Program

Sociology (Associate Degree)

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Sociology
Credits
60.00
Length of program
Four semesters
Credential type
Associate Degree
Admission type
Open Enrolment - General Admission Requirements

Overview

In the Associate of Arts Degree in Sociology, you’ll acquire an understanding of the complexity of social life by focusing on human interaction and organizational and group dynamics. Explore cultural diversity, social inequality and social change while developing skills in critical thinking, analysis of social diversity, research design, and data analysis and interpretation, which are essential for employment in both the public and private sectors.

What is an Associate degree?

Associate degrees take two years to complete and concentrate on one area of study. If you plan your courses carefully with a university program in mind, you’ll be able to transfer all 60 credits to university. In most cases, an associate degree will allow you to enter the third year of a four-year bachelor's degree program. To ensure your courses transfer, see the BC Transfer Guide.  

Get paid, full-time work experience during your studies

Put your skills to work by joining the optional Co-operative Education Program, which alternates semesters of study with paid, full-time work in your field. You’ll earn money while gaining experience, building your resume and getting an employer reference, all before you graduate. To participate in Co-op you need to plan two semesters in advance, so we strongly recommend contacting the Co-op Office at the start of your program.

Admissions Requirements

Cost

Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more. 

For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts. 

Program Requirements

Curriculum framework

Graduation Requirements:

  • Successful completion of 60 University Transfer (UT) credits as listed below
  • A minimum program GPA of 2.00 is required
  • All courses must be University Transferable - a University Transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide
  • 50% (30 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • Specializations are not noted on credentials but will be noted on the transcript
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: seven (7) years

Course Requirements:

To complete an Associate of Arts Degree with a Specialization in Sociology, students must complete:

  • 18 or more credits (of the 60 credits required for their associate degree) in Sociology
  • nine of those 18 credits must be considered second-year courses. To qualify as a second-year course, a course must transfer to one of the Research Universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC) at the second-year level.

The following are the general requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at any BC college:

  • 6 credits first-year English* electives
  • 6 credits Humanities** electives
  • 6 credits Social Sciences** electives
  • 6 credits Arts** electives
  • 18 credits second-year Arts** electives in 2 or more subject areas
  • 3 credits Lab Science elective
  • 3 credits Math, Statistics or Computing Science elective
  • 3 credits Math, Statistics or Science elective
  • 9 credits other University Transfer electives

* English courses include courses in written Communications and Creative Writing that transfer to one of the BC Research Universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC) as English credit. A maximum of 3 credits can come from such an equivalent; at least 3 credits must be earned in an actual ENGL course so-named. For purposes of the Associate of Arts degree, English courses cannot be counted as Humanities courses.

** Arts courses are available in the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. To confirm whether a course is designated as "humanities" or "social sciences," check the Associate of Arts degree graduation checklist. Economics courses are Arts courses. Arts courses may also include Mathematics courses.

Definitions:

A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at one of the research universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC).

  • An Arts course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Arts Degree at one of the research universities.
  • A Science course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Science Degree or Baccalaureate of Applied Science Degree at one of the research universities. 
  • The requirements specified above are intended to provide breadth of exposure to a variety of disciplines in both Arts and Sciences. In some instances there may be some ambiguity as to whether a course is in the Humanities or Social Sciences and is an Arts course or a Science course. Most Physical Geography and Mathematics would be designated as Science courses.
  • A course in an "other" area is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate Degree other than in Arts, Science or Applied Science at one of the research universities.
  • A first-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 100-level at one of the research universities.
  • A second-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 200-level or higher level at one of the research universities.
  • A laboratory science course is one in which a substantial component of instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field.

For detailed information you should meet with a Student Success Advisor.

Co-operative Education Option:

Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for a Co-operative Education designation. Co-operative Education involves alternating full-time academic and work terms. For information contact the Co-operative Education Office.

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Testimonials

Nikki Tran

Trusting her inner guidance

Sociology student learns to put others’ expectations aside and follow her heart.
Read more

Career Pathways

With further education, this credential is a first step towards careers such as:

  • Index and Reference Assistant 
  • Legislative Assistant 
  • Outreach Worker in Community Services 
  • Probation/Correctional Officer 
  • Recreation Worker 
  • Research Assistant 
  • Street/Youth Outreach Worker 
  • Volunteer Coordinator 
  • Youth Care Worker 
  • Youth Settlement Worker
  • Crisis Intervention Services Worker
  • Community Relations Worker
  • Policy Analysis
  • Social Services
  • Social Research
  • Social Justice