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Sociology

Sociology (B.A.)

The sociology program at Marymount fosters critical reflection on global issues of diversity, inequality, and social justice. The curriculum challenges students by taking an analytical approach to understand social life. Through coursework, research, and community-based learning, students develop career skills as well as an appreciation for the importance of community engagement.

Students gain analytical skills in the practical application of social theory and research design and will apply these skills to address social injustice locally and globally. Applied theory and research methods are woven throughout the coursework, which ends with a year-long practicum experience. This senior experience provides students with networking opportunities, as well as a chance to engage in research in a real-world setting.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology at Marymount University will provide students with a global perspective and cultural competence, preparing them for a wide range of career paths. Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to

  • apply a sociological imagination to global issues through effective writing;
  • apply relevant quantitative, qualitative or visual research method to analyze a sociological issue;
  • demonstrate an understanding of the value of diverse perspectives for achieving social justice when working in community engagement settings such as the internship; and
  • demonstrate effective presentation skills within the discipline.

Internship Prerequisite: When all other requirements are successfully completed, the first fall semester of the senior year the student is placed for 140 hours (3 credits) in their internship, which will be a community engagement project (SOC 400). Prerequisites for the internship are a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, a grade of C- or higher in all required courses for the major, a minimum of 18 credits earned at Marymount, and permission of the internship coordinator.

Minimum Grade Requirement: A minimum grade of C- is required for all courses in the major.

Residency Requirement: Transfer students must complete the internship and at least 18 credits in Marymount sociology courses, including SOC 350, SOC 351, SOC 352, and SOC 495.

Degree Requirements — Sociology

Liberal Arts Core and University Requirements

See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core for details.

Major Requirements

To fulfill the requirements of the major, all students in this program will take the following coursework in a sequence determined in collaboration with a faculty advisor. Some courses also satisfy Liberal Arts Core and/or University Requirements.

SOC 131 Principles of Sociology

SOC 203 The Global Village

SOC 350 Social Justice

SOC 351 Addressing Injustice: Qualitative Methods

SOC 352 Addressing Injustice: Quantitative Methods

SOC 400 Internship

SOC 495 Senior Practicum

Three (3) electives from the following: SOC 204 Engaging Diversity, SOC 261 Through the Sociological Lens I, SOC 306 Social Inequality in Arlington, SOC 322 Racial and Ethnic Diversity, SOC 360 Britain Today: Myth and Reality, SOC 361 Through the Sociological Lens II, SOC 365 Gender Inequality in Global Perspective, SOC 375 Topics in Human Rights, SOC 385 Global Inequality and Community Development. The global experience requirement can be fulfilled by a global classroom course,a semester abroad, summer study abroad, or foreign language (3 credits).

Sample Degree Plan — Sociology

Please note that this is a sample plan; all students must consult with an advisor in making course selections.

Year One — Fall

SOC 131 Principles of Sociology (SS-1 core course) § *

EN 101 Composition I (WR core course)*

Introductory History (HI-1) core course*

DSC 101 DISCOVER First-Year Seminar*

One (1) elective

Year One — Spring

EN 102 Composition II (WR core course)*

Natural Science (NS) core course (biology recommended)*

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course in politics, psychology, or economics*

TRS 100 Theological Inquiry (TRS-1) core course*

One (1) elective § *

Year Two — Fall

SOC 203 The Global Village § **

Introductory Literature (LT-1) core course*

Mathematics (MT) core course (MA 132 Statistical Analysis recommended) *

PH 200 Introduction to Philosophy (PH-1 core course)*

One (1) elective

Year Two — Spring

SOC 350 Social Justice § **

One (1) major elective § **

Fine Arts (FNA), Advanced History (HI-2), or Advanced Literature (LT-2) core course*

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course in politics, psychology or economics or a second Natural Science (NS) core course*

One (1) elective

Year Three — Fall

SOC 351 Addressing Injustice: Qualitative Research Methods §

One (1) major elective § **

Advanced Theology/Religious Studies (TRS-2) or Theological Ethics (TRS-E) core course*

Two (2) electives

Year Three — Spring

SOC 352 Addressing Injustice: Quantitative Research Methods § **

Global experience course §

Advanced Philosophy (PH-2) or Philosophical Ethics (PH-E) core course*

Advanced Social Science (SS-2) core course*

One (1) elective

Year Four — Fall

SOC 400 Internship § *

One (1) major elective §

Three (3) electives

Year Four — Spring

SOC 495 Senior Practicum § *

One (1) major elective §

Fine Arts (FNA), Advanced History (HI-2), or Advanced Literature (LT-2) core course*

Two (2) electives

§ Requirement for the major

* Fulfills Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements. See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core and Course Descriptions for further information.

** See Major Requirements for course selections.

Sociology (Minor)

Minor Requirements

SOC 350 Social Justice

SOC 351 Addressing Injustice: Qualitative Research Methods

SOC 352 Addressing Injustice: Quantitative Research Methods.

Two (2) courses from the following: SOC 306 Social Inequality in Arlington, SOC 322 Racial and Ethnic Diversity, SOC 365 Gender Inequality in Global Perspective, SOC 375 Topics in Human Rights, SOC 385 Global Inequality and Community Development

Social Entrepreneurship (Minor)

See social entrepreneurship minor under Interdisciplinary Studies in the School of Business Administration.

Social Justice (Minor)

This minor is open to students in any major. It allows students to analyze those groups most in need of justice. By analyzing the consequences of inequality, these students examine ways of empowering the marginalized and voiceless to work effectively on their own behalf by developing community strategies that enable change.

Minor Requirements

SOC 350 Social Justice

SOC 351 Addressing Injustice: Qualitative Research Methods or SOC 352 Addressing Injustice: Quantitative Research Methods

SOC 421 Project or SOC 433 Research.

Two (2) courses from the following: SOC 306 Social Class in Arlington, SOC 322 Racial and Ethnic Diversity, SOC 365 Gender Inequality in Global Perspective, SOC 375 Topics in Human Rights, SOC 385 Global Inequality and Community Development

Gender and Society (Minor)

See gender and society minor under Interdisciplinary Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences

International Studies (Minor)

The international studies minor provides interdisciplinary examination of culture and societies outside the United States as well as an exploration of the political, economic, social, and cultural interconnections among nation-states, nongovernmental organizations and ethnic and religious groups around the world. See the International Studies minor.

Forensic Scholars Program

This competitive program, open to first-time college students, guarantees admission into the Forensic and Legal Psychology (MA) program to a select group of well-qualified incoming freshmen. These students, chosen by the Forensic and Legal Psychology Admissions Committee, must meet stringent acceptance and continuation requirements. To be accepted into the program, a student must have

  • a minimum high school GPA of 3.3;
  • SAT (M & Critical Reading) score of 1100+ or ACT of 24+;
  • essay addressing the applicant’s interest in and commitment to the field of forensic and legal psychology;

To continue in the program, a student must

  • maintain a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5;
  • complete PSY 302 Research Design or CJ 304 Applied Research Methods research project on relevant topic (include project as part of portfolio);
  • complete PSY 400 Internship or CJ 400 Internship at relevant site (include documentation as part of portfolio);
  • attend at least three Forensic and Legal Psychology Department events, e.g. career night, seminar speaker, appreciation dinner (include documentation as part of portfolio);
  • attend at least one meeting of one forensic psychology M.A. course (include documentation as part of portfolio); and
  • strong, positive recommendation from a faculty member in the student’s major.

In addition to their major program requirements, psychology majors must complete (18 credits):

CJ 209 The Criminal Justice System

CJ 311 Correctional Institutions

LA 302 Criminal Litigation

PSY 326 Forensic Psychology

PSY 332 Psychology of Addictions

SOC 305 Criminology

In addition to their major program requirements, criminal justice majors must complete (13 credits):

PSY 101 General Psychology

PSY 105 General Psychology Lab

PSY 110 Human Growth and Development

PSY 260 Learning and Cognition

PSY 326 Forensic Psychology

As part of their major programs electives, criminal justice majors must complete (12 credits):

CJ 311 Correctional Institutions

PSY 220 Social Psychology

PSY 230 Abnormal Psychology

PSY 332 Psychology of Addictions

By the application deadline of the year in which the student intends to graduate with their bachelor's degree, the following materials need to be submitted to Graduate Enrollment Services:

  • portfolio
  • undergraduate transcript
  • letter of recommendation

Catalog Contents

General Information

Admission

Financial Information

Academic Support Services

Academic Information and Policies

University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Programs

Course Descriptions

Accounting Courses

Applied Arts Courses

Astronomy Courses

Biology Courses

Business Law Courses

Center for Career Services

Chemistry Courses

Communication and Media Design Courses

Criminal Justice Courses

Economics Courses

Education Courses

English Courses

EN 090 Introduction to College Reading

EN 100 Introduction to College Writing

EN 101 Composition I

EN 102 Composition II

EN 150 Introduction to American Sign Language

EN 200 Elements of Literary Study

EN 201 World Literature: The Ancient World

EN 202 World Literature: The Middle Ages

EN 203 World Literature: Renaissance through Enlightenment

EN 204 World Literature: Romanticism through Post-Modernism

EN 205 American Literature I

EN 206 American Literature II

EN 207 Theater History

EN 211 Principles of Language

EN 212 Topics in Acting

EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in the Cinema

EN 225 Literary Superheroes

EN 227 Short Fiction

EN 230 American Multicultural Literature

EN 240 Introduction to Visual and Cultural Studies

EN 250 Introduction to Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature in London

EN 270 Approaches to Creative Writing

EN 280 Perspectives on Language Acquisition

EN 290 Literary Theory and Practice

EN 301 The Writing Process: Theory and Practice

EN 303 Literary Nonfiction

EN 305 Topics in Creative Writing

EN 308 Style and Revision

EN 321 Modern Drama

EN 322 19th-Century British Poets

EN 323 Modern Poetry

EN 330 Chaucer and the Courtly Love Tradition

EN 340 Major Women Writers

EN 350 The American Dream

EN 351 Literature of Childhood and Adolescence

EN 355 Shakespeare

EN 357 Topics in Literature Before 1800

EN 385 Approaches to Teaching Secondary English

EN 400 Internship

EN 421 Project

EN 424 Senior Seminar

EN 426 Studies in the Novel

EN 428 Studies in Contemporary Literature

EN 429 Topics in Performance

EN 433 Research

EN 490 Major Author(s)

Finance Courses

Fine Arts Courses

First-Year Seminar Courses

French Courses

Geography Courses

Geology Courses

German Courses

Global Scholars Courses

Health And Human Performance Courses

Health Care Management Courses

Health Information Management Courses

History Courses

Honors Courses

Human Resource Management Courses

Humanities Courses

Information Technology Courses

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

Interior Design Courses

Legal Administration Courses

Liberal Studies Courses

Literature Courses

Management Courses

Management Science Courses

Marketing Courses

Mathematics Courses

Multidisciplinary Studies Courses

Nursing Courses

Philosophy Courses

Physical Science Courses

Physics Courses

Politics Courses

Psychology Courses

Sociology Courses

Spanish Courses

Theology and Religious Studies Courses

University Leadership

Notices to Students

Index