Sociology is an exciting discipline with expanding opportunities for a wide range of rewarding career paths. With a bachelor of arts degree from PennWest Global Online, students will address fundamental sociological questions and social issues such as racial, class and gender inequality, violence and victimization, disparities in health care and global social problems. Students will also become acquainted with a variety of research approaches including surveys, in-depth interviews, ethnography, focus groups, evaluation assessments and big data.
Expert faculty bring experience working in research, community development and industry to illustrate how sociological analysis can be applied to everyday situations. By working with our faculty, students will also develop knowledge to work with people from diverse backgrounds, craft social policy, and implement and evaluate social programs.
Students will have many opportunities for hands-on experience through internships and field experiences. Students have worked with organizations to plan, implement and report on recommendations to address challenges identified by the organizations based on interviews and participant observation.
Students are encouraged to join the Sociology Club and participate in activities such as panel discussions, field trips and volunteering opportunities within the community. Upper-level students are eligible for membership in Pi Gamma Mu, the social science honor society. Because sociology students conduct various field-based observations and complete internships, both nationally and internationally, they are provided with opportunities for career and professional networking.
The employment of sociologists is projected to grow by 15% through 2022.
120
100% online
Barry Sweet
bsweet@pennwest.edu
814-732-2575
In sociology, behaviors or actions that violate social norms are called "deviance." This term includes aberrant social behavior, drug and alcohol addiction, child abuse and neglect, elder abuse, domestic violence and more.
This concentration will provide students with a basic interdisciplinary understanding of social deviance as a concept of difference and diversity, within the framework of cross-cultural and societal research. Students will examine how deviance has been related to important social problems and institutional responses for the goals of treatment, understanding and influence.
The training graduates receive allows them to assume a variety of professional positions and positively contribute to societal change.
Whether you choose to enter the workforce or continue your education in graduate school, you will gain strong technical abilities and professional competencies that will empower you to effect change in the context of your job, your family, your community and the broader society.
There are employment opportunities for sociology graduates in every industry in the modern workplace. Our alumni have found success in the fields of education, health and human services, government, criminal justice, community relations, business and environmental services.
Many of our alumni have gone on to graduate programs at prestigious universities including:
PennWest’s three campuses, California, Clarion and Edinboro universities, have been delivering award-winning online programs for more than 20 years. You’ll graduate with a degree from Pennsylvania Western University, completely supported by the expertise and community of learners on our brick-and-mortar campuses.