Catalog 2024-2025

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Sociology

Associate in Arts Degree

A student obtaining an Associate of Arts degree in Sociology (Sociology, AA) will be able to demonstrate critical thinking, analytic problem solving, and communication skills. Students apply these skills to understand diverse communities, their interactions, and social change, and/or to use scientific methods to find empirical answers to complex social questions. The Sociology Program at West Valley College is primarily transfer oriented. It prepares students to enter 4-year Sociology or any Sociology-related program at the university level.

Major Core Requirements (6 units)

Course NumberCourse TitleUnits
SOCI001Introduction to Sociology3 units
Select one:
SOCI002
SOCI002H

Social Problems
Honors Social Problems

3 units
3 units

Major Electives List A (12 units)

Course NumberCourse TitleUnits
SOCI003Social Psychology: A Sociological Perspective3 units
SOCI012Introduction to Research Methods3 units
SOCI020Sociology of Race and Ethnicity3 units
SOCI028Sociology of Gender3 units
SOCI040Marriage and Family Sociology3 units
SOCI045Sociology of Human Sexuality3 units

Major Electives List B (3-5 units)

Course NumberCourse TitleUnits
ANTH003Introduction to Cultural Anthropology3 units
ANTH003HHonors Introduction to Cultural Anthropology3 units
ASLA060AAmerican Sign Language I5 units
ASLA060BAmerican Sign Language II5 units
ECON001APrinciples of Macroeconomics4 units
ECON001AHHonors Principles of Macroeconomics4 units
ECON001BPrinciples of Microeconomics4 units
ECON001BHHonors Principles of Microeconomics4 units
FRNC001ABeginning French5 units
FRNC001BBeginning French5 units
FRNC002AIntermediate French5 units
FRNC002BIntermediate French5 units
FRNC003AAdvanced French Oral and Written Composition5 units
FRNC003BAdvanced French Oral and Written Composition5 units
FRNC050ABasic French Conversation and Culture3 units
FRNC050BBasic French Conversation and Culture3 units
FRNC051AIntermediate French Conversation and Culture3 units
FRNC051BIntermediate French Conversation and Culture3 units
GEOG002Introduction to Cultural Geography3 units
GERM001ABeginning German5 units
GERM001BBeginning German5 units
ITAL001ABeginning Italian5 units
ITAL001BBeginning Italian5 units
ITAL002AIntermediate Italian5 units
ITAL002BIntermediate Italian5 units
ITAL050ABasic Italian Conversation and Culture3 units
ITAL050BBasic Italian Conversation and Culture3 units
ITAL051AIntermediate Italian Conversation and Culture3 units
ITAL051BIntermediate Italian Conversation and Culture3 units
JPNS001ABeginning Japanese5 units
JPNS001BBeginning Japanese5 units
MATH010Elementary Statistics4 units
MATH010HHonors Elementary Statistics4 units
PSYC001General Psychology3 units
PSYC001HHonors General Psychology3 units
SPAN001ABeginning Spanish5 units
SPAN001BBeginning Spanish5 units
SPAN002AIntermediate Spanish5 units
SPAN002BIntermediate Spanish5 units
SPAN003AAdvanced Spanish Oral and Written Composition5 units
SPAN003BAdvanced Spanish Oral and Written Composition5 units
SPAN050ABasic Spanish Conversation and Culture I3 units
SPAN050BBasic Spanish Conversation and Culture II3 units
SPAN051AIntermediate Spanish Conversation and Culture I3 units
SPAN051BIntermediate Spanish Conversation and Culture II3 units
SPAN070ASpanish for Medical Professionals - Beginners3 units
SPAN070BSpanish for Medical Professionals - Intermediate3 units

Total Major Units: 21-23 units

To be awarded an Associate Degree, a student must:

  1. Achieve a grade of “C” or better in the major requirements.
  2. Completion of WVC, CSU-Breadth, or IGETC General Education patterns. Students whose goal is to obtain a bachelor’s degree should complete the CSU-Breadth or IGETC General Education pattern.
  3. Complete additional degree applicable units to meet the minimum 60-unit Associate Degree requirements.

Upon successful completion of this program a student will be able to:

  • Evaluate social science research methodologies and/or apply empirical research to human behavior.
  • Contrast the merits and limitations of various social science research methodologies with emphasis on the role of sampling and surveys in sociological research.
  • Identify and distinguish various major theoretical perspectives within sociology and how these differ from other social science disciplines
  • Analyze the major dimensions of the diversity of human social experiences using scientific discourse.
  • Distinguish the sociological perspective from the perspectives of other social sciences.
  • Identify social factors that influence family structure and function.
Last Updated 6/28/24