Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

Academic Director: Bonnie Oglensky, PhD
CUNY School of Professional Studies
101 West 31st Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Email Contact: sociology@sps.cuny.edu

Mission

The mission of the Online Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology (B.A.) is to prepare students to succeed in the 21st century, where careers are marked by perpetual change, human diversity, and enhanced analytical and social skill requirements.  Students take foundational coursework in sociological theory, social research methods, and on topics of pressing sociological and public concern-particularly those relating to the persistence of inequality, challenges facing social institutions, and the impact of these issues on everyday life.  By doing so, the Sociology Program seeks to build student capacity to effectively investigate and apply relevant frames of social context and perspective to complex social issues, preparing them to make meaningful contributions at work and in their communities.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will demonstrate:

1. Effective Communication:  Enhanced communication skills-written, speaking and digital-for personal, academic, and professional purposes.
2. Sociological Knowledge and Analytic Skills to Investigate and Analyze Inequality: Broadened and deeper perspectives on the creation, reproduction, and impact of social structures, social institutions, and social processes on the opportunities and barriers to equality in human societies.
3. Research Methods for Evidence-Based Inquiry and Solutions:  Increased appreciation for evidence and developed skill-basis to conduct empirical research to study sociologically relevant topics.
4. A Macro-Micro Lens to Link Society and Individuals and Make Sociology Practical:  Enhanced ability to make meaningful connections between individuals, society, and social change and an ability to apply this knowledge towards action.
5. Appreciation of the Relevance of Sociology to Professional Life:  Increased awareness of the value of sociological knowledge and skill in one’s professional life.

The Program

The online Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology (B.A.) teaches students how people connect to other individuals in networks, teams, and organizations. Students gain insights into stereotyped groups such as race, class, and gender, as well as how to distinguish these from voluntary membership in social clubs, political associations, and professions. Learning how to frame issues as problems to be solved, how to conduct social research, how to communicate effectively and how to apply learning to new complex settings puts students on course for influential leadership positions in diverse organizational, community, cultural, and job settings.

Based on models and recommendations from the American Sociological Association, students completing the online Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology will:

• Harness sociological terms, concepts, and principles;
• Evaluate and apply sociological theories to frame issues and problems;
• Explain social structures, social movements, and social change; and,
• Apply research methods and strategies to provide data for decision making.

General education courses complement this specialized study and emphasize critical thinking, qualitative reasoning, effective communication and the exploration of the foundations of knowledge and culture.

Admissions Criteria

Applicants must possess at least 24 transferrable credits from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants need to demonstrate basic proficiency in reading, writing, and math.