Current Emphasis Areas, Majors and Minors Offered by the Sociology Department
By providing students with a broad background in criminological theory, the criminal justice system, and the interconnections between legal, judicial and enforcement practices and problems. Students studying Criminology and Deviance will be prepared for careers in law enforcement, corrections, the juvenile justice system, the judicial sector, municipal management, and nonprofits organizations.
Requirements for current emphasis includes:
Contemporary Society (SOPHIA "Social Science")
Required electives for the Criminology, Deviance, and Law minor:
Deliquency and Crime; Deviance and Social Control
Required electives for the Criminology, Deviance, and Law major:
Deliquency and Crime; Deviance and Social Control; Race, Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism; One additional elective depending on their interest (it is recommended that students consider taking Special Topics in Criminology, Deviance, and Law: GOVT 290: Criminal Law and GOVT 301: State and Local Politics)
Additional courses required for majors:
Social Inequality; Social Science Research Methods; Social Theory; Statistics (Bio, Psych, or Econ, Statistics are accepted)
Examining issues facing families of all forms, and communities broadly defined, students studying Family and Community Servicesenter careers in social work and social services, community development and organization, child and youth services, and family education and advocacy. Our department's recent graduates are among the many members participating in such communities and we value the continued partnership and collaboration available to explore, examine, and serve the needs of local community interests.
Requirements for current emphasis includes:
Contemporary Society (SOPHIA "Social Science")
Required electives for the Family and Community Service minor:
Sociology of Families; Home, Place, and Community
Required electives for the Family and Community Service major:
Sociology of Families; Home, Place, and Community; Urban and Rural Communities; One selection from: Sociology of Gender; Race, Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism; Nonprofit Organizations in Theory and Practice; Social Gerontology; Native American Social Systems; Life-span Human Development (PSYC 210); or Adolescent Development (EDUC 345)
Additional courses required for majors:
Social Inequality; Social Science Research Methods; Social Theory; Statistics (Bio, Psych, or Econ, Statistics are accepted)
With increasing complexity in the rapidly changing healthcare field, students studying Medicine and Healthcare Systems will explore the social patterning of health, experience of illness, production of medical and health-related knowledge, along with an understanding of dynamics with other social institutions. Our students have opportunities for independent study or collaborative research while at Augustana and enter careers in medicine and healthcare practice, policy, advocacy, management, research, technology, business, and reporting. Graduate school and professional fields include nursing, medicine, dental/oral health, physical therapy, epidemiology, public health, engineering, and translational science.
Requirements for the current emphasis includes:
Contemporary Society (SOPHIA "Social Science")
Required electives for the Medicine and Healthcare System minor:
Medical Sociology; Race and Gender in Medicine and Healthcare
Required electives for the Medicine and Healthcare System major:
Medical Sociology; Race and Gender in Medicine and Health; two electives from: Social Gerontology; Sociology of Gender; Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism; Special Topics in Medicine and Healthcare; Nonprofit Organizations in Theory and Practice
Additional courses required for majors:
Social Inequality; Social Science Research Methods; Social Theory; Statistics (Bio, Psych, or Econ, Statistics are accepted)
A traditional major or minor in Sociology provides a broad conceptual understanding of how societies work, including how individuals, institutions, and structures are systematically connected. When students pair a field of study with Sociology("Society"), their ability to identify the social contexts and consequences of their career field, make them stand out above other candidates. For example, students studying Marketing and Society (or Sociology), or Computer Information Systems and Society, or Business Communication and Society, explicitly illustrate the benefits of a liberal arts education by intersecting a major/field of study with a sociological understanding of societal structures (provided by our majors or minors).
All majors or minors in Sociology are required to take:
Contemporary Society (SOPHIA "Social Science"); and Four electives from any courses offered by the Sociology Department
Additional courses required for majors:
Social Inequality; Social Science Research Methods; Social Theory; Statistics (Bio, Psych, or Econ, Statistics are accepted)
31 credits for our Majors and five courses (minimum 15 credits) for our Minors:
Streamlined Minor =
(SOCI110) + 4 (3cr) electives*
*Includes Native American Social Systems & other cross-listed/SOPHIA courses
Reed Ritterbusch ('18, Sociology Honors (Medicine and Healthcare) & BIOCHEMISTRY), current medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine highlights the contributions of sociological thought and inquiry:
“I believe my sociology background has prepared me to be a mindful and critically aware medical student. My research project at Augustana on the formation of the South Dakota State Medical Association contributed to an understanding of the impact of policy decisions and how health disparities arise. Further, I feel comfortable recognizing how social determinants can effect patient health outcomes and the importance of taking a holistic approach to treating patients.”
Jordan Cardenas ('19 Sociology & GOvernment and International Affairs), former Staff assistant, office of senator john thune, current law school student at the university of st. Thomas speaks about the benefits oF Having sociological skills:
“Sociology has given me the tools to think critically in the world of politics and has prepared me to pursue my passion for law. For example, I learned how behavior becomes defined as deviant and how deviance can be relative. It is important to understand the social norms that create the rules of our society in order to ensure all people are treated with fairness and justice. I look forward to applying my knowledge of the law and deviance in order to help those who need it most in our society.”
Sample of Special Topics Elective Courses
Beer, Wine, and "Spirits:" Alcohol in American History and Culture
Brexit, the Great Divorce: Britain and the European Union
Dying to Know: Dying as Personal Journey in a Social Context
Food for Thought: Pathways From Farm to Table
Gender and Mass Media
Gender, Sex, and Sexuality
Nonprofit Organizations in Theory and Practice
Pop Culture, Celebrity, and Fandom
Social Conflict and Reconciliation in Ireland and Northern Ireland
