Sociology, B.A.

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Minimum credit hours required for degree: 120

Minimum credit hours required for major: 33

Admission to major: No requirement other than good academic standing in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Major-Field Requirements

Core Courses (18 credit hours)

Electives (15 credit hours)

Students must complete five elective courses, at least four of which must be at the 300- to 400-level (see list of Sociology electives below).

Although a student is free to complete the major requirements with any combination of Sociology electives, the Department believes that the major program is greatly strengthened and better organized when there is judicious selection of electives. The Department makes available to every student who declares a major in Sociology an Undergraduate Advisor. The student is expected to plan a total academic program with the assistance of the departmental advisor.

Internships in Sociology

Students may qualify for an internship in Sociology (SOC 490 ) by achieving an overall GPA of 3.0 in the major or minor, completion of the required courses, and junior or senior standing. Students who qualify must arrange an internship with the departmental coordinator (call 216-687-4500). Internships may be for up to 6 credit hours. However, only 3 of these hours may be applied toward the requirements for the major.

Honors Program/Scholars Requirements

Students must complete a two semester research course in their senior year, at the end of which they are required to produce a research paper and present it to the faculty (and they are encouraged to present it at a professional meeting as well).
Students must complete an additional elective course, at the graduate level.

All of this is an additional 12 hours beyond the normal requirements in the major.

Accelerated 3 + 3 Degree

The CSU/Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 3+3 program permits a student who has completed three years of undergraduate study to be admitted to the College of Law to begin J.D. studies. The undergraduate degree will be awarded upon successful completion of the first full year of the J.D. curriculum, thus permitting the student to graduate with both an undergraduate and law degrees in six rather than seven years of full-time study (or its equivalent). In effect, the first year of law school completes the fourth year of the undergraduate degree (essentially serving as undergraduate elective courses) and serves as the first year of law school. This arrangement saves both time and money for the student.

Sociology