Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
Nature of the Program
Sociology examines human society with an emphasis on social structure, processes of social interaction, and social change. Students learn the methods of social science as well as the specialized knowledge and insights of discipline while selecting from a range of substantive course topics. These include but are not limited to: Racial and ethnic relations, sex and gender, social class and poverty, families and relationships, social psychology and media, health and health care, and urban and rural sociology. Courses in the department also are intended to facilitate the application of sociological principles to a wide range of contemporary social problems.
The major prepares students to pursue a broad range of careers that require knowledge of social organization and social processes. It also prepares students for graduate studies in the social sciences in pursuit of academic or applied research careers or for professional training in law, public administration, social work, public health and other fields. For more information about this program, please visit the departmental website.
Students who earn a degree in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences must complete the University requirements, the College requirements for their specific degree program, and their major requirements.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; view a list of all available minors and their requirements here. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Faculty
Professor and Chair
- Daniel Renfrew - Ph.D. (Binghamton University) Anthropology
Environmental and political anthropology, Social movements, Latin American cultures
Professors
- Sharon R. Bird - Ph.D. (Washington State University) Sociology
Social Inequality (race/ethnicity/class/gender/LGBTQ+), Workplace equity, Research methods - Henry H. Brownstein - Ph.D. (Temple University) Sociology
Distinguished Research Professor. Drugs and society, Drug policy, Violence, Qualitative research methods - Katie E. Corcoran - Ph.D. (University of Washington) Sociology
Theory, Organizations, Culture, Criminology, Religion, Social networks - Walter S. DeKeseredy - Ph.D. (York University) Sociology
Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences. Violence against women, Critical criminology, Masculinities and crime, Criminology theory - R. Gregory Dunaway - Ph.D. (University of Cincinnati) Sociology
Dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences - S. Melissa Latimer - Ph.D. (University of Kentucky) Sociology
Gender/race/ethnicity, Inequality/labor markets/welfare systems - James Nolan, III - Ph.D. (Temple University) Sociology
Criminal justice, Group and social processes - Rachel Stein - Ph.D. (University of Akron) Sociology
Criminology, Victimization, Media and crime - Karen Weiss - Ph.D. (SUNY-Stony Brook) Sociology
Criminology, Victimization, Gender/sexuality/culture - Rachael A. Woldoff - Ph.D. (Ohio State University) Sociology
Community, Crime, Inequality/race/class - Joshua Woods - Ph.D. (Michigan State University) Sociology
Social psychology, Media, Complex organizations, Sociology of risk
Associate professors
- Corey Colyer - Ph.D. (Syracuse University) Sociology
People processing systems, Agencies of social control - Amy Hirshman - Ph.D. (Michigan State University) Anthropology
Mesoamerican archaeology, Social complexity, Ceramics - Jason Manning - Ph.D. (University of Virginia) Sociology
Conflict and social control, Violence, Sociology of knowledge - Christopher P. Scheitle - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University) Sociology
Religion, Science in society, Crime, Organizations - Jennifer Steele - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University) Rural Sociology
Natural resource sociology, Rural and community development - Jesse Wozniak - Ph.D. (University of Minnesota) Sociology
Policing, Criminology, Deviance, State power
Assistant professors
- Brandie S. Pugh - Ph.D. (University of Delaware) Sociology
Inequality, Corporate crime, Interpersonal violence, Philosophy of science - Kirsten Younghee Song - Ph.D. (Rutgers University) Sociology
Culture, Transnationalism, Young adulthood, Inequality
Teaching instructors
- Daniel Brewster - M.A. (West Virginia University) Communication Studies
- Douglas Sahady - M.A. (California University of Pennsylvania) Social Science
- Genesis Snyder - M.A. (Western Michigan University) Anthropology
Professors emeriti
- Ronald C. Althouse - Ph.D. (University of Minnesota) Sociology
Theory, Work, Occupational safety and health - Ann L. Paterson - Ph.D. (Michigan State University) Sociology
- Patricia C. Rice - M.A. (Ohio State University) Anthropology
- Joseph J. Simoni - Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame) Sociology
- William l. Torry - Ph.D. (Columbia University) Anthropology
Admissions for 2025-2026
- First Time Freshmen are admitted directly into the major. Students must have a placement into a Math course to receive a complete schedule for their first semester. Students without placement may not be competitive to remain in the major.
- Students coming from another major at WVU must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0, completion of SOC 101 with a C- or higher, and be eligible to take MATH 124.
- Students coming from another institution must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0, completion of SOC 101 with a C- or higher, and be eligible to take MATH 124
Major Code: 14C4
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in Sociology
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, College B.A. requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum of 120 hours. For complete details on these requirements, visit the B.A. Degrees tab on the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences page.
- Calculation of GPA in the major: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements, with a minimum grade of C- is required in ANTH 105, SOC 101, and SOC 191. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
- Experiential Learning: Students are encouraged to pursue a Professional Field Experience (SOC 491) or Independent Study (SOC 495) in their junior or senior year, combining experiential work with previously acquired skills in a project appropriate to their career goals. SOC 490, SOC 491, and SOC 495 can be taken for variable credit and will count as general elective credits towards graduation, but they cannot be applied to major requirements.
- Capstone Requirement: The General Education Foundation requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Sociology majors must complete SOC 488.
- Writing and Communication Skills Requirement: Sociology Bachelor of Arts students fulfill the Writing and Communication Skills requirement by completing ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 (or ENGL 103), and two SpeakWrite Certified Courses TM: SOC 488 and a 2nd course selected from ANTH 350, ANTH 352, ANTH 354, ANTH 450, ANTH 457, ANTH 458, CRIM 318, HIST 203 , HIST 207, HIST 221, HIST 241, HIST 242, HIST 259, HIST 264, PSYC 241, SOC 323, SOC 360, WGST 150, WGST 225.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 73 | |
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
| Sociology Major Requirements | 41 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 | 27 | |
| First-Year Seminar | 1 | |
| General Electives | 45 | |
| Total Hours | 73 | |
ECAS B.A. Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
Fine Arts Requirement | ||
Global Studies and Diversity Requirement | ||
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Sociology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation to the Major | 1 | |
| First-Year Seminar (Minimum Grade of C-) | ||
or SOC 361 | Practicing Sociology and Anthropology | |
| Common Core Requirements | 13 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology (Minimum Grade of C-) | ||
| Introduction to Sociology (Minimum Grade of C-) | ||
| Sociological Theory | ||
| Social Research Methods | ||
| Statistics Requirement | 3 | |
| Elementary Statistical Inference | ||
| Sociology Requirements | 15 | |
Select five of the following (at least three must be 300 or 400-level): | ||
| Deviant Behavior | ||
| Hate Crime | ||
| Mass Media, Crime and Deviance | ||
| Social Problems in Contemporary America | ||
| Families and Society | ||
| Inequality and the Media | ||
| Sexuality and Society | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Complex Organizations | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Sociology of Rural Life | ||
| Sociology of Law | ||
| Sociology of Work and Work Places | ||
| Sociology of American Business | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Class, Status, and Power | ||
| Economy and Society | ||
| Cities and Urban Life | ||
| Anthropology, Criminology, or Sociology Electives: | 6 | |
Two additional courses in sociology, anthropology, or criminology (at least one must be 300 or 400-level) | ||
| Capstone Experience | 3 | |
| The Capstone Experience | ||
| Total Hours | 41 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SOC 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| SOC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | ANTH 105 (ECAS Global Studies and Diversity Requirement; GEF 7) | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | ECAS Fine Arts Requirement (GEF 6) | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 1 | General Elective | 1 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| GEF 8* | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| 200-level Sociology Course | 3 | 200-level Sociology Course | 3 |
| Statistics Requirement | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 8* | 3 | SOC 311 | 3 |
| SOC 301 | 3 | Upper-level Sociology Course | 3 |
| Upper-level Sociology Course | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Upper-level Sociology Course | 3 | SOC 488 (Capstone) | 3 |
| Anthropology, Criminology, or Sociology Elective 1 | 3 | Anthropology, Criminology, or Sociology Elective 2 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
- *
Students completing a minor, a second major or a dual degree already fulfill F 8.
Degree Progress
Students are expected to meet the benchmarks set below.
- Complete SOC 101 and ANTH 105 with grades of C- or higher and be eligible to take MATH 124 by the end of the second semester in the program;
- Complete 200-level SOC coursework and STAT 211 by the end of the fourth semester in the program;
- Complete four 300-level courses (including SOC 301 and SOC 311) by the end of of the sixth semester in the program.
- Maintain a GPA of 2.0 overall and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all SOC, ANTH, and CRIM courses counting toward major requirements.
- All majors must meet with their adviser every semester.
Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Major Learning Outcomes
Sociology
Students graduating with a BA in Sociology will have the ability to:
- Describe sociology’s core concepts and approaches to the study of social structures, social dynamics, and social issues, and how it is similar to and different from other social sciences.
- Demonstrate the sociological imagination by describing how culture and social structure operate, how society shapes individuals and individuals shape society, and the intersectionality of race/ethnicity, gender, class, or other bases of inequality.
- Identify and compare sociology’s core theoretical and methodological approaches and discuss their role in building knowledge about society.
- Apply ethical principles to the conduct of sociological research and the applications of its findings.
- Critically analyze sociological questions and issues by retrieving and synthesizing appropriate information and evidence and identifying implications for research and practice/policy.
- Demonstrate effective, clear and persuasive communication skills according to disciplinary conventions.