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Online Bachelor's Degree BA in Sociology

Contribute to Societal Change with an Online Sociology Degree

Develop and deepen your understanding of human behavior, social groups and society with an online bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern New Hampshire University. In SNHU’s sociology program, with an optional concentration in community health, you’ll delve into society’s historical, economic and political issues and explore experiential assignments, observation and case studies to solve real-world problems.

Whether you choose the general sociology degree or the sociology degree with the concentration in community health, you’ll graduate ready to contribute to the public good in fields such as social services, conflict resolution, criminal justice or journalism. Best of all, you’ll have the benefit of classes that weave together theory and practice and prepare you for meaningful work in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Soccer and the Sociological Need to Belong

Soccer and the Sociological Need to Belong

Soccer mirrors much of what sociology studies, Dr. Frank Catano, SNHU’s social sciences chairman, told former MLS player Calen Carr. Both players and members of society have identities, skills and ways they interact that tell us where we belong and how to play off one another.

Concentrations
Sociology (BA) - Community Health

See Yourself Succeed in Sociology

SNHU’s online sociology degree gives you the skill set to advocate for change by analyzing the interdependency of global cultures. You’ll study the complexities of human society, define and redefine the dynamic nature of the family and other social institutions, and learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively. Even better, many of the courses take advantage of virtual experiences, from case studies to role-playing exercises, to combine theory and problem-solving skills in an authentic and innovative way.

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your bachelor’s in sociology online at SNHU include:

  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
  • Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
  • Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree

Career Outlook

The bachelor’s in sociology with a concentration in community health puts you in a great position for employment – and enjoyment – in a range of fields, including social advocacy organizations, community health centers and government relief agencies. With SNHU’s online degree, you’ll be prepared to take on jobs such as:

  • Community health organizer
  • Social service case worker
  • Health policy lobbyist
  • Public health educator
  • Consumer advocate

There’s a robust market for community health graduates. Employment rates for health educators and community health workers will grow 21 percent faster than the average for all occupations between now and 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – faster than the average for all occupations.

Curriculum

The online bachelor’s in sociology covers major theoretical perspectives and emphasizes both thinking and doing sociology to solve social inequalities. The coursework includes a host of assignments that make abstract concepts applicable to real-world issues, including field experience and a capstone project.

Required Core Courses
General Education Program

Degree Courses
GEO 200 World Geography

This course examines the implications of global location and topography for the people of planet Earth. Students will explore how geography shapes the dynamics of human societies, with an emphasis on the geoenvironmental, geopolitical, and geosocial phenomena that help to define the modern world.
PHL 230 Religions of the World

This course reviews the emergence of various belief systems and their differences and similarities. Students explore the role of religious belief in the course of human history. Whenever possible, speakers representing various religions are invited to the class. Special emphasis is given to the five major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Global marker.
SCS 224 Social Science Research Methods

This course offers a broad introduction to research methods in the social sciences, including surveys, case studies, experiments, and quasi-experiments. Students learn to spot design flaws in research intended to generate scientifically sound conclusions about social phenomena, and to evaluate critically the interpretations of social science research results by third-party observers, such as reporters. Students also learn how to draft a research proposal that would satisfy the requirements of peer review within the community of professional social scientists.
SCS 444 Capstone Colloquium

This colloquium serves as the capstone course for students in the sociology, law and politics, and environmental management majors. Students learn from their instructor and from each other as they apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their other course work to a directed research project in the appropriate discipline or field. Prerequisite: Senior standing in the sociology, law and politics, or environmental management major.
SOC 112 Introduction to Sociology

Is one's identity individually or socially constructed? Are all stereotypes invalid or can there be value in generalizations? Is globalization widening the gaps or homogenizing the world? In this course, students will grapple with these essential questions in examining the world through the lens of a sociologist. Sociology offers an empirically-based methodology for critically evaluating society-from issues of individual agency to the roots of global institutions. Culture, norm stratification, systems, structure, social institutions, social change, the organization of social behavior and its relationship to society and social conditions are emphasized. Students will challenge their own preconceived notions and evaluate these constructs in terms of their relevancy to contemporary issues and problems.
SOC 213 Sociology of Social Problems

Students in this course analyze contemporary social problems in America and other societies. Issues include economic limitations, class and poverty, race and ethnic relations, sexism, ageism, and environmental and population concerns.
SOC 317 Sociology of the Family

This course is a sociological examination of the family institution in America and other societies. Traditional and nontraditional family patterns are studied to provide students with a structure for understanding sex, marriage, family and kinship systems. Offered every other year.
SOC 325 Sociological Perspectives

Sociology is the study of social life and behavior. Sociologists study societies by researching social groups, patterns, interactions, and institutions. We are interested in how they work, how they change, and their connection to people's lives. This course will build on what students learned in SOC-112 Introduction to Sociology. It will engage students in a discussion of what we know theoretically in the discipline of sociology through the work of key "voices" in the sociological tradition. The course intends to cultivate your ability to see social things with the hope that, as Peter Berger states, "things are not what they seem". In other words, in this class students will learn to rethink assumptions about social facets of society that are commonly taken for granted.

Select one of the following:
SOC 320 Sociology of Gender

The examination of gender in society. Students will explore the social construction of gender, gender identity development, sexuality and power, and other aspects concerning the meanings and implications of being 'male', 'female', or 'transgendered'.
SOC 324 Sociology of Crime and Violence

The course examines the nature, causes, and consequences of crime and violence to a society. Applying a legal and sociological perspective, the course examines: 1) the structure of the law and the criminal justice system; 2) the nature and causation of criminal behavior; and 3) the various types of crime and criminality.
SOC 330 Sociology of Minority Relations

This course examines minority relations in America and other societies. It focuses on the nature of minority-dominated interaction, the sources and operation of prejudice and discrimination and the typical reactions of minorities to their disadvantaged positions. Offered as needed.

Select one of the following:

SOC 291 Experiential Learning

A course designed to explore community services to individuals and groups through a volunteer experience that involves observation and participation in activities. Classroom experiences are geared to giving the student both exposure to and an understanding of services available in the field today.
SOC 490 Community Sociology Internship

A course designed to give the student a working experience in the social services. The student will find a site that is of interest and career potential, work out a schedule of no less than 150 hours, and fulfills the learning outcomes of the course. This is an experiential course in which the student works closely with a site supervisor, the instructor of the course, as well as engages in some productive function within the agency.

You can choose a SOC elective

* Students may take SOC 490 twice for a total of six internship credits to be counted toward the major.

Select one of the following:

HIS 117 World Civilizations: Prehistory-1500

An introductory survey of the world's major civilizations from prehistory to 1500. Key societies will be examined from political, socio-economic, and cultural-intellectual perspectives.
HIS 118 World Civilizations: 1500 - Present

An introductory survey of major civilizations from 1500 to the present, with particular emphasis on interactions and conflicts between Western and non-Western parts of the world. Key societies will be examined from political, socio-economic, and cultural-intellectual perspectives.

Select 12 credits in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a minimum of 9 credits at the 300/400 level.

Free Elective Credits: 30

Total Credits: 120

Program Outcomes

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30 percent tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $960 $320
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$675 $225

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed Annually.

Additional Costs

No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...