Loyola University Chicago

Department of Sociology

Sociology and Loyola's Core Curriculum

The Core Curriculum is an essential part of undergraduate education at Loyola. The Core includes 16 courses for a total of 48 credit house of coursework, primarily in the Arts and Sciences. The Core has an emphasis placed on understanding global realities. 

For all students, the Core Curriculum requires two classes that satisfy the Social and Cultural Knowledge Area. The list of sociology classes that satisfy this requirement follows.  Students must take a Tier I class before taking a Tier II class. Please note that a Tier I class can be taken in sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology or women & gender studies in preparation for taking a Tier II class in any of those disciplines.

Core Social and Cultural Knowledge Tier I Class

  • SOCL 101 Society in a Global Age

Core Social and Cultural Knowledge Tier II Classes

  • SOCL 121 Social Problems
  • SOCL 122 Race and Ethnic Relations
  • SOCL 123 Mass Media and Popular Culture
  • SOCL 125 Chicago: Growth of a Metropolis
  • SOCL 145 Religion and Society
  • SOCL 171 Sex and Gender

Core Engaged Learning Courses

In addition, an Engaged Learning course is required. The following courses in sociology satisfy this requirement. Selected sections of other courses may satisfy this requirement, such as a section of SOCL 101 that includes service-learning. Those course sections will be listed on LOCUS each semester.

  • SOCL 127 Social Analysis and Social Action
  • SOCL 216 Sociology of Violence
  • SOCL 258 Confronting Homelessness
  • SOCL/PLSC 335 Urban Semester Seminar
  • SOCL 380 Internship

Core Quantitative Analysis Course

Sociology majors can satisfy the core quantitative analysis requirement by passing SOCL 301 Statistics for Social Research, which is a requirement for the major. Students who are not sociology majors cannot take this course, and so it is not listed on LOCUS as satisfying the core for the general student population. Additionally, sociology majors who are taking psychology as a major or minor can take PSYC 304, Statistics, in place of SOCL 301. Please note that each school and college within the university may have additional general education requirements beyond those of the Core, such as the foreign language or writing intensive requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.