By offering a curriculum which focuses on the understanding and place of social theory, methodology, and empirical findings, the Department of Sociology seeks to cultivate in students an appreciation for the importance of the role of social forces in the lives of individuals and groups and in the enhancing of social continuity and change.
The critical and interpretive skills which are a by-product of this education prepare students for graduate schools and employment in fields such as government agencies, non-profit organizations, health care institutions, and business.
Faculty in the department teach Origins and Race, Gender and Human Identity: foundation courses in the General Education Program. Additional contributions to the General Education Program are : Introduction to Sociology, Birth, Death, and Migration, Appalachian Culture, and World Religions.
To enhance student's prospects for graduate schools and careers in the social services, the department offers a course in Research Methods to include computer assisted survey research and data analysis. This is consistent with the department's policy to evaluate and modify its curriculum continuously to meet students' needs and to accommodate changes occurring the wider society. In this regard the availability of week-end TV courses contributes to addressing the needs, particularly, of non-traditional students.
Reviewed and Revised
9/26/2001
The Sociology curriculum (with --- hours of required coursework in the discipline) consists of three components: [will be posted soon!]
I. A (-- hours)
II. A (-- hours)
III. A (-- hours)
The graduates of the Sociology Program will be able to:
1. Explain and analyze the social and historical context which contributed to the emergence and development of the discipline of sociology
2. Understand the interrelationship between the individual and institutional realms of society
3. Demonstrate an understanding of classical and contemporary sociological theories and analyze the contribution of theories to each tradition
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the language, attitudes, methods, and techniques of social research and apply these to the appropriate research projects
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between theory and research
6. Understand the major statistical concepts, procedures, techniques, and interpretations as applied to social research
Revised and Adopted:
March 2004
Course-Outcome Alignment Matrix
[pdf]
Outcome-Measure Alignment Matrix
[pdf]