Dec 06, 2025  
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Sociology (BA)

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The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology curriculum provides students with meaningful sociological experience. The theory and methods courses are designed to build competence in core areas, while advanced classes help students develop expertise in major fields of contemporary sociology, including race and ethnic relations, work and leisure, aging studies, gender research, crime and juvenile delinquency, urban ethnography, sociology of medicine, health, and mental illness.

Please see the UNLV Department of Sociology web page for information about department programs, faculty, and facilities.  Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available on the UNLV Degrees Directory.

Learning Outcomes

The sociology graduate will have knowledge of:

  1. the key concepts, debates, and trends in sociology;
  2. the major sociological paradigms and theories;
  3. the variety of methods used in sociological research.

Sociology students will be able to:

  1. Show evidence of the development of a sociological imagination by applying sociological knowledge in their own projects—whether intellectual, personal, and/or political.
  2. Exhibit confidence in expressing ideas orally and in writing.

Admission

To be admitted as a sociology major, you need to have a GPA of 2.0. You can declare sociology as a major at any time. If you would like to switch your major to sociology, The Wilson Advising Center can assist you with this.

Advising

Please see advising information at the UNLV College of Liberal Arts Wilson Advising Center.

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

University Graduation Requirements

Please see Graduation Policies  for complete information.

Modality: Fully Online, Fully In-Person, or Blended

This Program is available Fully Online, Fully In-Person, or Blended. Students may select their preferred modality at the time of admission. Those who choose the fully online option are committing to complete their entire degree through online education and will be identified as fully online students in MyUNLV. If circumstances or preferences change after admission, students may request a change in modality through the official change of major process. Academic advisors are available to help students select the format that best supports their academic and personal goals and can assist with any changes needed.

Sociology (BA) Degree Requirements - Total: 120 Credits

 

 

General Education Requirements - Credits: 36-38

First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3

 

English Composition - Credits: 6

 

Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3

 

Constitutions - Credits: 4

 

Mathematics - Credits: 3

 

Distribution Requirement: Credits: 18-19

Please see Distribution Requirements  for more information

Humanities and Fine Arts - Credits: 9
  • Two 3-credit courses in the humanities
  • One 3-credit course in fine arts
Social Science - Credits: 0
  • Automatically satisfied by Major requirement
Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking - Credits: 9-10
  • Two courses from life and physical sciences category; at least one must have a lab
  • Analytical Thinking - 3 credits 

Multicultural and International - Credits: 0-6

  • Multicultural, one 3 credit course required
  • International, one 3 credit course required

These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements.  A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously. List of approved Multicultural and International courses.

Major Requirements - BA in Sociology - Credits: 82-84

(see note 1 and 2 below)

College of Liberal Arts Requirements - Credits 18

Social Science - Credits: 9
Fine Arts - Credits: 3
World Language/World Culture - Credits: 6

Sociology Major Requirements - Credits: 20

Sociology students are required to complete 6 courses:

Sociology Electives - Credits: 18

  • 18 additional credits of SOC electives selected in consultation with an advisor. 

Related Areas - Credits: 26-28

  • Additional credits related to the student’s academic or vocational career interests, as approved by the Department of Sociology.

Total Credits: 120

 

Notes

  1. Unless otherwise specified, either   or   serves as a prerequisite for all other sociology courses at the 200-, 300-, or 400- level.
  2. See the department or the Wilson Advising Center for a list of courses that meet the College of Liberal Arts and the University curriculum requirements. 
  3. SOC 403  is a Milestone Experience course for Sociology B.A.
  4. SOC 489  is a Culminating Experience course for Sociology B.A.

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