Honors Program in the Sociology Major

The Sociology Department sponsors a Senior Honors Program for our top undergraduate sociology majors. During their final undergraduate year, sociology honors program students conduct an independent research project under the supervision of a Sociology Department faculty member and write a senior honors thesis.

Those who successfully complete the Honors Program will receive the following statement on their diplomas and transcripts: Graduated with Departmental Honors in the [Option] in Sociology.

Independent Study

Sociology majors can earn up to 1-3 units per semester up to a maximum of 6 units through Undergraduate Directed Study, SOC 4990, which allows students to expand on their special interests in an area that is more specialized than the department’s normal course offerings. Students meet regularly with their faculty supervisor. Individual research projects may involve library research, case studies, or field research.

Course Sequence

Sociology 2010, Introduction to Sociology, is the prerequisite for all 4000-level sociology coursework. It is also highly recommended that suggested sequences be observed, since later coursework will assume students have some of the skills taught in 2010, 2100, 3100, 3900, and 3910.

The following are strongly recommended or required.

SOC 2010   and SOC 2100  should be among the first courses taken at Cal State L.A. by entering first year students and those who are transferring in without having completed equivalent courses. SOC 3100  should be taken soon after its prerequisite, SOC 2100; SOC 2100 is prerequisite for SOC 3900  . Recommendations include taking SOC 3900 and SOC 3910  before 4000-level coursework.

Requirements for the Major (45 units)

Major requirements combine a common set of 24 units of required coursework with 21 additional units of work relevant to one of the four options: General Sociology, Inequalities and Diversity, Law and Society, and Social Gerontology.

Choose one of these Four Options

General Sociology Option

Inequalities and Diversity Option 

Law and Society Option  

Social Gerontology Option 

General Sociology Option (21 units)

Sociology explores a broad range of critical social and scientific issues concerning multiple facets of society. It prepares students for a wide variety of careers and professional programs and informs them about how social forces influence individuals, groups, and institutions. It provides the basis for those who wish to do applied research and those who wish to gain an overall understanding of society before seeking careers related to social agency, public policy, public administration, urban planning, counseling, and other service occupations. The General Sociology Option is designed for students who wish to pursue these ideas broadly without focusing on one particular area.

Inequalities and Diversity Option (21- Units)

The Inequalities and Diversity Option builds on the strength of Cal State LA as a diverse, urban institution uniquely positioned to enable students to explore the many aspects of social inequality and diversity confronting our society. The sociological approach constitutes the core of the option. The option-specific courses provide students with concentrated study on topics relevant to various types of social inequalities, thus preparing students for careers in an increasingly diverse, multicultural, and global society.

Law and Society Option (21 units)

The Law and Society Option explores a broad range of critical social and scientific issues concerning multiple facets of the law, including crime, deviance, human rights, and legal institutions from a sociological perspective. It prepares students for a wide variety of careers and professional programs and informs them about how social forces influence the legal system and how the law affects society, definitions of deviance and crime, and explanations for why individuals engage in these activities. It is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced study in areas such as sociology, law, graduate law and society programs, public health, criminology, social welfare, education, and business administration; those who wish to do applied research on law-related issues; and those who wish to gain a sociological understanding of law and society before seeking careers in health professions, criminal justice, social work, politics, public policy or policy analysis, public administration, urban and environmental planning, counseling, and other service occupations.

Social Gerontology Option (21 units)

The Social Gerontology Option will provide students with the theoretical and research background in the sociology of aging that they will need to develop social programs for the elderly and to evaluate the effectiveness of those programs. This option is particularly timely because aging baby boomers created the largest cohort of senior citizens in U.S. history; yet, they will be outnumbered as later cohorts age. Population aging will soon be worldwide and will lead to many new career opportunities for students in a variety of fields. Social Gerontology is inherently multidisciplinary; therefore, this option not only examines the social aspects of aging but also the biological, socio-cultural, developmental, and policy aspects. Students will gain an understanding of how aging influences all spheres of self and society.