This handbook has been prepared to guide the student who is interested in a major or minor in Sociology.  A goal of the Sociology faculty is to assist majors and minors to be aware of the diverse ways in which sociological perspectives can be used to develop and enhance academic preparation for professional employment.  Our students complete the major with a better understanding of both their own experiences as well as the complex social forces that influence change in an increasingly interconnected world. The Sociology major provides a perspective that strongly encourages intellectual and personal growth within a College of Liberal Arts framework.  Your career choice is important to you and to us and research evidence shows that a sound foundation in sociological knowledge gives students many marketable skills which are useful in business and industry, governmental services, family-related services, the helping professions, not-for-profit organizations, graduate school and many other areas.

Through carefully planned courses, Sociology majors develop a sense of the intellectual tradition in Sociology, gain knowledge of the main body of sociological theory, acquire marketable proficiency in social research methods, gain knowledge of practical real-world skills, and obtain an understanding of how different sociological perspectives and concepts can be used to describe and analyze social phenomena. This knowledge is important for professional employment in an increasingly competitive U.S. and international job market.

Course work is supplemented and complemented by advising and interaction between Sociology faculty and students in a professional environment.  This interaction encourages and supports individual growth and independent intellectual development.  Sociology faculty encourage intellectual and career development opportunities through conscientious advising and by providing opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills.  A particularly important opportunity is the required internship experience, which will be relevant to the student's choice of Family Studies, Gerontology, Human Services, or General Studies.

Advising students is an extremely important faculty function.  All Sociology faculty are dedicated to advising students.  A Sociology major will ordinarily be assigned to an advisor by the Department; students may, of course, select his or her advisor from among the B.A. faculty.  Students are required to meet at least once during the semester with their advisor to discuss their academic progress, career development goals, and to plan for subsequent semesters.  We are concerned with the intellectual and professional growth of our majors and conscientious advising is clearly an excellent method of assisting students in this development.

Program requirements may be subject to change in order to enhance the quality of the major.  As you proceed through this handbook, please remember that if you have any questions about information contained in the various sections, call or make an appointment with the coordinator of the B.A. Sociology Program or your advisor.  The Department office number is (507) 457-5420, and the office is in Minné Hall, 228.

Goals and Objectives

1.  The student will demonstrate knowledge and skills (analytic and critical thinking) in the foundation areas of Sociology:

Objective 1.  Define and appropriately use, orally and/or in writing, the following concepts: culture, social structure, social change, socialization, stratification, and institutions.

Objective 2.  Use the sociological perspective to design and implement a sociological research project (library, empirical quantitative or empirical qualitative study).

Objective 3.

2.     The student will demonstrate the ability to apply the sociological perspective (e.g., social behavior, social organization, and social change; macro/micro distinction; scientific perspective) to asking, understanding, and explaining sociological questions.

Objective 1.  Apply the sociological perspective to one's own life.

Objective 2.  Use the sociological perspective to design and implement a sociological research project (library, empirical quantitative or empirical qualitative study).

3.     The student will demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of U.S. society (e.g., race, class, gender, age), its place within the international context, and how to generalize appropriately in cases of evident diversity.

Objective 1.  Demonstrate an oral and/or written understanding of U.S. cultural diversity (e.g., race, class, gender, age).

Objective 2.  Demonstrate oral and/or written understanding of U.S. cultural diversity within the international context.

4.     The student will be able to exhibit values that acknowledge the importance of reducing the negative effects of social inequality (e.g., race, class, gender, age). 

Objective 1.  Demonstrate an oral and/or written understanding of social inequality and equality in U.S. society based on characteristics such as race, class, gender and age.

5.     The student will demonstrate career or graduate school preparation and readiness, including professional job-related skills. 

Objective 1.  Complete a required internship with an organization or agency related to one’s career objectives; that is, Family Studies, Gerontology, Human Services, or General Studies.