Sociology

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OFFICE: Nasatir Hall 224
TELEPHONE: 619-594-4826 / FAX: 619-594-1325
E-MAIL: sociology@sdsu.edu
WEBSITE: http://sociology.sdsu.edu

Undergraduate Information

Faculty

Emeritus: Bloomberg, Buck, Chandler, Cottrell, El-Assal, Emerick, Gay, Gillette, Hohm, Hough, Ima, Kolody, Preston, Sandlin, Scheck, Schulze, Stephenson, Winslow, Zhang
Chair: Kim
Professors: Esbenshade, Johnston, Liu, Ojeda, Roberts
Associate Professors: Choi, Gibbons, Kim, Marcelli, McCall, Robb Larkins
Assistant Professors: Beck, Brown

The Major

Sociology is the study of human social behavior. Among other things, it includes the study of intimate personal relationships to large-scale social institutions which constitute societies and world systems; the shared cultural beliefs which hold societies together and make life meaningful; the cleavages of class, ethnicity, gender, and race, and the inequalities and conflicts associated with them; and the causes and consequences of crime and other forms of social deviance.

While the sociology department offers a wide variety of courses, the focus of its curriculum is community issues. Communities consist of networks of personal relationships that underlie the large scale organizational and institutional structures that constitute societies. These social ties constitute the power resources - or “social capital” - through which things get done. They provide a kind of interpersonal glue that creates social cohesion and enables people within organizations and institutions to form coalitions, initiate processes for social change, and consolidate power resources in seeking to change social structure.

A bachelor’s degree in sociology provides an excellent liberal arts foundation for embarking on a wide range of career paths. A major in sociology provides the graduate with the skills necessary to work effectively with groups of people. Some possible areas of employment are public and private agencies, college settings, publishing, businesses, research facilities, human resources, human services, corrections, local/state/federal governments, health facilities. The degree also prepares students to enter graduate programs in sociology, law, public health, and teaching, to name a few.

Impacted Program

The sociology major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the sociology major, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete with a grade of C (2.0) or better: SOC 101 , SOC 102 , and SOC 201 . (9 units) NOTE: STAT 119  or STAT 250 , or BIOL 215 , will be accepted in lieu of SOC 201 . These courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/NC);
2. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Advising

All College of Arts and Letters majors are urged to consult with their department adviser as soon as possible; they are required to meet with their department adviser within the first two semesters after declaration or change of major.

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)

Visit http://www.sdsu.edu/mymap for the recommended courses needed to fulfill your major requirements. The MAPs website was created to help students navigate the course requirements for their majors and to identify which General Education course will also fulfill a major preparation course requirement.

Graduate Information

Faculty

Minjeong Kim, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology, Chair of Department
Jill Esbenshade, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Henry E. Johnston, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Ruth Xiaoru Liu, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Norma Ojeda, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Michael J. Roberts, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Jung Min Choi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology
Joseph R. Gibbons, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology
Enrico A. Marcelli, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology (Graduate Adviser)
Michael A. McCall, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology
Erika M. Robb Larkins, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology
Audrey N. Beck, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology
Timothy C. Brown, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology

Associateships and Assistantships

Graduate teaching associateships and graduate assistantships in sociology are available to a limited number of qualified sociology students. Application forms and further information are sent out to enrolled graduate students each semester for consideration.

General Information

The Department of Sociology offers graduate work leading to the Master of Arts degree in Sociology. Research facilities provided by the Department of Sociology include a well-equipped Social Science Research Laboratory for use by the faculty and graduate students. Faculty in the Department of Sociology are involved in a wide range of research activities. Regular opportunities exist for participation in these projects by graduate students within the department. The program also prepares students for teaching careers.

Admission to Graduate Study

Students will be admitted for the fall semester only. Application packages must be received and complete by the deadline. Deadlines are available on the university Graduate Division website. All students must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the university with classified graduate standing, as described in Admission and Registration . The graduate advisory committee may consider conditionally classified standing for students whose preparation is deemed insufficient. They will be required to complete specified courses in addition to the minimum of 31 units required for the degree.

Meeting all the indicated criteria does not guarantee admission to the program, since admission is also dependent on the facilities and resources available in the department.

There are two parts to the application process. Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the application fee, and then go to the department website at http://sociology.sdsu.edu/graduate/application.html and follow the steps. All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions and to the Department of Sociology.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Enrollment Services
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

1. One official transcript (in sealed envelopes) from each postsecondary institutions attended;
   • Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
   • Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
2. GRE scores (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682);
3. English language score, if medium of instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).

Department of Sociology

The following admissions materials must be submitted electronically:

1. Three letters of recommendation (at least two must be from persons who can speak to academic ability);
2. Personal statement;
3. Writing sample (preferably an academic paper). If this is not available, send an extended, three to five page personal statement;
4. Copy of transcript (these do not need to be sent directly from the colleges; photocopies are acceptable).

For information regarding the admissions process, visit the department website at http://sociology.sdsu.edu/graduate/application.html.

Advancement to Candidacy

All students must satisfy the general requirements for advancement to candidacy as described in Requirements for Master’s Degrees . Students must have taken the first three courses of the core course series (SOC 600 , SOC 601 , SOC 607 ). Students must have a 3.0 in their program courses and no less than a B- grade in each core course.

Imperial Valley

Faculty

Emeritus: Hill
Professor: Pearson

Programs

• Sociology Minor
• Sociology, B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sociology, M.A.

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