Psychology/Sociology Dual Major, B.A.

Degree Planning Sheet

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Degree Planning Sheet with Full-Time Sample Course Plan  

This sample plan represents a full-time pace. Part-time options are available; please connect with the recruitment team to learn more.

 

The Psychology/Sociology dual major combines two strong social science disciplines.  The psychology courses provide students with a grasp of the guiding psychological principles of human behavior. Coursework is designed to adhere to recommendations by the American Psychological Association which emphasizes a broad foundation including courses in experimental methodology, critical thinking, human development, and the biological, social, and clinical aspects of behavior. The Sociology curriculum provides students with an understanding of the guiding sociological principles that influence human relationships in a complex society.

Together, the Psychology/Sociology program emphasizes applied career-related experiences as well as a foundation in the broad theoretical issues of psychology and sociology. Coursework and an optional internship experience also are designed to foster enhanced social awareness, an appreciation of individual differences, and a strong sense of civic, community, and social responsibility.

 

Program Mission

As this is a dual major, the mission and goals are intentionally a combination of those from the two individual programs.

Psychology

The Mission of the Psychology program is to provide students with a foundation to understand human behavior through the lens of psychology, to prepare students for success in post-baccalaureate career paths. 

Consistent with this mission, the Psychology program is committed to providing students

1. an active learning environment to develop the needed knowledge base in psychology. 
2. hands-on research opportunities that emphasize the science of psychology.
3. opportunities to develop an understanding of diversity, broadly defined as it impacts the field of psychology.
4. the basis for understanding why we must take an ethical approach to studying and using psychology.   
5. opportunities to develop communication skills applied to the field of psychology.
6. professional development opportunities related to psychology.
7. opportunities to develop the critical thinking skills required to thrive in our world today.

Sociology

The Mission of the Sociology program at Maryville University is to cultivate students’ sociological imagination, providing theoretical, methodological, and analytical skills to examine social structures, inequality, and interaction. Through critical thinking and empirical inquiry, graduates are prepared for diverse careers and advanced study.

Consistent with this mission, the Sociology program is committed to the following goals:  (Based on The Sociology Major in the Changing Landscape of Higher Education: Curriculum, Careers, and Online Learning; https://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/asa-booklet-2017.pdf)

1. Sociology students will delineate the major theoretical frameworks and distinctive concepts and assumptions upon which the discipline is grounded and apply them to understanding social life.
2. Students of sociology will describe social structure and how structural forces affect human action and social life at the micro, meso, and macro levels of society.
3. Students of sociology will explain the relationship between the self and society, particularly how the self is socially constructed through socialization and maintained at multiple levels of society.
4. Students of sociology will describe the essential concept of social stratification, recognizing its different forms and the processes of its establishment (race, social class, gender, and other social factors).
5. Sociology students will identify the social processes underpinning social change and its consequences for individuals and social structures.
6. Sociology students will describe the role of social research methods in building sociological knowledge, identifying the major methodological approaches and the design elements of social research (sampling, measurement, data collection and analysis).
7. Students of sociology will demonstrate their ability to use their sociological knowledge to inform policy debates and promote public understanding of the social issues of their times in written, visual, and oral forms when participating in civic life.
8. Sociology students will demonstrate an understanding of the kinds of work sociologists do, including an awareness of how sociology is used in clinical and applied settings.

 

Disclaimer: The program requirements outlined in this catalog are applicable only to students who enroll in this degree program at the university during the academic year specified in this catalog.  Please be aware that program requirements and offerings are subject to change in future academic years. Dual-enrolled students are not admitted to a degree program, but upon admission to a degree program, they will follow the degree requirements that align with their start term.