Columbia College Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Examine the connection between individual choices and social forces with a bachelor's degree in sociology from Columbia College.
Residential classes
Jan
08
next start date
16
week semester
5
year locked-in tuition
Online & night classes
Jan
08
next start date
8
week sessions
$375
undergraduate tuition
Available program formats: Online: BA In class: BA
Prepare for a range of careers at Columbia College
Our shared experiences in society as well as our individual social lives provide a never-ending supply of topics for sociologists to study. In this Columbia College program, you’ll build an understanding of social issues, institutions, policies, movements, innovations, ideas and behaviors. You’ll also gain the skills to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data.
You’ll get specialized training in areas of interest such as crime and social inequality, culture and globalization or gender and identity. Many students continue their general sociology studies in graduate school in the subjects of law, public policy, business, urban planning and social work.
Opportunities to study:
- Culture
- Globalization
- Crime
- Inequality
- Gender
- Identity
Prepare for a career studying people, groups and societies
Any institution that shapes our lives—or seeks to change society—relies on the study of our behavior as social beings. The analysis of social issues is carried out at all levels, from highly individual snapshots of short contacts to the long-term study of global processes.
The valuable skills you develop in data analysis, social trend research, program evaluation and organizational management are highly marketable in business, government and nonprofit settings. Potential career paths include social services, project management, market research, advocacy, counseling and education.
Some possible paths include:
- Social Science Researcher
- Policy Analyst
- Survey Researcher
- Human Resources Recruiter
- Client Relationship Manager
- Marketing Representative
- Solutions Consultant
- Social Services Administrator
- Advocacy
- Public relation
Columbia College Global offers traditional classroom instruction for many courses at nationwide locations. Students at nationwide locations are expected to engage with multiple learning methods, including online and virtual while completing their degree. Columbia College offers on-campus programs with traditional classroom instruction at the Residential Campus in Columbia, Missouri.
Dr. Yngve Digernes
"The great thing about teaching here is that our classes are so small, so I get to know the students very well... I know their strengths and weaknesses, and I know what their interests are, so I can kind of play on that."
Read about YngveView more faculty profiles
Find your path
Submit this form to get information about applying to Columbia College.
Questions about admissions? Call the main line.
Main line: (573) 875-8700
Want to know more about our programs? Contact the department.
Department phone: 573-875-7570
Office: STC 218
Email: HASS@CCIS.edu
Your degree starts here Take these courses
Available program formats
- Core requirements 51 credit hours
- Total degree requirements 120 credit hours
Some courses you may take
History and origins of major schools of thought in sociology from the Enlightenment through World War II. Emphasis on the underlying principles and major works of Comte, Marx, Spencer, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, Mannheim, DuBois, Mead, Veblen, Lukacs, Adorno, Horkheimer, Parsons. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Survey of contemporary social theory, beginning in post-World War II era through the current era of post-structuralism, feminist sociology, critical race theory and queer theory. Includes the study of C. Wright Mills, Jurgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, Immanuel Wallerstein, Anthony Giddens, Michel Foucault, Theda Skocpol, Dorothy Smith, Adrienne Rich and Patricia Hill Collins. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Introductory study of small and large scale human social interaction and social organizations. Course meets Multicultural graduation requirement.
Survey of historical and contemporary minority-majority relations among various racial, ethnic and gender groups. Focus on the social construction of race and ethnicity. G.E. Course meets Multicultural graduation Requirement.
- Core requirements 51 credit hours
- Total degree requirements 120 credit hours
Some courses you may take
Introduction to the diversity of cultures and societies. Taking a comparative approach based on case studies from different regions of the world, the course explores some of the major themes of cultural anthropology, including economic and political systems, language, art, religion and worldview, kinship and gender relations. Course meets Multicultural graduation requirements.
Sociological theories of mass media, social impacts of mass media and popular culture on collective con¬sciousness; structure versus agency; new media; the internet. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Theories regarding the sources and roles of religion in society. Sociological principles and concepts applied to religions and religious movements. Examination of current trends in religious movements. Religious perspectives on and experiences of women, homosexuals and ethnic minorities. Topics include: paganism and secular humanism. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Occasional offering.
Survey of social theories and projected role of the patterns of sports and heroism in society.
- Core requirements 51 credit hours
- Total degree requirements 120 credit hours
Some courses you may take
Nature and impact of contemporary social problems.
Emphasis on social stratification systems and social inequalities, including the areas of economic class, ethnicity, gender and sexuality. Analysis of theories of power in constructing and maintaining systems of social inequality; the creation of wealth and poverty in the U.S. and globally; sources and consequences of ethnic and gender inequalities; and the stratification system surrounding sexualities. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Emphasis on sociological theories concerning the nature, sources, control, and prevention of crime. Topics include current trends in U.S. crime rates; media coverage of crimes; patterns of victimization; characteristics of property crimes, violent crimes, drug crimes, corporate crimes, political crimes and vice. Critical examination of current law enforcement and correctional policies and practices. Prerequisite: junior standing.
Nature, theories and models of deviant behavior. Categories and causes of deviance including violence, sexual deviance, mental illness, substance abuse, street crime and white collar crime. Societal responses to deviance. The uses of stigma to label deviants.
- Core requirements 51 credit hours
- Total degree requirements 120 credit hours
Some courses you may take
Critical examination of fashion as an institution, shaping individual choices, and communicating social values and norms. Attention is paid to how fashion serves as a tool for individual expression and as a way to showcase social affiliation. Fashion is analyzed as both an art form and as a powerful industry. Topics include: art and industry; body; consumerism, dressing in modern society; global style; individual and group identity; inequality; social movements; and trends. Cross-listed as WMST 388W. Prerequisite: Junior standing and ENGL 133W.
Theories, methods and research on the nature and causes of individual behavior in social situations. Cross-listed as PSYC 235. Prerequisite: PSYC 101; and PSYC/SOCI 275W taken previously or concurrently.
Critical examination of gender as a social construct. The role of gender in socialization, sexuality, family, religion, work, the mass media, education, politics. Cross-listed as WMST 210. G.E.
Analysis of the social and cultural forces that shape women's position in society; explanations and critical analysis of the gendered nature of our reality. Cross-listed as WMST 310.