This is a nine-course, fully online program. No thesis is required. Instead, a 6-hour faculty-directed applied/community capstone project, undertaken at the conclusion of the program, provides an opportunity to synthesize all previous course material.
Contact
To learn more about the Online MA in Applied Sociology, contact Cullen Clark, Director, Online MA in Sociology Program by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (205) 934-3322.
Course Requirements
The Online MA program follows Plan II (non-thesis) requirements. The following core courses (18 hours) are required for all students:
Overview of methodologies used in applied social science research; major emphasis includes components of the research process, problem conceptualization, research design, measurement, sampling, questionnaire development, modes of data collection, and ethical issues in both quantitative and qualitative research.
Overview of classical and selected contemporary social theorists with an emphasis on the relevance of their work to applied sociology.
An overview of the field of applied sociology with special attention to current trends and issues in the application of social science in both for-profit- and not-for-profit sectors.
Examination of how social psychological theory and evidence are applied to understanding and addressing social and practical problems on such topics as health, education, criminal justice, community, environment, and diversity. Analysis of selected topics in the field of global health and medical sociology.
A faculty-directed research project, undertaken at the conclusion of the online M.A. in Applied Sociology program that provides an opportunity to synthesize all previous course materials.
Four additional classes (12 hours) are required for all students to fully matriculate. Students can choose from the following:
- SOC 620. Public Sociology. 3 Hours.
Explores the role and potential of sociologists and social research as instruments of social change and policy; examines techniques for communicating with the public about concepts and advances in sociology as well as the importance of doing so. - SOC 628. Teaching Sociology. 3 Hours.
Development of practical strategies and skills to improve classroom techniques for teaching sociology in a way that awakens the sociological imagination of students.
Directed activities that emphasize research is a creative endeavor and allow students to develop innovative ways to apply social sciences to challenges faced by society, business, and government. Prerequisites: SOC 613 [Min Grade: C] or SOC 714 [Min Grade: C] or permission of instructor.
Prerequisites: SOC 613 [Min Grade: C] or SOC 713 [Min Grade: C] or SOC 714 [Min Grade: C] - SOC 645. Sociological Practice. 3 Hours.
Advancing sociologically-informed research and practice, to further public discussion of sociological issues and promote the use of sociology to inform public policy. Prerequisites: SOC 623 [Min Grade: C] and SOC 626 [Min Grade: C] or permission of instructor.
Prerequisites: SOC 623 [Min Grade: C] or SOC 626 [Min Grade: C] - SOC 714. Survey Research Methods. 3 Hours.
Survey design, sampling, instrumentation, data collection and analysis, and report writing.
Prerequisites: SOC 613 [Min Grade: C] or SOC 713 [Min Grade: C] - SOC 715. Program Evaluation. 3 Hours.
Topics associated with the use of social sciences to evaluate programs, including appropriate measures of quality; selection of evaluation methodology; accuracy, reliability, and validity of measures. - SOC 718. Social Capital and Social Networks. 3 Hours.
Interrelationship between social capital and social networks; how social structure arises from interdependence of actors and then affects individual actors; important research findings; research methods used to study social networks and social capital; and critiques of social capital theory. - SOC 729. Consumer Culture. 3 Hours.
An exploration of theoretical understandings of consumer culture from Georg Simmel to Jean Baudrillard and their application to consumer research. - SOC 730. Sociology of Education. 3 Hours.
Survey of sociological insights into - and influences upon - education, including topics such as social historical development of education; theories on how education reproduces or changes one's social status; evidence of inequality in educational outcomes; debates on contemporary education policy; and effects of education over the life course. - SOC 760. Sociology of Death and Dying. 3 Hours.
Sociological, social psychological and existential perspectives on death and dying; recent trends in definition, distribution, and practices surrounding death and dying. - SOC 783. Health Care Delivery Systems. 3 Hours.
Sociological study of the ways that healthcare is organized and delivered in the U.S. and around the world. - SOC 794. Special Topics: Families in Crisis. 3 Hours.
- SOC 794. Special Topics: Feminist Theory. 3 Hours.
- SOC 794. Special Topics: Observing the Social World. 3 Hours.
- SOC 794. Special Topics: Social Media and Surveillance Capitalism. 3 Hours.
- SOC 794. Special Topics: Social Movements, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 3 Hours.
- SOC 794. Special Topics: Sociology o the South. 3 Hours.
Learn more about these courses in the UAB Graduate Catalog.
