Sociology, B.S. (Capital)

Program Description

Sociology is the scientific study of society in all of its complexity. It includes the study of social structure, social interaction and social change from the micro level of small groups and families; to the meso level of communities, organizations, and institutions; to the macro level of globalization, war, technology and culture. The world today is undergoing tremendous changes and facing great challenges, problems, and possibilities. Sociology attempts to understand our world and to improve it.

The sociology major at Penn State Harrisburg provides a unique orientation to social change at multiple levels, including families, communities, organizations, social movements, institutions, society, and the world system. The major addresses topics such as culture, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, inequality, urban life, globalization, environmental change, and political conflict.

The sociology program at Penn State Harrisburg prepares students to succeed in an increasingly complex, diverse, and globalized world. A major in sociology provides opportunities for a wide range of career options. Students with degrees in sociology work in social services, community, advocacy and non-profit organizations, education, business, law, criminal justice, policy-making, social science research, and public administration. An undergraduate degree in sociology also provides a strong foundation for graduate study in sociology and fields such as law, social work, human resources, criminal justice, community psychology, urban planning, political science, and related areas.

Two options are available within the major:

1. General Sociology Option
2. Community Organization and Social Services Option

General Sociology Option

This option provides students with strong education in general sociology in a diverse range of sociological topics. The General Sociology Option is designed for students who seek a solid sociological education with preparation for the widest range of careers and employment opportunities, as well as for graduate education.

Community Organization and Social Services Option

This option provides students with strong preparation for careers working in community settings or in social services. The Community Organization and Social Services Option is designed for students who wish to work directly with people in a broad range of possible settings, in both public and private sectors.

What is Sociology?

Sociology is the scientific study of social behavior and human social groups. The topics covered in sociology are as diverse as society itself, from families to gangs, from non-profit organizations to nations. Sociology focuses on the ways that groups and individuals interact, examining how social environments, like neighborhoods, schools, religious organizations, workplaces, and social networks shape individuals' behaviors and create cooperation or conflict. Sociology uses different methods (surveys, interviews, network analysis, observation, social media, censuses, case studies) to make the invisible patterns of the social world visible.

Sociology especially helps us understand the roots of racial, gender, and class inequality by investigating the ways that social groups control resources, enforce social boundaries, and accept unequal social outcomes. But sociology also helps us to understand how societies change, whether due to the impact of large-scale events like pandemics and economic recessions, or through social movements and labor unions.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You are people-oriented and naturally curious about group behavior.
• You would like to make the world better.
• You like working with people.
• You wonder why people do the things they do, and how they are influenced by those around them.
• You are interested in a career as a sociologist, or in another profession that requires critical and creative thinking and analytic problem-solving.

Entrance to Major

Entry to the Sociology major requires 2.00 or higher cumulative grade-point average.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

7 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 3 credits of GWS courses; 4 credits in GQ courses.

Requirements for the Major

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Common Requirements for the Major (All Options)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ENGL 202A	Effective Writing: Writing in the Social Sciences	3
SOC 1	Introductory Sociology	3
SOC 207	Research Methods in Sociology	3
SOC 400W	Senior Research Seminar	3
SOC 405	Sociological Theory	3
SOC 495	Internship	3-9
Additional Courses 1
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
A. Statistics
PSYCH 200	Elementary Statistics in Psychology	4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
B. Social Institutions
Select three of the following:		9
SOC 30	Sociology of the Family
SOC 403	Advanced Social Psychology
SOC 411	Racial and Ethnic Diversity and the American Family
or HDFS 416	Racial and Ethnic Diversity and the American Family
SOC 416	Sociology of Education
SOC 429	Social Stratification
SOC 430	Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective
SOC 446	Political Sociology
SOC/WMNST 456	Gender, Occupations, and Professions
C. Social Change and Global Perspectives
Select three of the following:		9
SOC 15	Urban Sociology
SOC 109	Sociological Perspectives
SOC 297	Special Topics
SOC 424	Social Change
SOC 425	Social Conflict
SOC 432	Social Movements
SOC 445	U.S. Immigration
SOC 448
SOC 454
D. Diversity
Select two of the following:		6
AFAM 212	African Americans in the New Jim Crow Era, 1968-present
BESC/WMNST 464	Feminine/Masculine
SOC/AFAM/WMNST 103	Racism and Sexism
SOC/WMNST 110	Sociology of Gender
SOC/AFAM 409	Racial and Ethnic Inequality in America
SOC 428	Homelessness in America
SOC 435	Perspectives on Aging
or HDFS 434	Perspectives on Aging
SOC/RLST 461	Sociology of Religion
WMNST/CED 420
Requirements for the Option
Requirements for the Option: Require a grade of C or better
Select an option		21

¹

At least 9 of these credits must be at the 400-level.

Requirements for the Option

General Sociology Option (21 credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 3 credits from each of sections B, C and D above		9
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 6 credits (at least 3 credits at the 400-level) in consultation with adviser from AAAS, AFAM, BESC, GEOG, SOC		6
Select 6 credits (at least 3 credits at the 400-level) in consultation with adviser from AMST, ANTH, ART, ARTH, COMM, CRIMJ, ENGL, HDFS, HIST, IHUM, MGMT, MUSIC, PLSC, PSYCH, PUBPL, THEA, WMNST		6

Community Organization and Social Services Option (21 credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
BESC 370		3
SOC 5	Social Problems	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 3 credits from each of A, B, and C:		9
A. Organization and Leadership
BESC 408
MGMT 321	Leadership and Motivation
MGMT 331	Management and Organization
SOC 376	Introduction to Human Service Organizations
B. Community Contexts
SOC 15	Urban Sociology
SOC 103	Racism and Sexism
SOC 406	Sociology of Deviance
SOC 412	Crime, Social Control, and the Legal System
C. Group Processes and Dynamics
BESC 407
PSYCH 449	Basic Counseling Skills
SOC 3	Introductory Social Psychology
SOC 403	Advanced Social Psychology
SOC 404	Social Influence and Small Groups
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Choose 6 credits (at least 3 credits at the 400-level) in consultation with adviser from AFAM, AMST, ANTH, ART, ARTH, BESC, COMM, CRIMJ, ENGL, GEOG, HDFS, HIST, IHUM, MGMT, MUSIC, PLSC, PSYCH, PUBPL, SOC, THEA, WMNST		6

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

• Acquire a sociological imagination by recognizing the connections between individual lives, social structure and historical change.
  • Students will acquire the knowledge base in sociology in order to recognize and describe human social behavior in specific social-historical context.
  • Students will apply sociological imagination to their own lives.
• Differentiate between micro and macro-sociological perspectives and be able to recognize and use both.
  • Students will be able to describe and distinguish micro and macro perspectives in sociology.
  • Students will be able to apply theories to interpret social phenomena.
• Develop empirical investigations of social phenomena.
  • Recognize the role of theory in sociological research.
  • Students will be able to identify and describe methods for gathering and analyzing sociological data.
  • Students will be able to design a basic study to investigate social phenomena.
• Create written documents with the appropriate to disciplinary standards.
  • Students will be able to write a paper in an appropriate social sciences format.
  • Students will be able to employ appropriate citation practices.
• Recognize and adhere to professional and ethical standards of social science.
  • Students will be able to identify ethical codes of conduct in doing sociological research and practice.
  • Students will adhere to professional and ethical standards of social science research and practice.
• Recognize and consider the diversity of human experience.
  • Students will be able to recognize and describe the diversity of human experience.
  • Students will be able to compare different ways of organizing social life.
  • Students will be able to recognize and describe how diversity is studied as a social problem.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Harrisburg

J. Scott Lewis, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator
777 W. Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6533
jsl19@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2025-26 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

General Option: Sociology, B.S. at Harrisburg Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Community Option: Sociology, B.S. at Harrisburg Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

 The following course is only offered in fall semesters:

• SOC 405 - Sociological Theory

²

 The following are only offered spring semesters

• SOC 1H - Honors Introductory Sociology
• SOC 207 - Research Methods in Sociology
• SOW 400W - Senior Research Seminar
• SOC 495 - Internship

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Advising Notes

• GWS, GQ, GA, GH, GS, GN and GHW are codes used to identify General Education requirements.
• US, IL, and US;IL are codes used to designate courses that satisfy University United States/International Cultures requirements. All students are required to take one IL and one US course before graduation. A course designated as US;IL may be used as a US or an IL, not both.
• W suffix signifies the course satisfies the University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

Program Notes

Students must complete a 3-credit course in "United States Cultures (US)" and a 3-credit course in "International Cultures (IL)."

Sociology, B.S. (3-Year Fast-Track) at Harrisburg Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

To succeed in the 21st century new graduates need to have following skills: critical and creative thinking analytic problem-solving conducting research and data driven analysis communication and collaboration multicultural and global understandings to be able to work in diverse teams whose members are from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds

Careers

The Sociology program at Penn State Harrisburg is designed to provide opportunities for students to study social change, diverse communities, and their interactions through scientific methods. The Bureau of Labor Statistics site states that people with sociology degrees specialize in a wide range of social topics, including health, crime, education, racial and ethnic relations, families, population, gender, poverty, and aging. Studying sociology helps students foster the core set of knowledge and skills that are required by 21st century employers.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE SOCIOLOGY PROGRAM

Contact

Harrisburg

SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
Olmsted Building, W311
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6034
rka12@psu.edu

https://harrisburg.psu.edu/behavioral-sciences-education/sociology-bs