Sociology, B.A.

Students who major in sociology at Saint Louis University engage in the scientific study of human groups and their characteristics, changes, causes and consequences. Through teaching, research and service, sociology reveals a critical understanding of the different ways people relate to one another through the organization of society and how its structures and cultures influence lives.

At Saint Louis University, the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program’s subject matter ranges from family life to large-scale organizations, from crime to religion, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, from poverty to prosperity and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sport. Few fields have such a broad and exciting scope.

Curriculum Overview

SLU's sociology B.A. curricula include exciting fieldwork practicum courses and service-learning.

Students may complete the general sociology major or choose to use their sociology electives to pursue one of three concentrations:

Health and Medicine Concentration

The health and medicine concentration focuses on the interplay of interactions, inequality and institutions that shape health and illness, both locally and globally. Students preparing for health-related fields find this area of concentration relevant.

Law, Crime and Deviance Concentration

The law, crime and deviance concentration allows students to develop their sociological expertise on the making, breaking and enforcement of social norms. Students considering careers in law, forensic science and progressive law enforcement will be interested in this concentration.

Urbanization, Immigration and Demography Concentration

The urbanization, immigration and demography concentration allows students to explore urban and community change and social justice. This concentration provides opportunities in careers in consulting, government, human services, social welfare, geoinformatics and geospatial statistics.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

SLU's Department of Sociology has many connections with social agencies throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. Fieldwork practicums are available for sociology majors, including working at neighborhood centers in St. Louis or performing social research projects. Fieldwork practicums also provide an opportunity for students to be involved in agencies and organizations. Students meet with the department internship director for assistance in applying to any of the numerous local employment opportunities in St. Louis.

St. Louis boasts an excellent research laboratory for how social behavior is determined by social structure and physical environment, how community is a major factor in shaping human behavior and how humans adapt to their community. The sociology major provides a strong background in social science education that combines theory and empirical analysis methods with an emphasis on social inequality and institutions. Students’ learning experiences may be enhanced through practical fieldwork experiences with St. Louis nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies.

Careers

Graduates of SLU's sociology program are involved in diverse careers. They have occupied such positions as president of a management consulting firm, methodologist for a health organization and directors of community centers.

Graduates of the sociology program can also continue with graduate work in sociology or a wide range of programs, such as social work, law and health service fields.

Admission Requirements

Begin Your Application

Saint Louis University also accepts the Common Application.

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. 

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED.

Students who have attempted fewer than 24 semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must follow the above freshmen admission requirements. Students who have completed 24 or more semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must submit transcripts from all previously attended college(s).

In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the Office of Admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University. Where applicable, transfer students will be evaluated on any courses outlined in the continuation standards of their preferred major.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

  • Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
  • Proof of financial support must include:
    • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
    • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
  • Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition 

Tuition Cost Per Year
Undergraduate Tuition $52,260

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

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Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

  • Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
  • Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2022, 99% of first-time freshmen and 90% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $445 million in aid University-wide.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

  1. Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of issues related to diversity, inequality and social justice. Specifically:
    1. identify examples of cross-cultural diversity in beliefs and customs,
    2. identify examples of stratification by race/ethnicity, gender and social class, and explain how inequality affects life chances, especially for marginalized others, and 
    3. does the student describe policies or practices that can help promote or impede social justice in local, national or global contexts
  2. Graduates will understand the role of theory in social analysis. Specifically:
    1. describe the role of theory in building sociological knowledge, 
    2. compare and contrast basic theoretical orientations; or, identify assumptions in analyses and arguments, and
    3. apply theories to examples or situations
  3. Graduates will understand the role of qualitative and quantitative research methods in sociology. Specifically:
    1. compare and contrast methodological approaches for gathering data, 
    2. design a small study, and
    3. critically assess a published research report
  4. Graduates will communicate effectively in written and oral forms. Specifically:
    1. write a clear and convincing sociological analysis of an event, issue or problem, 
    2. make an oral presentation that is succinct, clear, convincing and professional, 
    3. use computerized and online resources to find information (e.g., databases, reputable internet websites, government statistics, etc.), and
    4. evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of information sources and assess which references are appropriate for academic research

 Sociology students must complete a minimum of 30 credits for the major.

  • A maximum of two anthropology courses may count toward the sociology major.
  • A maximum of two anthropology, sociology and/or forensic science courses may count toward both the anthropology and sociology majors.
University Undergraduate Core32-35
Major Requirements
Introduction Requirements
SOC 1100Introduction to Sociology3
or SOC 1110 Introduction to Sociology: Diversity Emphasis
or SOC 1120 Introduction to Sociology: Diversity and Health Emphasis
Methods Requirement
SOC 2000Research Methods3
Theory Requirement
SOC 3150XAnthropological Theory3
Research Requirement
SOC 4015Quantitative Research Methods3
or SOC 4025 Qualitative Research
Senior Experience
SOC 4840Sociology Capstone3
or SOC 4990 Departmental Honors Thesis
Elective Courses
Select 15 credits from the following:15
Introduction to Anthropology
Urban Issues: Poverty and Unemployment
Cultural Anthropology
Biological Anthropology
and Biological Anthropology Lab
Global Mental Health
Medical Anthropology
Anthropology of Sex & Gender
Climate Change & Environmental Futures
Urban Ethnography: Cities in a Global Perspective
World Geography
The Urban Community: Race, Class, and Spatial Justice
Sociology of Sport
Health Inequalities in the U.S.
Drugs and Society: Legal and Medical Implications of the "War on Drugs"
Sociology of Medicine
Religion and Social Sciences: Theoretical and Empirical Reflections on Religion
Immigration
Urban Sociology
Gender and Society
Racial and Ethnic Relations
Violence in America
Marriage and the Family
Sociology of Mental Health
The Structure of Poverty: Globally and Locally
Sociological Theories of Crime
Deviant Behavior: Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction
Law and Society
Health and the Social Sciences
African-American Religious Traditions
Demographic Methods, Analysis, and Public Policy
Principles and Methods of GIScience
Intermediate Geographic Information Systems
Spatial Demography – Applied Spatial Statistics
Research Activity: Supervised
Advanced Independent Study
Select one of the following concentrations:12
General Electives43-46
Total Credits120

Concentrations

Health and Medicine Concentration

Concentration Elective Courses12
Select 12 credits from the following:
Biological Anthropology
and Biological Anthropology Lab
Global Mental Health
Medical Anthropology
Climate Change & Environmental Futures
Introduction to Sociology: Diversity and Health Emphasis
Health Inequalities in the U.S.
Drugs and Society: Legal and Medical Implications of the "War on Drugs"
Sociology of Medicine
Sociology of Mental Health
Health and the Social Sciences
Demographic Methods, Analysis, and Public Policy
Total Credits12

Law, Crime and Deviance Concentration

Concentration Elective Courses12
Select four of the following:
Drugs and Society: Legal and Medical Implications of the "War on Drugs"
Urban Sociology
Elite & White-Collar Deviance
Violence in America
Sociological Theories of Crime
Deviant Behavior: Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction
Law and Society
Total Credits12

Urbanization, Immigration and Demography Concentration

Concentration Elective Courses12
Select four of the following:
Urban Issues: Poverty and Unemployment
Urban Ethnography: Cities in a Global Perspective
Environmental Impact
The Ignatian City: Social Suffering, Urban Marginality, and Social Justice
World Geography
The Urban Community: Race, Class, and Spatial Justice
Immigration
Urban Sociology
Racial and Ethnic Relations
Demographic Methods, Analysis, and Public Policy
Principles and Methods of GIScience
Intermediate Geographic Information Systems
Spatial Demography – Applied Spatial Statistics
Total Credits12

Continuation Standards

Students must have a GPA of 2.00 in Sociology major coursework to be retained in the major.

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
  • Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
  • Complete major requirements: minimum of 30 credits required.
  • Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate and/or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
  • Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s), and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate, or related elective credits.
  • Complete department-/program-specific academic and performance requirements.
  • Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
  • Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
  • Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
SpringCredits
CORE 3200 Ways of Thinking: Quantitative Reasoning (Should be taken in first 45 credit hours at SLU) 3
CORE 1600 Ultimate Questions: Theology 3
SOC 2000 Research Methods 3
General Electives 6
 Credits15
Fall
CORE 1000 Ignite First Year Seminar (Must be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes) 2-3
CORE 1500 Cura Personalis 1: Self in Community (Must be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes / Must be taken at SLU) 1
CORE 1900 Eloquentia Perfecta 1: Written and Visual Communication (Should be taken in first 36 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes) 3
SOC 1100
Introduction to Sociology
or Introduction to Sociology: Diversity Emphasis
or Introduction to Sociology: Diversity and Health Emphasis
3
General Electives 6
 Credits15-16
Year Two
Spring
CORE 3800 Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences (taken any time) 3
CORE 2500 Cura Personalis 2: Self in Contemplation (Cannot carry attributes) 0
SOC 3150X Anthropological Theory 3
SOC ElectiveIf you are completing a concentration, this course should be one of the electives in that concentration 3
General Electives 6
 Credits15
Fall
CORE 1200 Eloquentia Perfecta 2: Oral and Visual Communication (Should be taken in first 60 credit hours at SLU / Cannot carry attributes) 3
CORE 1700 Ultimate Questions: Philosophy 3
SOC 4015
Quantitative Research Methods
or Qualitative Research
or Elementary Statistics with Computers
3
SOC ElectiveThis elective may be selected from any Sociology course or approved Anthropology courses 3
General Elective 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Spring
CORE 3600 Ways of Thinking: Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
CORE 4000 Collaborative Inquiry (Pre-req: 60 earned credits, including CORE 1000, CORE 1500, and a minimum of 17 additional Core credit hours (total of 21 Core credits)) 2-3
SOC ElectiveIf you are completing a concentration, this course should be one of the electives in that concentration 3
General Electives 7
 Credits15-16
Fall
CORE 2800 Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression 2-3
CORE 3400 Ways of Thinking: Aesthetics, History, and Culture 3
SOC ElectiveIf you are completing a concentration, this course should be one of the electives in that concentration 3
General Electives 7
 Credits15-16
Year Four
Spring
SOC 4840 Sociology Capstone 3
General Electives 12
 Credits15
Fall
CORE 3500 Cura Personalis 3: Self in the World (May be added to a capstone for the major / Cannot carry attributes) 1
SOC ElectiveIf you are completing a concentration, this course should be one of the electives in that concentration 3
General Electives 11
 Credits15
 Total Credits120-123