2025-2026
Sociology, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science in Social Sciences (Reynolds Community College)
Associate degree
Associate of Science in Social Sciences
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
Program description
The Bachelor of Science in Sociology requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 33 of those credits in sociology and other approved courses. The baccalaureate curriculum in sociology seeks to ensure that each student develops a solid foundation in the basic principles, theories and techniques of analysis in sociology. It also encourages students to pursue an interdisciplinary approach by incorporating course credit from closely related subject areas in other programs. Since students majoring in sociology vary in their interests and career goals, the curriculum allows for a great deal of flexibility in developing individual courses of study.
Students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies in sociology usually will take more than the minimum number of upper-level courses. The program provides opportunities for involvement in faculty research through its course offerings, which include independent study, internships and honors research.
Career opportunities
An undergraduate degree is sufficient for many entry-level positions in non-profit organizations, business, and government. A bachelor's in sociology can prepare students for graduate or professional education in sociology, law, counseling, psychology, social work, medicine, education, college student personnel, higher education administration, planning, and other related fields.
Many transferable skills such as analytical, organizational, research, interpersonal, computer, leadership, teamwork, and oral/written communication are associated with the sociology degree. Internships, part-time jobs, summer jobs, and/or volunteer experiences are critical to reaching career goals. Research fields of interests and gain the right skills, experiences, and advanced degrees (if necessary).
Bachelor-level job titles
- Community Health Worker
- Human Resources Specialist
- Loss Prevention Specialist
- Probation Officer or Correctional Treatment Specialist
- Research Assistant
- Sales Representative
- Social and Human Services Assistant
- Social Science Research Assistant
- Technical Writer
- Training and Development Specialist
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Counselor or Therapist
- Higher Education Administrator
- Researcher
- Social Worker
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:
- Completion of the associate degree
- Minimum GPA of 2.5
- All courses completed with a "C" grade or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- STAT 210
Science required
- Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
- Yes
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2025-2026
Sociology, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Social Sciences)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Register for SDV 100.
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Reynolds advisor and review your Reynolds advising workbook.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the VCU Sociology department website.
- Investigate the online BS in Sociology degree option.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Find out if you are eligible for the NEXT STEP VCU program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Familiarize yourself with Handshake and explore Career Pathways on the VCU Career Services’ Website.
- Browse careers and occupations related to sociology.
- Explore iGrad to look into building a career and financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Take a career assessment to explore job options.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Reynolds advisor.
- Meet with your NEXT STEP advisor or submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Explore the accelerated B.S. in Sociology and M.S. programs.
- Explore options for a minor or second major at VCU.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Submit the NEXT Step Interest Form.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Sociology department.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
- Use Handshake to explore jobs and internships that match your interests and skills.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
2025-2026
Sociology, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Social Sciences)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||||
| SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| ITE 152 | Introduction to Digital Literacy | BUSN 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| World Language | Select one: ASL 101 Beginning American Sign Language I, or FRE 101 Beginning French I, or SPA 101 Beginning Spanish I Note: students are eligible for a waiver of VCU's language requirement if they successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school. | VCU equivalent | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| MTH | Select one: MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning or MTH 161 Precalculus I | MATH 131 or MATH 141 | 3 | General education |
| Science | Select one: BIO 101 General Biology I, or CHM 111 General Chemistry I, or GOL 105 Physical Geology | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| World Language | Select one: ASL 102 Beginning American Sign Language II, or FRE 102 Beginning French II, or SPA 102 Beginning Spanish II. | VCU equivalent | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| History | Select one: HIS 101 Western Civilizations Pre-1600 CE or HIS 121 United States History to 1877 | HIST 101 or HIST 103 | 3 | General education |
| Select one: ART 100 Art Appreciation, or HUM 202 Modern Humanities, or MUS 121 Music in Society, or PHI 220 Ethics. | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education | |
| Year 2 | ||||
| History | Select one: HIS 102 Western Civilizations Post-1600 CE or HIS 122 United States History since 1877 | HIST 102 or HIST 104 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 245 | Statistics I | STAT 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Science | Select one: BIO 102 General Biology II, or CHM 112 General Chemistry II, or GOL 106 Historical Geology | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
| Literature | Select one: ENG 246 American Literature or ENG 258 African American Literature | ENGL 205 or ENGL 291 | 3 | General education |
| SOC 200 | Principles of Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Literature | Select one: ENG 225 Reading Literature: Culture and Ideas, or ENG 245 British Literature, or ENG 246 American Literature, or ENG 250 Children’s Literature, or ENG 255 World Literature, or ENG 258 African American Literature, or ENG 275 Women’s Literature | ENGL | 3 | Elective |
| PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | General education |
| SOC 215 (or SOC 268) | Sociology of the Family (or Social Problems) | SOCY 304 (or SOCY 302) | 3 | Major |
| Select two: CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking, or CST 110 Introduction to Human Communication, or PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics, or GEO 210 People and the Land | VCU equivalent | 6 | General education | |
| Reynolds credits transferred to VCU | 62 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | |||
| SOCY 202 | Foundations of Theory | 3 | Major |
| SOCY 302 | Contemporary Social Problems (or SOCY elective if SOC 268 is taken at Reynolds) | 3 | Major |
| SOCY | SOCY major elective (300-level) | 3 | Major |
| Open electives (consider a minor or second major) Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 6 | Elective | |
| SOCY 320 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences (take in second semester at VCU) | 3 | Major |
| SOCY 322 | Sociology of Race and Ethnicity | 3 | Major |
| SOCY | SOCY major elective (300- to 400-level, except SOCY 402 or SOCY 406) | 3 | Major |
| Open electives (consider a minor or second major) Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 6 | Elective | |
| Year 4 | |||
| SOCY 402 | Contemporary Theory | 3 | Major |
| SOCY 406 | Sociology Senior Seminar | 4 | Major |
| SOCY | SOCY major elective (300- to 400-level, except SOCY 402 or SOCY 406) | 9 | Major |
| Open electives (consider a minor or second major) Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 12 | Elective | |
| Credits completed at VCU | 58 | ||
| Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree | 120 | ||