Sociology, Bachelor of Science
VCU
Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
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.
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).
- 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
- Counselor or Therapist
- Higher Education Administrator
- Researcher
- Social Worker
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.
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- STAT 210
- Natural Sciences requirement only
- Yes
- No
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
Sociology, Bachelor of Science
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Behavioral 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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MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend RBC Orientation.
- Use tutoring to get ahead.
- Schedule an appointment with your Learner Mentor to discuss your degree and class plan.
- Explore RBC financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Review VCU's Sociology Department website for course requirements and possible connections with faculty and peers.
- Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and 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.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Explore possible career opportunities for Sociology majors.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Explore the accelerated BS to MS in Sociology program and accelerated BS to MS in Gerontology.
- Use tutoring to get ahead.
- Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Be prepared for academic challenges by meeting with your Learner Mentor and understanding RBC Student Support available.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Sociology Department.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Apply to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Sociology department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
- Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Sociology, Bachelor of Science
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences)
Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
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ENGL 101 | Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Research II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
COMM 101 | Public Speaking | SPCH 121 | 3 | General education |
Fine Arts | Select 1: ART 201, 202, 231, MUS 103, MUS 123, THEA 201. | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
U.S. & World Cultures | Select 2: ECON 201, 202, GEO 101, GEO 103, GOVT 201, GOVT 202, GOVT 203, HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 191, 192, HIST 201, HIST 202, HIST 240, REL 209, REL 210, REL 219, REL 220, REL 254 (at least one must be history). | VCU equivalent | 6 | General education |
MATH | Select 1: MATH 110 Contemporary Mathematics or MATH 121 Pre-Calculus I | MATH 131 or MATH 141 | 3 | General education |
MATH 217 | Statistics | STAT 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
Lab Science | Select one of the following sequences: BIOL 101-102 (+ labs), CHEM 101-102 (+ labs), or BIOL 101 +CHEM 101 (+ labs). | VCU equivalent | 8 | General education |
PSY 201-202 | General Psychology I-II (both courses must be taken to receive credit for PSYC 101) | PSYC 101 + PSYC 1XX | 6 | General education |
PSY 250 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Elective |
PSY 217 | Research Methods | PSYC 2XX | 3 | Elective |
SOC 201 | General Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
SOC 253 | Marriage & Family | SOCS 303 | 3 | Major |
Complete requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 10 | Elective | |
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU | 60 |
Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
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Foreign language through the 102 level (by course or placement). (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) | 0 to 6 | General education | |
SOCY 202 | Foundations of Theory | 3 | Major |
SOCY 302 | Contemporary Social Problems | 3 | Major |
SOCY 320 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 3 | Major |
SOCY 322 | Sociology of Race and Ethnicity | 3 | Major |
SOCY 402 | Contemporary Theory | 3 | Major |
SOCY 406 | Sociology Senior Seminar | 3 | Major |
SOCY | Select five Sociology upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) | 15 | Major |
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 12 | Elective | |
Open electives | 15 | Elective | |
REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
Credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. and M.S. in Sociology in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours including a minimum of nine credit hours in sociology courses; an overall GPA of 3.0; and a GPA of 3.3 in sociology course work. The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Sociology and an M.S. in Gerontology in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for admittance to the program include completion of 84 undergraduate credit hours including SOCY 202 and a GPA of 3.0 in the major. |