An Online Sociology Bachelor's Degree Completion Program
The online Sociology Bachelor of Arts program is a flexible liberal arts degree. In this bachelor's completion program, you will develop transferable job skills that are valuable for a wide range of professions in virtually any industry. You'll also engage in personally interesting curriculum that will enrich your ability to succeed in any job or organization.
You'll Develop Applicable Skills in...
- Effective communication, critical analysis, writing and research
- Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data
- Application of social context and cultural issues to problem solving at the group, organizational and societal level
The Benefit of a Bachelor's Degree
Why finish your degree? Besides the knowledge and skills you'll gain, you will also open the door to better employment opportunities and earnings. Based on final 2017 earnings data, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that – compared to those who have only completed some college credit – those with a bachelor's degree...
- Earned 51% more money each week ($1,173 compared to $774).
- Had a lower unemployment rate (2.5% compared to 4%).
Visit the full Bureau of Labor Statistics article to view the full interactive charts for earnings and unemployment data by education level.
Career Options
Graduates will be prepared for a variety of positions in market analysis, research, policy development, human resources, politics, journalism, law, education, social work, non-profit organizations, counseling and health care administration.
For those who will pursue careers directly within Sociology, the median effective hourly earning for Sociologists in 2017 was $38.29 (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via Emsi Inc.).
A Liberal Arts Program Designed for Adult Learners
This online bachelor's degree completion program is designed for busy adults of any age who need to fit their college completion into busy lives, no matter where they live.
- Open Entry: You can begin the program any term (Fall, Spring or Summer) and even start in the middle of a term because of our 6 and 8-week course options.
- Fast Progress That Won't Overwhelm You: The program is designed to allow for 12 credits to be taken each term while only taking 2 courses at one time (you can take more credits each term if your situation allows).
- Quality Brought to You Online: This Sociology Bachelor of Arts degree is the same as our on-campus program.
- Transferable Skills: A broad liberal arts degree is highly valued by employers because it prepares you with communication and research skills that can be applied to any industry, providing you with more career options.
The Sociology online program coursework is designed to take two years for those who have no other relevant Sociology coursework beyond the introductory course. With our innovative course scheduling, you can earn 12 credits per term while only taking two courses at a time (take more or less credits if you choose).
Flexible Enrollment Each Term
Fall and Spring Semesters
- You will have up to five 16-week courses available to choose from each term...
- Plus three sequential 6-week courses offered (beginning one week before, and ending one week after, the traditional semester).
Here is an example fall and spring schedule if you take one semester-length course
and all three 6-week courses. You can take 12 credits each term and only be responsible
for two courses at a time.
Summer Sessions
Multiple courses are offered in the summer term in the two 6-weeks sessions. If you take two 3-credit hour courses each session you will earn 12 credits in the summer term.
Online Course Tutorial
If you do not have recent experience taking classes online, you will have the chance to complete our online course tutorial. This tutorial will help you learn our Canvas course platform, and prepare you to succeed in your online courses!
Required Major Coursework (46 Credit Hours)
- To see the upcoming courses, visit this program's Current Students page.
- See an example 2-year degree plan worksheet.
Take All of the Following (25+ Credit Hours)
- SOC 100 Principles of Sociology (3)
- SOC 231 Introduction to Sociological Practice (3)
- SOC 351 Classical Social Theory (3)
- SOC 352 Contemporary Social Theory (3)
- SOC 361 Methods of Sociological Research I (3)
- SOC 362 Methods of Sociological Research II (3)
- SOC 364 Methods of Sociological Research II Lab (1)
- SOC 400 Senior Seminar (3-9)
- Additional SOC LAC course (see Liberal Arts Curriculum section below)
Required Concentration (12+ hours)
Concentrations available:
- Social Psychology, Family, & the Life Course
- Inequality & Institutions
- Deviance & Social Control
View the Sociology Online Bachelor Completion Program Curriculum Guide for available courses for each concentration option.
Elective Major Coursework
The remainder of the 46 credits may be made up of elective Sociology options within the same concentration area, other concentrations, etc.
Sociology Coursework Minimums
- At least 50% of the courses taken to complete the major must be upper division (300-400 level).
- A 2.0 GPA within the Sociology major is required.
Additional Credits Required for UNC Graduation
- 120 total credit hours are required for graduation from this UNC program. For full details, see the official program listing in the UNC Undergraduate Catalog.
- Many of these credits, including those for your major, may come from the courses you transfer as you apply. See the Eligibility & Transfer Credit tab for details about transferring your previous college credit.
Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Coursework
UNC's Liberal Arts Curriculum provides students with a grounding in the liberal arts that is infused with critical and creative inquiry, and which also satisfies the six general education areas required for undergraduate degree programs at all public higher education institutions in the state of Colorado.
Many of these courses will potentially be fulfilled from your transferred credit.
View the current LAC requirements and policies. Course requirements by category (with links to list of eligible courses) are available at the bottom of the page.
*** Please note required specific LAC stipulations for this program:
- SCI 291 (eligible for LAW 2 hours) is recommended but not required.
- LAB 3 hours must include SOC 100.
- Additional SOC LAC: the Sociology major requires that you take one additional LAC-qualifying course with a SOC prefix.
Waiver of Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements
Individuals with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or a Bachelor’s degree (regardless of date of completion) from a regionally accredited institution will have their Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements waived. See the Undergraduate Catalog for more information about LAC waiver and transfer evaluation policies.
Note: the Sociology department requires SOC 100 even if LAC requirements are waived by UNC.
Elective Credits
The remainder of your 120 total credit hours will be comprised of elective credits you take at UNC or elsewhere. You may be interested in adding in electives (or a minor) from our online Communication Studies or Psychology degree completion programs. A wide range of other courses are available as well.
Taking LAC or Elective Courses Online
If you are missing any of this coursework:
- The UNC Course Search – use the "Go to schedule of classes" button (many LAC course offerings are during Summer sessions; UNC does not currently have online LAC courses in the following subjects: Math, and Science with lab).
- The Colorado Department of Higher Education lists public Colorado universities that offer distance learning courses.
- You can also search for online courses at Colorado Community Colleges Online.
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Additional Resources
- The Sociology Department web pages contain additional information about careers in Sociology and the Sociology faculty and staff.
- You can also visit the UNC Sociology department on Facebook.