P. D. Almeida, J. P. Alston, E. Bonilla-Silva,
J. S. Burk, F. Chen, S. R. Cohn, J. H. Copp, B. M. Crouch, B.
A. Finlay, M. A. Fossett*, J. C. Gaston, S. N. Gatson, K.Henderson,
J. O. Jewell, H. B. Kaplan, J. E. Manley, E. Maret, L. S. Matthews,
M. L. May, W. A. McIntosh, S. G. Mestrovic, S. H. Murdock, E.
Murguia, D. L. Poston, Jr., H. N. Prechel, R. Saenz (Head), A.
Schaffer, R. Schaffer, D. Sciulli, J. A. Sell, J.K.Thomas
* Graduate Advisor
The Department of Sociology offers
graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science
and Doctor of Philosophy. The Master of Science curriculum
prepares students for further graduate study, for teaching
at the secondary or junior college level, or work as research
associates in the private and public sectors. The Doctor of
Philosophy degree prepares students for careers of teaching
and research in higher education and for careers of research
in the private and public sector.
Most students enter the program
after earning their bachelor's degree, intending to earn both
their MS and PhD. The graduate program is designed to facilitate
rapid completion of both degrees within five to six years of
full-time study. Students seeking a master's degree may select
either a thesis or a (terminal) non-thesis program. The thesis
option requires a minimum of 26 hours of course work, plus
a maximum of 8 research hours for the thesis. Non-thesis students
must complete at least 38 hours of course work to include 6
hours of electives outside the department, in a supporting
field, as approved by the student's advisory committee. Students
pursuing the PhD degree must take 64 hours of course work beyond
the master's degree, successfully pass a written and oral preliminary
examination focusing on their competence in one major area
concentration and one minor area concentration within the discipline,
and write a dissertation that extends the boundaries of the
discipline.
Research and teaching in the department
cover all major areas in sociology. The curriculum is constructed
especially to support specialized training in the areas of
culture; complex organizations; demography and human ecology;
law, deviance and social control; race and ethnic relations;
rural sociology; social organization; and social psychology.
The department helps students participate actively in these
areas of scholarship by providing excellent research facilities
and access to data, opportunities to collaborate in faculty
research projects, and aid in seeking grants and fellowships
to support their own work.
(SOCI)
601. Urban Sociology. (3-0).
Credit 3.
Patterns of organization and
the dynamics of change in the contemporary city; internal
and external structure of the city; processes of growth and
decline. Prerequisite: SOCI 321 or approval of instructor.
602. Rural Sociology. (3-0).
Credit 3.
Application of sociological
concepts to the rural environment; social change and its
effect on rural social structures. Prerequisite: Approval
of instructor.
603. The Contemporary Family.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Review and criticism of theories
developed for study of the family; family formation, dynamics,
conflicts, power, dissolution; subcultural family forms and
responses to social change.
607. Seminar in Social Organizations.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Relevant conceptual and empirical
approaches to the study of selected aspects of social organization.
May be taken up to two times for credit as content varies.
Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
608. Social Organization.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Theoretical and conceptual bases
of patterned human behavior; structural, processual and functional
aspects of human groups from simplest informal to the most
complex formal types: small groups, associations, institutions,
complex organizations, bureaucracies, societies.
609. Social Change. (3-0).
Credit 3.
Concepts,
theories and methodological approaches to studying social
change; evolutionary, conflict, equilibrium and modernization
approaches. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
611. Classical Sociological
Theory. (3-0). Credit 3.
Critical analysis of the writings
of the principal founders of modern sociology; Marx, Durkheim
and Weber and their influence on current theoretical issues.
Prerequisite: SOCI 430 or equivalent or approval of instructor.
615. Contemporary Sociological
Theory. (3-0). Credit 3.
Critical analysis of current
sociological perspectives, their logic of inquiry, substantive
claims and application to empirical research. Prerequisite:
SOCI 611.
616. Political Sociology.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Survey of the principal social
and organizational bases of politics; the institutionalization
of political power; explanation of political change and movements
of social protest. Prerequisite: Graduate classification
or approval of instructor.
617. Comparative Ethnic
Relations. (3-0). Credit 3.
Cross-cultural variations in
ethnic relations and structures of inequality; assessment
of systems and power-conflict theoretical frameworks in diverse
settings such as South America, Mexico, South Africa, Caribbean
Regions and United States. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
618. Sociology of Education.
(3-0). Credit 3.
The school system and the democratic
way of life; relationship of education to social organization,
social change and social control. Role of education in society.
Prerequisite: SOCI 205.
620. Human Ecology. (3-0).
Credit 3.
Interrelationships between humans
and their social and natural environments; human aggregations
and their forms of settlement and organization. Prerequisites:
SOCI 205 and 206; 6 additional hours of social science.
621. Social Psychology.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Personality, social and cultural
systems; development and interrelationships; cognitive activities,
motivational determinants and selectivity; goals, structures,
coordination and related factors influencing complex social
groupings. Prerequisites: SOCI 205; 12 additional hours of
social science.
622. Social Demography.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Survey of methods, theories
and problems of contemporary demographic phenomena. Prerequisite:
Approval of department head.
623. Measurement of Sociological
Parameters. (3-0). Credit 3.
Sociological research including
scaling, scale analysis and experimental design. Prerequisites:
Graduate classification; three hours of statistics.
624. Qualitative Methodology.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Course provides exposure to
and critical assessment of qualitative approaches to data
gathering in social science; topics include naturalistic
observation, field research skills, unobtrusive measures
and grounded theory construction.
627. Seminar in Law, Deviance
and Social Control. (3-0). Credit 3.
Relevant literature and research
in selected aspects of law, deviance and social control.
May be taken up to three times for credit as content varies.
Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
628. Deviant Behavior. (3-0).
Credit 3.
Contemporary sociological approaches
to deviance; theoretical and empirical studies of major types
of deviant behavior.
629. Sociology of Law. (3-0).
Credit 3.
Critical survey of the social
sources of law, the role of law in social organizations and
problems of law enforcement. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
631. Seminar in Sociological
Research. (3-0). Credit 3.
Critical analysis of research
procedures used by sociologists. Prerequisite: SOCI 623.
633. Demographic Methods.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Procedures and techniques for
the collection, evaluation and analysis of demographic data;
measures of population growth, composition, fertility, mortality
and migration. Prerequisite: SOCI 622.
635. Sociology of Complex
Organizations. (3-0). Credit 3.
Comparative structures; contingency
models; micro- and macro-theoretical perspectives.
647. Seminar in Demography
and Human Ecology. (3-0). Credit 3.
Relevant literature and research
problems of a selected aspect of demography and human ecology,
such as fertility and mortality, migration, international
demography. May be taken up to three times for credit as
content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
651. Sociology of Culture.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Theoretical developments and
methodological issues relevant to studying culture through
classical, modern and postmodern sociological perspectives;
includes background concerning the conditions under which
theories develop and discussion of controversies in the definition
of and research agendas within the sociology of culture.
Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
657. Seminar in Culture.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Relevant literature and research
in selected aspects of culture and cultural processes. May
be taken up to three times for credit as content varies.
Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
660. Theories of Race and
Ethnic Group Relations. (3-0). Credit 3.
Sociological theories of intergroup
assimilation, conflict and adaptation; includes examination
and analysis of three major contemporary perspectives; assimilation
and social fusion theory, conflict models and models of ethnic
pluralism; theories of melioration of social discrimination
also examined. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
667. Seminar in Race and
Ethnic Relations. (3-0). Credit 3.
Origins, extent, consequences
of racial and ethnic differences on key demographic variables
such as fertility, mortality, migration and population size,
growth, distribution and composition; how demographic variables
affect and are affected by racial and ethnic differences
in family structure, social mobility and socioeconomic stratification.
May be taken up to three times for credit as content varies.
Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
681. Professional Seminar
in Sociology. (1-0). Credit 1.
Provides socialization to the
profession of sociology; focuses on the role of the graduate
student in sociology departments and other areas of professionalization;
systematically introduces students to faculty members and
their work; and provides instruction on how to write and
publish research. Repeatable to 2 hours total.
685. Directed Studies. Credit
1 to 4 each semester.
Directed individual study of
selected problem in field of sociology. Prerequisite: Approval
of instructor.
687. Seminar in Rural Sociology.
(3-0). Credit 3.
Develop sociological understanding
of agriculture and natural resources; includes people involved
in production, rural communities and agribusiness; focus
on causes of social change and social organizations in agriculture
and consequences. May be taken up to three times for credit
as content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
689. Special Topics in...
Credit 1 to 4.
Selected topics in an identified
area of sociology. May be repeated for credit.
691. Research. Credit 1
or more each semester.
Initiation and completion of
research project of approved scope for an advanced degree.
Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
