Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Online

Examine the forces and factors that unite us in our shared experiences, values, beliefs, and behaviors to prepare for a fulfilling career in social services, counseling, teaching, healthcare, and beyond.

Apply by: 10/5/25
Start class: 10/27/25
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Overview

Improve your community and society with a B.A. in Sociology

$425 Per Credit Hour
Up to 90 hours Transfer Credits
120 Credit Hours

Develop a foundation for better understanding and improving society in a changing world with the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UW-Parkside. In this online bachelor’s degree in sociology, you will study the interrelationship between individuals and society. Explore the intersection of race, class, gender, and education, and the impact those factors make in wealth and poverty, prejudice and discrimination, and crime, law, and deviance.

Immerse yourself in cutting-edge topics such as urbanization, social change, population growth, and how technology plays a role in both bringing us together and isolation. Online bachelor’s degree in sociology courses include criminology, juvenile justice, mental illness, LGBTQ studies, public health, and leadership skill development.

In this online B.A. in Sociology program, you will learn to:

  • Apply theories and practices related to criminology and deviance, family and human services, race and ethnic relations, urban institutions, and the occupational world to both global and local perspectives
  • Extract, analyze, and apply data to research projects and presentations
  • Demonstrate an understanding of need-based community projects
  • Exhibit leadership, collaboration, and organizational skills
  • Apply theories and practices related to criminology and deviance, family and human services, race and ethnic relations, urban institutions, and the occupational world to both global and local perspectives
  • Extract, analyze, and apply data to research projects and presentations
  • Demonstrate an understanding of need-based community projects
  • Exhibit leadership, collaboration, and organizational skills

As a graduate, you will be prepared for a variety of careers, including:

  • Social Worker
  • Human Service Specialist
  • Program Evaluation Specialist
  • Case Manager
  • Urban Studies Researcher
  • Gerontology Specialist
  • Social Worker
  • Human Service Specialist
  • Program Evaluation Specialist
  • Case Manager
  • Urban Studies Researcher
  • Gerontology Specialist

Also available:

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside offers a variety of undergraduate programs. Learn about our other online bachelor’s degree programs.

$425 Per Credit Hour
Up to 90 hours Transfer Credits
120 Credit Hours

Accreditation:

AACSB Accredited logo

The Department of Business programs at UW-Parkside are accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

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Need More Information?

Call 844-492-2160

Call 844-492-2160

Tuition

Earn your degree the affordable way

Tuition for the online B.A. in Sociology program is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.

Tuition breakdown:

$425 Per Credit Hour

Transfer your credits

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 A-State record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.

Calendar

Dates and deadlines

The B.A. in Sociology online program is delivered in an online format ideal for working adults, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year. Choose the start date that best suits your goals.

TermStart DateApp DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition DeadlineClass End DateTerm Length
Fall II10/27/2510/5/2510/5/2510/15/2510/30/2512/12/257 weeks
Spring I2/2/261/11/261/11/261/21/262/5/263/20/267 weeks
Spring II3/30/263/8/263/8/263/18/264/2/265/15/267 weeks

Now enrolling:

10/5/25 Apply Date
10/27/25 Class Starts

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions

How to apply to the online bachelor’s degree in sociology

For admission into the B.A. in Sociology you must provide transcripts from all institutions previously attended as well as meet the requirements below.

Admission Requirements:

  • High school diploma or equivalency
  • All official transcripts
  • No fee to apply

Freshmen

  • GPA 2.2 on a 4.0 scale unweighted
  • High School transcript or equivalent or all college transcripts for completed college-level course(s)

Transfer Student (12+ transferable credits)

  • GPA 2.0 or higher for transferable credit
  • Proof of High School Diploma or GED if the student does not already hold an AA/AS and official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended
  • Science credit within seven years. If the foreign language requirement is completed with high school course work, provide high school transcripts (not needed for admissions, completion requirement).

International Student

  • GPA 2.0
  • Official transcripts in English translation documenting completion of secondary school and attendance at all other institutions of higher education (if applicable)
  • Transcripts must be submitted to a professional evaluation service that is recognized through NACES (naces.org). Education Credentials Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) and World Education Services (WES) are recommended. An additional fee will be charged by the evaluation service.
  • Transfer students require a course-by-course evaluation. Freshman student evaluation does not need to be course by course. The evaluation cannot be more than five years old.
  • Proof of English Proficiency: (if education was not conducted in English)
    • TOEFL, 71 (internet based)
    • IELTS, 6.0
    • ACT English subscore, 23 or higher
    • DuoLingo, 100 or higher
    • Pearsons, 45 or higher

Official transcripts from high schools or all institutions of higher education previously attended or GED/HSED scores should be mailed directly from the institution(s) to UW-Parkside at this address:

Admissions Office

University of Wisconsin-Parkside

900 Wood Road

Kenosha, WI 53144

Official transcripts sent directly from issuing institution(s) are also accepted electronically by selecting UW-Parkside as the receiving institution and/or providing [email protected] as the email address.

Applicants are also strongly encouraged to upload a copy of their unofficial transcripts and a current resume at the time of application at: https://your.uwp.edu/register/appdocs.

Have a question? Call us at 844-492-2160.

Courses

Peruse the curriculum of our bachelor’s in sociology

The B.A. in Sociology online curriculum is comprised of 120 credit hours, including sociology coursework and general education and general elective requirements.

The following core courses are required of all students majoring in sociology: 

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines social relations, social organization, and social systems through the study of process, structure, and function. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces the formation and dynamics of ethnic and race relations in the United States and their social consequences in terms of marginalizing people and the unfair distribution of their life chances. Fulfills Ethnic Diversity Requirement. Cross-listed with: ETHN 206. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or SOCA 101.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Covers research report writing with the ability to demonstrate an understanding for the relationship among argument, evidence, conclusion, concepts, methods, and theoretical orientations in sociology. Focuses on understanding the format of research papers and improving writing ability. Community-based learning designation. Prerequisites: SOCA 101; ENGL 101 with a grade of C+ or better.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Introduces descriptive and inferential statistics as applied to measurements of behavior. Focuses on statistical computation, analysis, and interpretation of data using scientific calculator and SPSS statistical software. Examines quantitative solutions and computer output that can be applied in business and social service settings. Prerequisites: Computational skills, MATH 102 or 104 or 111.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Introduces philosophies, methods and problems of social research; sampling and data collection techniques; questionnaire construction, interviewing techniques, field methods, and content analysis. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or SOCA 101; sophomore standing.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Explores major sociological concepts and theories, and their application in the analysis of social structures and processes. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or SOCA 101; junior standing.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the role of larger society in constructing and defining our day-to-day interactions and the relationship between group structures and processes, particularly issues of social inequality. Prerequisites: SOCA 101 and three additional credits in sociology.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Elucidates theoretical perspectives on deviant behavior and traces the development of how deviance is defined, explained and controlled. Prerequisites: SOCA 101; junior standing.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines mental illness as a social role/social label is examined in terms of institutional and sociocultural factors. Prerequisite: SOCA 101
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines patterns of inequities and their relationship to social conflict, social organization, belief systems, race/ethnic identities, gender roles, and global systems of wealth and power. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or SOCA 101.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Delves into American social work, emphasizing recent changes in organization and methods. Includes issues of subcultures and minorities in social welfare institutions. Prerequisites: SOCA 101.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Provides capstone experience for majors, including reflection on competencies gained from the major, how they relate to experiences after graduation, and work on a research project that allows application of skills and competencies learned. Prerequisites: SOCA 295; ANTH 302 or SOCA 301; and senior standing.

General education requirements include skills requirements, and general education courses in the Humanities and Arts, Natural Science and Social and Behavioral science. Courses are selected in consultation with an Academic Advisor. 

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Covers topics from college algebra (such as functions, linear, exponential and logarithmic models), statistics, and graphing. Emphasizes proportional reasoning, modeling, problem-solving and applications. Intended for students whose program does not require further coursework in pre-calculus or calculus. Four-hour lecture. Prerequisites: MATH 100 with a grade of C- or better; or appropriate placement.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develops college-level competencies in writing and reading in a variety of subject and thematic contexts, emphasizing argumentation. Satisfies skills requirements in reading and writing. Prerequisites: Placement score or grade of C- or better in ENGL 100.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines art history from the prehistoric era to the present with a global perspective. Covers the application visual analysis and to understand art in its social, political and historic contexts.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Explores enjoyment and understanding of the art of theatre. Examines the teamwork involved to create live entertainment and the impact of theatre on society from ancient history to present day. Reviews plays and live theatrical performances. Open to all students. Requires field trip/ticket fee. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines social inequalities and injustices that influence politics, economy, education, and self image through the eyes and voices of multiple marginalized persons/groups. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Explores computer components and the principles of operation; networking, the Internet and the World Wide Web; problem solving techniques, introduction to algorithms, elementary programming concepts.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces fundamentals of geology as they relate to national parklands, including geological setting, geological features, and significance of designation. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develops an understanding of the interaction of good nutrition and wellness. Focuses on nutritional strategies to maximize health including the needs and considers responses of special populations to diet. Community-based learning designation. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Investigates the patterns and processes of Earth's physical and biological systems and their influence on human behavior and distribution. Includes human impacts on climate, hydrologic cycle, and ecosystem development. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces agencies and processes involved in the criminal justice system: law enforcement, the courts, corrections and juvenile justice. Analyzes the roles and problems within criminal justice agencies in a democratic society. Prerequisites: None.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develops and applies principles and models of demand and supply, consumer behavior, producer behavior, competitive and imperfectly competitive markets, and related contemporary economic policy issues. Prerequisites: MATH 104 or MATH 111 with a C- or better.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces the scientific study of mind and behavior, providing coverage of the major areas of research in psychology, including thinking, social interaction, human development, the nervous systems, abnormal psychology, personality, learning, the history and applications of psychological science, and others. Prerequisites: ENGL 100 or concurrent registration.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develops and applies principles and models of economic aggregates such as national income, unemployment, inflation, economic growth, and the monetary system and analyzes monetary and fiscal policy. Prerequisites: MATH 104 or MATH 111 with a C- or better.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces principles of leadership from an interdisciplinary theoretical and practical perspective. Introduces skills such as self-assessment, communication strategies, understanding group dynamics and working in coalitions, setting goals while remaining flexible, and managing conflict. Prerequisites: None.

Courses are selected in consultation with an Academic Advisor. 

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Provides opportunity for analyzing and applying essential learning knowledge and skills to current work experience. Prerequisites: None. Students enrolled in UWP 294 should have a job for which they are working at least 6 hours per week.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Explores theory and research on gender roles and gender stratification, focusing on political, economic, family and other settings. Includes historical, cross cultural and subcultural comparisons. Cross-listed with: WGSS 213.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the international impact on the state, community and individual levels of human experience. Includes developing practical orientations toward the international experience, such as language and cultural appreciation, social and political tolerance, and environmental adaptation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Studies the individual in social contexts including person perception, attribution processes, the self, interpersonal attraction, attitude formation, aggression, prosocial behavior and social influence.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces individual and group behavior in organizations and to organizational theory. Includes motivation, communication, stress, leadership decision-making, organizational processes and structures, and interactions between organizations and external environments.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Writing instruction with an emphasis on presenting written and oral reports and interpreting technical writing. Prerequisites: ENGL 101 with a grade of C- or better.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the role of communication in organizational settings. Includes organizational communication theories and elements, as well as contemporary organizational systems and their functioning.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines approaches to understanding, transforming, and resolving conflicts. Includes case studies at the interpersonal, organizational, community, cultural, and international levels.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Provides a background in personal skills essential for effective project management, including general intelligence; emotional intelligence; groups and teams; project leadership; stress; ethics; and communication.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Provides opportunity for directed field experience, focusing on applying scholarly concepts to the workplace. Specific arrangements to be made in consultation with advisor. Maximum of 6 credits may be applied to the major.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Covers theories, concepts, and research pertaining to human development throughout the lifespan including biological, cognitive, emotional and social development
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Covers theory and research of human cognitive processes including perception, attention, visual cognition, learning, memory, language, decision making, problem solving, intelligence, and social cognition.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines managing employees to maximize job performance, including employee training and development as well as performance management. Applies a systems approach to design, implementation, and evaluation of the processes. SEG or CBL project component expected. Community-based learning designation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces the study of violence and offers a historically grounded, multidisciplinary approach that integrates perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, and the natural and physical sciences in order to provide a comparative framework within which to understand violence.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Explores the intersections of race, crime and law in terms of the historical context, the present day situation and future directions. Focuses on multiple perspectives from offender to victim to criminal justice practitioner. Community-based learning designation. Cross-listed with: SOCA 365. Prerequisites: CRMJ 101 or SOCA 101; junior standing.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the causes and consequences of crime victimization including the history and recent re-emergence of the study of the victim and types and circumstances of criminal victimization. Addresses victims' rights and the victims' rights movement. Prerequisite: SOCA 101 Cross-listed with: CRMJ 368.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces students to core skills for college, professional, and personal success. Explores the science and practice of human flourishing and well-being, interdisciplinary thinking, problem-solving, study skills and information literacy. Not available for students with credits in: GNED 102; GNED 104; GNED 106; UWP 111.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Analyzes the organization of correctional agencies and the role of corrections in the criminal justice system. Includes review of theories, practices, systems, and treatment methods. Cross-listed with: SOCA 363. Prerequisites: CRMJ 101 or SOCA 101.

Over the years, UW-Parkside has been cited as one of the most affordable AACSB-accredited MBA programs in the nation.

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