Bachelor of Arts: Sociology - Cultural Anthropology Emphasis
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Examine the role and relevance of the sociological perspective for contemporary social life. Thus students will gain knowledge of the fundamentals in Sociology, such as the foundations of human practice, belief, and organization.
- Advance the critical research, thinking, and writing skills that are integral to professional development and civic engagement. Thus students will apply the fundamentals of sociology to both experience and enhanced interest in community engagement.
- Explore the basic theoretical and methodological perspectives, both in the social sciences and in a chosen specialty area. Thus students will have the capacity to critically evaluate, compare diverse groups, and engage contemporary issues, trends in theory, and instruments of social analysis.
- Reflect on contemporary issues and controversies in the academic discipline of Sociology. Thus students will be able to examine issues of inequality, cultural difference, and social stratification from a comparative perspective, applying sociological principles and concepts to their own lives.
- Use sociological theories to comprehensively understand, critically analyze, and interpret a diverse array of cultural practices across various societal contexts.
Career Implications
The B.A. curriculum in sociology is designed to prepare students for a variety of career paths, including:
- Graduate level work in sociology degrees in order to become a professor, researcher, or applied social scientist.
- Entry-level positions throughout the business, human services, and government sectors. Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate degree in sociology provides.
- Careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administration--fields that involve the kind of investigative skills and ability to work with diverse groups that students encounter in the curriculum our faculty's expertise.
- Professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling--fields that all draw on the rich fund of knowledge from sociology.
Program Requirements
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | ||
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only) | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Math Pathway (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Mathematics For Liberal Arts | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus (5 credit hours) | ||
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course | ||
ACT Math Subscore of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Subscore of 660 or higher | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Intensive Course (300-level or above; satisfied in major requirements below): | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 0 | |
Major Requirements
Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 12 hours of the noted upper division (300+) course requirements completed at UMKC.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | ||
| ANTHRO 103 | Introduction To Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| SOCIOL 101 | Sociology: An Introduction | 3 |
| SOCIOL 302WI | Social Stratification | 3 |
| SOCIOL 361 | Social Theory | 3 |
| SOCIOL 362 | Methods Of Sociological Research | 3 |
| SOCIOL 363 | Introduction to Statistics in Sociology/Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Foreign Language Requirement * | 6 | |
| Any combination of Foreign Language coursework, with the following as common options: | ||
| Elementary Spanish I | ||
| Elementary Spanish II | ||
| Elementary French I | ||
| Elementary French II | ||
| Elementary German I | ||
| Elementary German II | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
| * | To determine the correct placement in a foreign language, please visit: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/foreign-language-placement/ |
Sociology majors at UMKC can earn a cultural anthropology emphasis within the undergraduate degree. As the comparative study of human societies, a cultural anthropology emphasis is uniquely poised to develop diversity awareness which is increasingly critical as the world becomes more global. To earn the cultural anthropology emphasis, in addition to the core major requirements, students must take 12 elective credit hours from the course list below. Nine of these 12 credit hours must be at the 300-level or higher. Completion of the emphasis is recorded on the student’s transcript.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Anthropology Emphasis Electives | 12 | |
| Language and Culture | ||
| Culture, Emotion, and Identity | ||
| The Social Life of Things | ||
| Writing Culture: The Craft of Ethnography | ||
| Consumer Society | ||
| Body and Society | ||
| Urban Anthropology | ||
| The Living Dead | ||
| Anthropology of Religion | ||
| Technology and Society | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Inequities in Work, Labor, and the Global Economy | ||
| Latinx Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees in the U.S | ||
| Culture and Society | ||
| Globalization and Development | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 51 | |
*MOTR SOCI 204 Introduction to Family Studies is a non-majors course and contributes to Core 42 General Education Requirements and general electives toward degree completion.
Other degree requirements include:
- A minimum grade of C- in all required core courses.
- A 2.0 grade-point average in the 36 major credit hours.
- Completion of the general degree requirements of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
- A maximum of 6 hours from any combination of SOCIOL 390R, SOCIOL 391, ANTHRO 397, SOCIOL 397, and SOCIOL 398.
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).
