On February 3, 2006, the Bryant University Board of Trustees voted to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology degree. With two emphases, the expanded sociology program will offer students the choice of a social research and data analysis curriculum or a service learning and leadership curriculum.

Students electing the social research and data analysis curriculum will take courses that foster a deep understanding of sociology’s distinctive perspective on human behavior, and they will develop powerful problem-identifying, problem solving skills useful across a broad range of employment sectors or as preparation for graduate study. Students are introduced to the latest technology for collecting and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data, and they learn to interpret their findings to communicate solutions to complex problems. This course of study leads to a liberal arts minor in Sociology, or a B. A. in Sociology with an emphasis in Sociology and Social Research.

Students who choose the service learning and leadership curriculum will combine service with learning in a variety of courses that continually challenge them to apply sociological theory and methods to unscripted, real world problems. By combining service to the community with rigorous classroom study, students develop an intuitive, practical understanding of sociology’s perspective. Working in close partnership with leaders of service organizations and philanthropic foundations, students gain important skills enabling them to identify problems, communicate vision, and negotiate solutions in diverse settings. This course of study leads to a liberal arts minor in Sociology and Service Learning, or a B. A. in Sociology with an emphasis in Sociology and Service Learning.

As students engage in their foundational sociology courses, they have an opportunity to explore each of these two approaches to sociology, discovering the best fit for them. In either case, the B. A. in sociology program will foster a deep understanding of the sociological perspective and its methods. Coupled with an array of business courses and a solid grounding in the liberal arts, the study of sociology at Bryant will contribute substantially to the skills and habits of mind necessary for a fulfilling life and a rewarding career.