Bachelor of Science [B.S] [Sociology] From Montana State University

A Bachelor's degree in Sociology prepares students for employment in a number of arenas, including governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, agricultural organizations, and academic institutions. The fields of law enforcement, probation and corrections, labor relations, business management, personnel administration, market analysis, and various types of industrial research employ students who major in sociology. Many graduates enter social services. Sociology also provides excellent preparation for graduate school and other educational and career opportunities.
The Department offers a Bachelor of Science degree with two options: (a) General Sociology, or (b) Criminology. Both options require 39 credits in Sociology courses.
General Sociology OptionThis option is for the student who desires a broad and general foundation in Sociology with the ability to fully customize their major and substantive focus. For this option, the student is required to take SOCI 101IS, SOCI 318R, SOCI 455, and SOCI 499. The remaining 24 credits in Sociology will be comprised of eight courses of the student's choosing, of which seven must be at the 300-level or above. Students that choose the General Sociology Option often take a set of courses that lead to a specific area of emphasis, such as Social Inequality, Family Relations and Children, Business and Management, Marketing and Public Relations, Social Services, Health and Medicine, and Pre-Law.
Criminology OptionThis option is for the student who desires a strong foundation in Sociology with a specific focus on laws, the legal system, the social structure of criminal behavior, and society's efforts to understand and control crime. This option allows students to pursue a sociology degree that integrates core coursework in sociology with sociology courses that focus on law, crime, and the criminal justice system. To achieve this integration, the student is required to take SOCI 101IS, SOCI 202, SOCI 318R, SOCI 311, and SOCI 499. The remaining 24 credits in Sociology will be comprised of 15 credits in Criminology and Context courses and 9 credits in Criminology and Sociology elective courses.
We strongly recommend that prior to enrolling in any upper division courses in Sociology, students complete their core in Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Diversity, and Inquiry-Social Sciences with a grade of "C-" or better. We also recommend students take SOCI 202 in their sophomore year and SOCI 318R in their junior year.