About the Faculty

      ... of Sociology

Introduction to the Field of Sociology

Sociology is the study of social life and focuses on the interaction between human groups and institutions and their influences on each other. Sociology ranges from the study of relationships in family units in the most primitive cultures to the research of large bureaucratic institutions in major industrialized nations. Among the specialties within sociology are criminology, demography, cultural traditions, family relations, gerontology, social welfare, race relations, social status, and social change. Sociology majors find jobs in social service agencies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and correctional institutions. They also find jobs in business and industry in market research, public relations, customer service, management, advertising, human resources, and sales.

While many sociology graduates work in a related occupation and obtain an advanced degree, others choose another direction. Many careers do not require a specific major but rather a wide range of demonstrated skills and accomplishments. Regardless of your career choices, increase your marketability through internships, responsible work experience, good grades, and involvement in college activities.

Working in the Field

The degree offers students the opportunity of pursuing careers in a wide range of areas such as:

Advertising Manager Admissions Counselor Career Counselor Child Welfare Worker Comm. Serv. Agency Dir. Customer Service Gerontologist Guidance Counselor Hospital Administrator Human Resources Admin. Labor Relations Specialist Market Research Analyst Marriage Counselor

Mental Health Worker Director Nursing Home Personnel Manager Probation/Parole Officer Psychologist Public Relations Manager Rehabilitation Counselor Sales Representative Social Worker Administrator Sociologist Speech Pathologist Substance Abuse Counselor Youth Counselor

Types of Employers

An employer is a person or institution that hires employees or workers and may include everything from individuals hiring a single person to governments and businesses which hire many thousands of employees. In most western societies governments are the largest single employers, but most of the work force is employed in small and medium businesses in the private sector. The following types of employers are relevant to Sociology majors:

Private and Non-Profit Organizations Adoption and Child Care Agencies Advertising Agencies Correctional Institutions Diplomatic Services Educational Institutions Financial Service Companies/Banks Hospitals Labor Unions Management Consulting Firms Market Research Firms

Mental Health Institutions Newspapers, Magazines Personnel Agencies Publishing Companies Radio and TV Stations Real Estate Agencies Religious Organizations Resort Hotels Retail Stores Substance Abuse Clinics Social Service Agencies

The Faculty

The Faculty of Sociology presents specialized programmes and courses in its particular field. The Faculty is renowned for its quality tuition and students can expect to receive professional guidance by highly qualified professors and tutors, supported by excellent learning support material throughout your period of study. The programmes and courses presented are described below.

Career-Oriented Degrees

Our undergraduate degree, with its three programmes (Cert., Dip. and Bachelor) presenting more than 9xx sociology courses are designed to educate you for a career in Sociology. The B.Soc degree is suitable not only for students who wish to acquire a broad-based training for a career in the Sociology sector, but also for graduates who wish to complement their degrees with a more humanity-oriented qualification.

Learning Programmes

The Faculty presents the following six learning programmes:

• Certificate in Sociology (Cert Soc)
• Diploma in Sociology (Dip Soc)
• Bachelor of Sociology (B.Soc)
• Bachelor of Sociology (Honours) (B.Soc (Hons))
• Master of Sociology (M.Soc)
• Doctor of Sociology (D.Soc)

Compulsory Courses

Our 14 prescribed courses presented for the above programmes are:

• Study Skills
• Introduction to Sociology
• Marriage and Family
• Social Problems
• Aging in Society
• Children in Society
• Urban Society
• Poverty and Discrimination
• Conflict Management
• Peace & Conflict Psychology
• Criminology
• Social Order & Conflict
• Sex and Society
• Social Misunderstanding

Two courses from other faculties are recommended to be selected during the
first two programmes (Cert and Dip.):

• Psychology of Life
• Social Psychology

Choice of Courses

On the third and fourth year (B.Soc and B.Soc Hons) levels, students have a choice from 7 additional courses in order to complete the required number of credits for that particular level. Courses may also be chosen from other faculties. Students may choose from the following courses:

• Popular Culture
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Mental Illness
• Social Misunderstanding
• Criminal Behaviour
• Theories of Crime
• Crime and Punishment

Programme Syllabi

For details on the courses presented in our learning programmes, please refer to the programme syllabi.

Further Readings

You can read more on the following related subjects:

• Faculty creed
• Sociology programmes
• Programme summaries
• The tuition model
• The course professor
• The academic tutor

The sitemap and the index place these and other valuable information at your fingertips

Postgraduate Study

The Faculty offers more than undergraduate study. Once you have obtained a degree in our Faculty, you may register for an honours degree or a postgraduate diploma. After passing your honours degree, you may register for a Master's degree for which you have to submit a dissertation. On completion of the Master's degree, a Doctor's degree represents the highest step on your academic ladder (also called academic path).

The academic ladder is schematically presented as follows:

See Sociology Course Fees

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