We live in challenging times. Our world has seemingly shrunk, bringing us into regular contact with those who are different in terms of culture, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and more. Additionally, we often seem at the mercy of large, impersonal forces that we don't quite understand. Corporations downsize, nations go to war, religions clash, and the poor, both here and abroad, suffer starvation, humiliation, and displacement.

Sociology cannot solve all the problems of our time, but it can provide the tools and intellectual sophistication to make sense of the world we inhabit. The BA Sociology curriculum at URI is rich in the analysis of inequality, in the examination of the structural constrains of life, and in a humanistic appreciation for cultural diversity.

In addition, sociolgy at URI provides the substantive background and communications and technology skills necessary for success in a career and for thoughtful and engaged citizenship.

Program of Study

Students in the Bachelor of Arts curriculum are required to complete a minimum of 30 credits in sociology. These credits include several required courses:

• Sociology 100 General Sociology. This is a first course in the discipline and is designed to provide students with an introduction to sociological analysis and discourse.
• Sociology 301 Sociological Research Methods. This course is a sustained examination of sociological research techniques with an emphasis on critical reasoning and the evaluation of sociological research.
• Sociology 401 History of Sociological Thought. This course provides students with some sense of the relationship between sociological discourse and other intellectual developments in both non-Western and Western societies.
• Sociology 495--Senior Seminar. As a capstone course, the senior seminar focuses on a single topic to give students an in-depth appreciation of how sociologists examine the world and how sociological analysis can shed light on contemporary problems.

In addition to these required courses, students are required to select at at least two courses that focus on issues of inequality. These courses include:

• Sociology 240 Minority and Majority Relations
• Sociology 242 Sex and Gender
• Sociology 336 Social Inequality
• Sociology 413 Gender Inequality
• Sociology 428 Institutional Racism
• Sociology 452 Class and Power

The department offers a host of other courses including numerous courses in the following areas:

• Families and Intimate Relations
• Criminology and Corrections (including a BS program in Criminology and Criminal Justice)
• Institutional Analysis