What is Sociology?

Sociology is the study of human behavior, specifically how humans interact with one another in the realm of society. Due to all the different facets that can affect one’s behavior, such as society, religion, education, ethics or morals, each individual may act differently despite being in identical situations. A sociologist studies these behaviors and the influences that cause them and tries to determine if there is a correlation between the influences and the behavior. Sociologist are not exclusive to any one career field, instead sociologist study human behaviors in nearly all fields. This includes learning how business works and how human relations can help propel a business or learning how poverty, race and education can impact society, both positively and negatively. Sociology has numerous sub-fields, which include African studies, Native American studies and Woman or gender studies. A sociology degree is very practical because of the numerous jobs that one can obtain by having this degree.

In the past decade or so, many universities and colleges have recognized the need for an online degree program. Many schools now offer online degrees in a range of disciplines, including online sociology degrees. By taking courses online, one can attend a school no matter where they are located in the world as long as they have internet access. Additionally, online courses allow for the student to attend school on their schedule, meaning they can maintain a part-time or full-time job while working towards their online sociology degree.

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What coursework is needed to acquire a Sociology Degree?

The course content for a sociology degree is intriguing, challenging and will help an individual obtain a skill set that can aid them in their career. A student will need to determine if they want to pursue a concentration for their sociology degree. In addition to general sociology, many schools offer sociology concentrations in international studies, social inequalities, economy and society, science and medicine, American studies and etcetera.

To obtain a sociology degree, the student will need to complete coursework that is similar to the following:

• Introductory sociology classes, which will teach the student how to organize ideas and how to approach the sociology field empirically and analytically.
• Social research design or research methods classes, which will teach the student how to propose a question related to society, and learn how to design and gather research around this question. Finally, the student will learn how to evaluate the results.
• Sociology theory classes may be a large portion of classes that a sociology major will take. These courses will teach the student established and respected theories behind sociology. Knowing these theories will aid in the student’s understanding of human behavior.
• Social seminars are classes where students participate together to discuss social issues. Some schools may offer this in a debate-style or it may be a simple classroom discussion. For online courses, this is typically done via an online message board or forum.
• Statistics is necessary for sociology due to the research and empirical background of this field. Many schools offer a statistics for social sciences course that will help focus this information towards the type of research a sociologist may conduct.
• In addition to these courses, a degree of sociology requires a large amount of researching and writing by the student, which will be constant themes in the student’s education.
  

What schools offer accredited online sociology degrees?

There are many different levels of education that one can achieve when it comes to sociology degrees. These degrees range from a bachelor’s degrees through advance degrees such as a doctorate. There are numerous schools that offer online sociology degrees, some are exclusively online schools and others are universities who have physical campuses but also have broaden their school to include an online program. Schools that offer sociology degrees, and their contact information, are listed below:

Ashford University

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology, Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Health Care Studies, Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Social Services, Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Organizational Management, and Bachelor’s of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science

For more information about on-time completion rates, the median loan debt of students who completed each program, and other important information, please visit: http://ashforddisclosures.com/ Ashford University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org). Certain program restrictions may apply to residents of Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and non-US residents.

Brandman University

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology

Contact Information:
16355 Laguna Canyon Road
Irvine, CA 92618
(800) 249-9046

Southern New Hampshire University

Caldwell College

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology

Contact Information:
120 Bloomfield Avenue
Caldwell, NJ 07006-619
(888) 864-9516
http://www.caldwell.edu

California State University, Chico

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology

Contact Information:
400 West 1st Avenue
Chico, CA 95929-0001
(530) 898-5326
http:// www.csuchico.edu

Arizona State University

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology

Contact Information:
1475 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85287
(480) 884-1525
http://asuonline.asu.edu/

Grand Canyon University

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology

Contact Information:
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85017
(877) 860-3951

University of Maryland/UMUC

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Science in Social Studies

Contact Information:
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, MD 20783
(800) 888-8682
http://www.umuc.edu

Fort Hays State University

Online sociology degrees available: Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology

Contact Information:
600 Park Street
Hays, Kansas 67601–4099
(800) 628-FHSU
http://gold.fhsu.edu/

Union Institute & University

Online sociology degrees available: Master of Arts in Historical, Social and Cultural Studies

Contact Information:
440 East McMillan
Cincinnati, Ohio 45206
(800) 486.3116

What jobs opportunities are available with a sociology degree and what income can one expect with this degree?

The career path for an individual with a sociology degree is nearly endless. These individuals often find employment in the following fields:

• Business
• Administration
• Counseling
• Education
• Journalism
• Politics
• Public Relations
• Research

With an advance degree, sociologists often find careers as policy analysts, consultants, or being a human resource manager in the corporate, nonprofit or government worlds. Individuals also can work as urban planners, community developers or demographers.

According to the United States Government, the employment growth for sociologists is expected to be much faster than average, making this an excellent field to obtain a degree in. By the year 2018, the field of sociology is expected to grow by 21%. The largest percentages of sociologists find work in education. Teaching at colleges, universities and primary or secondary schools makes 37% of all jobs that are held by sociologists.

The median income for a sociologist is $68,570 (2008). The lowest 10% of all sociologists earn $40,720 and the highest income is around $122,000 a year. Sociologist that worked in the fields of scientific research earned slightly more, with the median income being $72,170.