Bachelor of Science in Sociology Online

Strengthen your ability to think critically and analytically as you develop a deeper understanding of social behaviors and interpersonal intelligence.

Apply by: 8/6/24
Start class: 8/26/24 Apply Now Apply Now

Program Overview

Preview our 100% online bachelor’s in sociology

Learn proven strategies and insights to effect meaningful social change. The affordable, flexible Bachelor of Science in Sociology online program examines how multicultural social dynamics shape all human behavior and interactions. Open the door to a broad range of public and private sector career options in education, research, criminal justice, business and government and social agencies.

The diverse online bachelor’s in sociology curriculum covers theories and research, along with courses on family dynamics, criminology, urban sociology, race and ethnicity, immigration, healthcare disparities and more. You will also focus on building a stronger skillset in PowerPoint, Word, Excel and statistical software.

Graduates of this online sociology program will:

  • Understand how everyday topics are shaped by politico-historical and socioeconomic forces
  • Employ a scientific foundation of sociological knowledge as well as the sociological imagination to apply it to everyday life
  • Identify key concepts, leading theorists and their contribution to sociology
  • Organize and synthesize sociological research and approaches to answer sociological questions
  • Develop critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills applicable to diverse careers
Graduates of this online sociology program will:
  • Understand how everyday topics are shaped by politico-historical and socioeconomic forces
  • Employ a scientific foundation of sociological knowledge as well as the sociological imagination to apply it to everyday life
  • Identify key concepts, leading theorists and their contribution to sociology
  • Organize and synthesize sociological research and approaches to answer sociological questions
  • Develop critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills applicable to diverse careers

Sociology career opportunities:

  • Social Work Case Manager
  • Social Service Advocate
  • Legislative Aide
  • Urban Planner
  • Census Researcher
  • Data Analyst
  • Foreign Services Officer
  • Corrections Officer
  • Community Health Worker
  • Child Welfare Specialist
  • Consumer Relations Specialist
  • Market Analyst
Sociology career opportunities:
  • Social Work Case Manager
  • Social Service Advocate
  • Legislative Aide
  • Urban Planner
  • Census Researcher
  • Data Analyst
  • Foreign Services Officer
  • Corrections Officer
  • Community Health Worker
  • Child Welfare Specialist
  • Consumer Relations Specialist
  • Market Analyst

Accreditation:

Northwest Missouri State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Also available:

Northwest offers a variety of specialized online education program options. Check out our other online undergraduate programs.

Per Credit Hour $334*
Program Transfer Credits: Up to 90 hours
Credit Hours 120

Accreditation:

Northwest Missouri State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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Need More Information?

Call 844-890-9304

Call 844-890-9304

Tuition

Benefit from affordable, pay-as-you-go tuition

Our B.S. in Sociology online program offers affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition, which is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included.

View additional tuition information+

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course
B.S. Sociology $334* $1,002

Important Refund Information

2nd day of class Last date for 100% refund for dropped course
4th day of class Last date for 75% refund for dropped course
6th day of class Last date for 50% refund for dropped course
8th day of class Last date for 25% refund for dropped course

Transfer Your Credits for Lower Tuition

Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.

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Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student’s Northwest record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.

Tuition breakdown:

Per Credit Hour $334*

Calendar

Take note of these key deadlines

Northwest online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working students, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

View full calendar  + 

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Fall 18/26/248/6/248/12/248/19/248/21/2410/11/24
Fall 210/21/2410/1/2410/7/2410/14/2410/16/2412/6/24

Now enrolling:

Next Apply Date: 8/6/24
Next Class Start Date: 8/26/24
Ready to take the next steps toward

earning your degree?

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Admissions

Follow these steps to apply to the bachelor’s in sociology

At Northwest, we’ve streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the B.S. in Sociology online, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them. The requirements include:

Admission Requirements:

  • GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended
View all admission requirements +

To apply for this program, you must meet the requirements for one of the sections listed below.

Transfer Criteria

  • Students with 24 or more transferrable credit hours:
    • A minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Students with less than 24 transferrable credit hours:
    • Follow freshman admission requirements and have a minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Transfer students from non-regionally accredited institutions will also be considered a freshman; credit cannot be transferred into Northwest from a non-regionally accredited institution

Returning Students (previously enrolled as degree-seeking at Northwest)

  • A minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA in any coursework completed since last being at Northwest (on 4.0 scale)
  • A probation essay (if returning after being suspended or put on probation) explaining previous time at Northwest, what they've been doing since and how they plan to be successful when they return

Freshman Criteria (Adult - 24+ years old):

  • High school transcript showing graduation date or completion of GED/HiSET
  • Essay
  • ACT/SAT test scores optional; can be submitted for scholarship/placement purposes if available

Freshman Criteria (for non-adult freshmen and transfers with less than 24 transferrable hours):

  • Category I:
    • 21 or higher ACT composite (or the SAT equivalent: SAT-980 or 1060**)
    • A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) or above (on 4.0 scale)

**Per 2016 SAT redesign.

  • Category II:
    • Have an admissions index score (see here) that equals or exceeds 100 points
    • A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) or above (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Category III:
    • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) or above (on a 4.0 scale)
    • Complete high school college-preparatory curriculum
    • Students who have completed the GED or HiSET are eligible with a minimum score of 660 on the GED or a minimum score of 75 on the HiSET
    • This category is not an option for home-schooled or unaccredited high school graduates unless they have also completed the GED or HiSET

Home-Schooled Students

Applicants must have their ACT or SAT results submitted directly from ACT or College Board. A transcript listing of high school courses and grades in each course is also required for admission.

  • 21 or higher on the ACT (or SAT equivalent), OR
  • GED score of 660 or higher, OR
  • HiSET score of 75 or higher

GED Applicants/HiSET Applicants

A student may be considered for admission after receiving an equivalency certification, meeting the following criteria:

  • GED score of 660 or higher, OR
  • HiSET score of 75 or higher

Official transcripts can be emailed to [email protected]. To submit official documents by mail, send them to:

Office of Admissions
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468-6001

Have a question? Call us at 844-890-9304.

Click here for State Authorization information


Admission Requirements:

  • GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended

Courses

Review the topics of our sociology courses

For the B.S. in Sociology online, the curriculum is comprised of 120 credit hours, including 44-47 credit hours of Northwest Core (general education) courses, four credit hours of Institutional Requirements courses, 36 credit hours of major coursework, six credit hours of sociology electives, minor coursework, and as many credit hours of general elective courses as needed to fulfill the 120 credit hour degree requirement.

Expand All

Students must take 44-47 credit hours of general education courses to meet the degree plan requirements.

Students are required to take a University Seminar (1 credit hour) and a digital literacy course, usually Computers and Information Technology (3 credit hours). Below is the information for each course.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1
University Seminar is designed to help students transition to college life and achieve success. Topics of exploration will include the privileges, rights, and responsibilities associated with a university education, skills necessary for success, assuming responsibility for one's own university experience, and available resources.
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to computer systems. Topics include integrated office applications, hardware, software, Internet, and the rights and responsibilities of computer users.
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to provide a greater understanding of the social world. Sociology is defined as a scientific study of human behavior in social life with an assumption that there are social forces which shape and influence patterns of behavior and ways of thinking. These include social forces such as culture, stratification, age, gender, race and ethnicity, and globalization. Several sociological perspectives serve as the point of reference by which human behavior at the micro and macro level are better understood.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the variety of styles of interpersonal relationships emphasizing self-knowledge and understanding of individuals within relationships as a basic step in relating to others in dating, courtship, engagement, marriage and daily living. Includes exploration of types of relationships, communication patterns and alternative family forms.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to explore competing explanations for the causes and/or influences of, and cures for social problems at the micro and macro levels. The course critically analyzes dominant definitions of social problems, the political and economic roots of these problems, and the public policies aimed at reducing them.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course is designed to provide students with a better understanding of the structure and function of urban areas in society. Examines the dynamic relations of cities, not only in the U.S., but in the Third World. Discussions on urban processes and urban life will cover theoretical approaches and various urban problems such as poverty, ethnic minority concentration, crime in urban settings, and recent developments in urban sociology, including new network approaches to city systems and global cities
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the theory and research regarding the biological, psychological, and sociological patterns of criminal behavior.  Patterns of property crime, corporate crime, and violent crime will be examined.  
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An examination of rule breaking behavior. This course will focus on theories of criminal, noncriminal and organizational deviance. In addition, this class will examine in some detail a variety of deviant behaviors. Included among the forms of deviance addressed are mental illness, sex related deviance, corporate crime, white-collar crime, governmental deviance, organized crime and common crime.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Structures and functions of social inequality and their differential impact on life patterns. Includes theories of stratification, social class identification, social-psychological and structural variables in social mobility, life patterns in each social class and potential for change. Prerequisite
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Designed to develop the student's awareness of his/her own identity in terms of race and ethnicity and to enhance a positive sense and recognition of the different experiences and values of the diverse minority groups within American society. Examines the beliefs and values which are embedded in various types of stereotypes and prejudice
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to explore and investigate the social, cultural, and political aspects of health, illness, and the health care system. Topics in the course include social factors and the meaning of health and illness, medical dilemmas and debates, the self and illness, disparities in health and the health care systems in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and alternatives to dominant understandings of health and healing.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an introduction to the police in American society. The material is organized around the development and structure of the police as an integral part of the criminal justice process, with an emphasis on large municipal departments. The course addresses issues such as the tension between the coercive power of the police and the expectation of freedom in American society: the ability of the police, as organized, to deal with crime and disorder; the nature of role expectations and role conflict between the police and the public; the nature and effects of what is called the police subculture, and issues of profiling, stereotyping, prejudice, and corruption. 
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to the scientific method as it is applied to social and behavioral research. Course content includes a study of basic research issues and research strategies utilized by social and behavioral researchers. Basic issues covered include research ethics, causality, the relationship between theory and research methods, and discussion of the differences between scientific social analysis and nonscientific social analysis. Quantitative survey strategies will be emphasized but unobtrusive methods and experimental designs will also be introduced. Prerequisite: 
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Critical examination of status of theory and research involving key issues of contemporary knowledge in sociology/anthropology.

Student must select 6 credit hours of sociology electives.  Currently, online students are limited to the two courses listed below:

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the sociology of culture. It examines how sociologists define culture, and how cultures shape individuals, nations, and economies. It focuses on an array of topics such as cultural production, membership in subcultural groups, culture and class, politics, occupations, markets, and consumption in art, food, music, fashion, literature, and film. Students will develop a knowledge of different sociological theories and will look at questions of culture from a sociological lens.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the sociology of immigration and migration. It focuses on the structural, global, and cultural components of immigration and migration with particular attention to the U.S. The course explores the major theories of why people immigrate/migrate, who immigrates/migrates, how people immigrate/migrate, classic and contemporary research on immigration/migration, the policies that shaped immigration/migration, and how immigration/migration intersects with issues of the law, social mobility, race and ethnicity, education, politics, employment, and social networks.

Students must complete a minor for this program.  Please note, not all minors are available online.  Students must also complete general education free electives as needed to reach a minimum 120 graduation hours.

Among Top 5

Ranked among the Top 5 “Public Universities in Missouri” by Niche.com (2022)

Highly Qualified Faculty

100% of classes are taught by professionals, not graduate assistants

*Tuition and fees are based on current rates. Textbooks and laptops are not included with tuition. A one-time fee of $20.50 will be charged for remote proctoring of required Assessment of Core Proficiencies.

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