Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power | 4 |
| SOCI 366 | Chicana and Latina Experiences | 4 |
| SOCI 375 | Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity | 4 |
| SOCI 376 | Contemporary Issues in Asian American Communities | 4 |
| SOCI 430 | Work and the Workplace | 4 |
| SOCI 432 | Racial and Ethnic Relations in a Global Society | 4 |
| SOCI 435 | Women in Society | 4 |
| SOCI 437 | Sexuality and Society | 4 |
| SOCI 460 | Key Issues in Contemporary International Migration | 4 |
| SOCI 470 | Development and Social Change in the Third World | 4 |
| SWMS 385 | Men and Masculinity | 4 |
Social Change and Public Policy — courses address the character, causes and consequences of social change, paying particular attention to the role of human agency, grassroots organizing and/or political action, as well as the implications for public policy. These courses include:
| Social change and public policy courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| JS 382 | Judaism as an American Religion | 4 |
| SOCI 320 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| SOCI 331 | Cities | 4 |
| SOCI 335 | Society and Population | 4 |
| SOCI 340 | Organizations: Bureaucracy and Alternatives to Bureaucracy | 4 |
| SOCI 351 | Public Policy and Juvenile Justice | 4 |
| SOCI 353 | Public Policy and Criminal Justice | 4 |
| SOCI 365 | Visual Sociology of the Urban City and Its Residents | 4 |
| SOCI 369 | The Family in a Changing Society | 4 |
| SOCI 385 | Population, Society, and Aging | 4 |
| SOCI 408 | Volunteers, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Everyday Politics | 4 |
| SOCI 420 | Sociology of Violence | 4 |
| SOCI 425 | Crowds, Publics, and Social Movements | 4 |
| SOCI 475 | Medical Sociology | 4 |
Sociology Minor Requirements
Five courses (20 units) are required to complete the minor in sociology.All minors are required to take at least two of the core courses in sociology:
| Core courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI 200 | Introduction to Sociology | 4 |
| SOCI 313 | Sociological Research Methods | 4 |
| SOCI 314 | Analyzing Social Statistics | 4 |
| SOCI 370 | Sociological Theory | 4 |
The remaining three courses may be chosen from among the upper-division courses in the two theme areas — social inequality, and social change and public policy (see sociology theme areas listed above).
Minor in Forensics and Criminality
The interdisciplinary minor in forensics and criminality was designed for students interested in the study of law, deviant behavior or careers in the criminal justice system. In this program, students study psychological and/or ethical issues related to criminal behavior, consider criminality in the context of social class analysis, and learn about the American system of criminal justice. Twenty units are required, 4 at the lower division and 16 at the upper division level. Contact College Advising for further details.Students should choose a curriculum for their minor based on their academic interests. Those students interested in white collar crime, for example, might choose POSC 130 Law, Politics, and Public Policy at the lower division level, REL 375 Conflict and Change and the Ethics of Business, SOCI 350 Social Exclusion, Social Power, and Deviance, PHIL 340 Philosophy of Law and PPD 342 Crime and Public Policy.
Those who are interested in the criminal justice system might choose LAW 200x Law and Society, REL 341 Ethics in a Technological Society, SOCI 351 Public Policy and Juvenile Justice, POSC 340 Constitutional Law and POSC 432 The Politics of Local Criminal Justice.
Those interested in individual and social determinants of deviancy might take PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology, PSYC 360 Abnormal Psychology, or PSYC 463 Criminal Behavior, or PSYC 465 Introduction to Forensic Psychology; SOCI 360 Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power, LAW 402 Psychology and Law and SOCI 353 Public Policy and Criminal Justice.
| Lower-division requirement (4 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one course from: | ||
| AMST 101 | Race and Class in Los Angeles | 4 |
| LAW 200x | Law and Society | 4 |
| PHIL 140 | Contemporary Moral and Social Issues | 4 |
| POSC 130 | Law, Politics, and Public Policy | 4 |
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 155 | Psychological Perspectives on Social Issues | 4 |
| PSYC 165L | Drugs, Behavior, and Society | 4 |
| SOCI 142 | Diversity and Racial Conflict | 4 |
| SOCI 150 | Social Problems | 4 |
| SOCI 200 | Introduction to Sociology | 4 |
| Upper division requirements (16 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one course from each group below: | ||
| The Individual in Society | ||
| PSYC 355* | Social Psychology, or | |
| SOCI 320 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 360* | Abnormal Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 463* | Criminal Behavior | 4 |
| PSYC 465* | Introduction to Forensic Psychology | 4 |
| REL 341 | Ethics in an Technological Society | 4 |
| REL 375 | Conflict and Change and the Ethics of Business | 4 |
| Social Class and Criminality | ||
| SOCI 350 | Social Exclusion, Social Power, and Deviance | 4 |
| SOCI 351 | Public Policy and Juvenile Justice | 4 |
| SOCI 360 | Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power | 4 |
| The System of Criminal Justice | ||
| LAW 402 | Psychology and Law | 4 |
| LAW 403 | Mental Health Law | 4 |
| PHIL 430 | Philosophy of Law | 4 |
| PHIL 437 | Social and Political Philosophy | 4 |
| POSC 340 | Constitutional Law | 4 |
| POSC 426 | The United States Supreme Court | 4 |
| POSC 444 | Civil and Political Rights and Liberties | 4 |
| PPD 340 | The American System of Justice | 4 |
| Crime and Punishment | ||
| POSC 432 | The Politics of Local Criminal Justice | 4 |
| PPD 342 | Crime and Public Policy | 4 |
| SOCI 353 | Public Policy and Criminal Justice | 4 |
| Total requirements: five courses (20 units) |
Interdisciplinary Minors
American Studies and Ethnicity (see American Studies and Ethnicity).Bioethics (see Bioethics).
Children and Families in Urban America (see Social Work).
Education in a Pluralistic Society (see Education).
Law and Society (see Political Science).
Managing Human Relations (see Interdisciplinary Programs).
Race, Ethnicity and Politics (see Political Science).