School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Philosophy of the Program

Sociology is a wide-ranging discipline that helps us study human societies more objectively. As such, the program will prepare learners for a lifetime of change by developing their appreciation of diversity, writing and study skills, and knowledge base about human behavior, social organization, culture, and social change. Furthermore, Sociology is a cornerstone discipline in the Humanities and Social Sciences and can be studied as part of a combined degree with a choice of multiple other disciplines such as Psychology, International Relations, Political Science, Criminal Justice Studies, Law, Human Resource Management and Journalism.

Goal of the Program
The goal of the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program is to provide students with conceptual and analytical skills necessary to understand the nature and dynamics of a changing society from the local and global perspectives. The world is faced with an ever increasingly complex and rapidly changing social milieu whose offshoot has been multiple social problems and challenges. These challenges include family problems, corruption, poverty, unemployment, social conflict and crime. Therefore, there is a great demand for graduates who not only have a range of personal and professional skills and the conceptual tools and methods but can also use the unique view and perspective of sociology (i.e., the sociological imagination) to study all forms of human behavior and interaction from the individual and small groups to institutions.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program, the students will be able to:

1. Assess social, economic, and political processes using divergent sociological perspectives / theories;
2. Evaluate conceptual, theoretical and applied issues in community development and social welfare;
3. Analyze conceptual, theoretical and applied issues in the sociological study of health and medicine;
4. Analyze conceptual, theoretical and applied issues in sociological study of work and organizations;
5. Investigate a sociological problem using a range of sociological research strategies and methods of enquiry.

Mode of Delivery
The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program will be delivered through face-to-face learning on full time, part-time basis and on the weekend.

Admission Requirements
To obtain admission into the program, an applicant must satisfy one of the following requirements:

1. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) or its equivalent with a minimum aggregate of C+; or
2. Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (K.A.C.E) certificate with two principal passes; or
3. Five (5) upper level passes at IGCSE/IB;
4. Five (5) credits in any 5 subjects at 'O’ Level, and/or 'A’ Level passes of C at GCE;
5. Holders of relevant KNEC Diploma certificates or its equivalent from accredited institutions.

Courses Offered
Distribution Table: Number of Courses/Credit Hours/Lecture Hours
Courses in the program shall be offered at levels 1000 to 4000. Consistent with USIU-Africa regulations, an Undergraduate student majoring in Sociology shall take General Education Courses (GECs) and a major or minor in a different discipline, in addition to the sociology courses. This will lead to one of the following degree options:

1. A single major leading to the award of Bachelor of Arts in Sociology degree;
2. A combined major/major (double major) leading to the award of Bachelor of Arts in Sociology degree and a second cognate discipline (e.g. Psychology, International Relations, Criminal Justice etc.);
3. A combined major/minor with Sociology as the major and other subject as minor, leading to the award of a Bachelor of Arts Degree;
4. A combined major/minor with Sociology as minor and other subject as major, leading to the award of Bachelor of Arts Degree.

Single Major
A student intending to do a single major in Sociology must take and pass a total of 129 Credit Units distributed as follows:

• General Education: 39 Credit Units
• Core Courses: 36 Credit Units
• Area of Concentration Courses: 30 Credit Units
• Elective Sociology Courses: 12 Credit Units
• Non-sociology elective courses: 12 Credit Units

Major-Minor (Sociology as Major)
A student intending to do a Major-Minor degree with Sociology as the MAJOR discipline must take and pass a total of 69 Sociology Credit Units distributed as follows:

• Core Courses: 36 Credit Units
• Area of Concentration Courses: 24 Credit Units
• Elective Sociology Courses: 9 Credit Units

In addition the student must take and pass 39 Credit Units of General Education, 9 Credit Units of non-sociology elective courses and ALL the Credit Units required for the minor discipline of study.

Major-Minor- (Sociology as Minor)
A student intending to do a Major-Minor degree with Sociology as the minor discipline must take and pass 27 Sociology credit units distributed as follows:

• Core Courses: 15 Credit Units
• Elective Sociology Courses: 12 Credit Units

In addition, the student must take and pass 39 Credit Units of General Education plus ALL the Credit Units required for the major discipline of study.

Major-Major (Double Major)
A student intending to do a double major degree with Sociology as one of the major subjects must take and pass 69 Sociology Credit Units distributed as follows:

• Core Courses: 36 Credit Units
• Area of Concentration Courses: 24 Credit Units
• Elective Sociology Courses: 9 Credit Units

In addition, the student must take and pass 39 Credit Units of General Education plus ALL the Credit Units required for the second major discipline of study.

Employment Opportunities
Sociology offers an education that is not only diverse but also allows for flexibility in the job market. It is a universal discipline that informs practice in all other disciplines.

Sociologists can pursue employment in research institutes, the criminal justice system, public health and welfare organizations, private businesses, law firms, international agencies, medical centers, educational institutions, advertising firms, survey and polling organizations, and many more.

Jobs that sociologists can do include: social work and social services; law; criminal justice and corrections; urban and regional planning; youth services/senior services; broadcasting and journalism; government - all levels; church administration and ministry; education; entrepreneurship; personnel services (HR); crisis prevention; safety and disaster management; foreign services and international negotiation; family counseling; market research and advertising; medical and health services and assessment; management consultant; media planner and; consumer relations specialists, among others.

Indeed, some of these fields require further education. Some students in sociology may also wish to obtain an advanced degree in sociology at the graduate level and pursue research or teaching.