BA - Sociology as a major
Major
If you’re fascinated by the history and creative activities of humankind and how this shapes societies and our future, then a Bachelor of Arts (BA) is for you. Our graduates are in demand for their flexible skills, practical outlook and depth of understanding they bring to their roles.
Sociology at Waikato moves you beyond assumptions and explores who we are and our place in the world. You'll study human relationships and how societies form. Sociology at Waikato is highly respected and is a top 300 QS-rated subject.
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Education and Society
- English
- Environmental Planning
- Geography
- History
- Human Development
- International Languages and Cultures
- Law
- Linguistics
- Music
- Māori and Indigenous Studies
- Māori Language/Te Reo Māori
- Pacific and Indigenous Studies
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Population Studies
- Psychology
- Screen and Media Studies
- Social Policy
- Theatre Studies
- Writing Studies
Apply to enrol
Key information
| Years: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Points: | 360 |
| Start Dates: | Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July) |
| Estimated Fees* (Domestic): | $6,591 - $7,608 per year |
| Estimated Fees* (International): | $29,425 - $38,305 per year |
| Entry Requirements: | Undergraduate International |
| Area of Study: | |
| All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). *Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. | |
Career opportunities
- Community Advocate
- Community Development advisor
- Criminal justice worker
- Criminology researcher
- Journalist
- Policy Analyst
- Research Advisor
- Teacher
- Youth worker
Degree Planner
Degree planner — BA in Sociology
Year 1
Any 100 level
paper listed below
One from List A
Field of the Degree
100 level
Field of the Degree
100 level
Elective
Elective
Year 2
Any 200 level
SOCIO paper
Any 200 level
SOCIO paper
Any 200 level
paper listed below
One from List B
Field of the Degree
200 level
Elective
Elective
Elective
Year 3
Any 300 level
SOCIO paper
Any 300 level
SOCIO paper
Any 300 level
paper listed below
Any 300 level
paper listed below
One from List C
Elective
Elective
Elective
- Major
- Compulsory
- Elective
BA Papers
Lists A, B and C
List A: Academic Foundations
- ARTSC103 Rights and Reasons
- ARTSC105 Language in Context
- ENSLA103 Undergraduate Research Writing for ESL Students
- ENSLA202 Oral Skills for Academic English
List B: Cultural Perspectives
Any Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies paper, or- ANTHY101 Exploring Cultures: Introduction to Anthropology
- ANTHY102 Exploring Cultures: Aotearoa and the Pacific
- ANTHY201 Patriots, Racists, and Foreigners: Ethnicity and Identity in Global Perspective
- DSIGN252 Cultural Perspectives for Design
- EDUCA200 Te Hononga Tangata
- ENGLI200 Global Fictions
- GEOGY219 Māori Lands and Communities
- INTLC221 Understanding East Asia
- INTLC225 The French-speaking World from Astérix to Zombies
- LINGS203 Language, Society and Culture
- Any MAORI paper
- Any PACIS paper
List C: Work-Integrated Learning
- ALPSS301 Work-integrated learning - Placements
- ALPSS363 The Impact Lab
- ARTSW300 Arts and Cultural Festivals
- ARTSW301 Professional Practice in the Arts (prerequisites ARTSC110 - so open to all BA students)
- ARTSW302 Work-Related Project in the Arts (prerequisites ARTSC110 - so open to all BA students)
- LEGAL306 Dispute Resolution (BA Law students)
- LINGS301 Research Apprenticeship
- MEDIA307 Professional Studio Production
- POLCY318 Global Environmental Politics and Policy
- POPST300 Population Studies Work-Related Project
- PSYCH301 Psychology Research Assistantship
- SOCSC301 Work-Integrated Learning - Work-Related Project
- WRITE396 Writing Studies Work Placement
*Please consult our Student Advisors for the correct work-integrated learning paper.
Subject to approval
Papers
Papers available within Sociology
Sociology involves the analysis of society: that is, how people organise and participate in groups and larger social structures, and how societies change. Sociologists ask questions about society, challenging what is normally taken for granted. Students who major in Sociology develop, not only a good understanding of social structures, social issues and policies, and social change, but also strong research and information literacy skills that prepare them well for employment in many fields.
Sociology is available as a first major for the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Climate Change (BCC) and the Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc). Sociology may also be taken as a second major or minor, subject to approval of the Division in which the student is enrolled.
To complete Sociology as a single major for the BA, BCC or BSocSc, students must gain 135 points from papers listed for Sociology including 105 points above 100 level, and 60 points above 200 level. Students must include SOCIO101, at least 30 points from SOCIO coded 200 level papers, and at least 30 points from SOCIO coded 300 level papers, and a further 30 points at 300 level.
To complete Sociology as part of a double major for the BA, BCC, BSocSc or other undergraduate degree, students must gain 120 points from the papers listed for Sociology, including 90 points above 100 level, and 45 points above 200 level. Students must include SOCIO101, at least 15 points from SOCIO coded papers at 200 level, and at least 30 points from SOCIO coded papers at 300 level.
To complete a minor in Sociology, students must complete 60 points from papers listed for Sociology, including at least 30 points above 100 level. Students must complete SOCIO101, at least one SOCIO coded 200 level paper, and at least one SOCIO coded 300 level paper.
Enquiries about undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Sociology should be directed to the Programme Convenor.
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| GNSEX101 | Gender and Sexuality: Representations and Realities | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| This paper considers issues related to gender, sexuality, and the body including health issues, media representations, gender based violence, and forms of resistance. | |||
| SOCIO101 | Introduction to Sociology | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| This paper prepares students for further study in a range of social science subjects. It introduces the main sociological theories, concepts and practices that enable an understanding of contemporary societies. | |||
| SOCIO102 | The Sociology of Crime, Deviance and Social Justice | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| No description available. | |||
| SOCPY100 | Introduction to Social Policy | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| This paper examines the values behind social policy and introduces students to some of the important issues and debates in New Zealand and other democratic societies. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIO201 | 21st Century Activism and Radical Thought | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will offer insight into the historical legacies of systemic racism, sexism and class oppression by taking an in-depth look at key issues raised in 20th century social movements in New Zealand and the United States and mapping those issues into the 21st century. | |||
| SOCIO203 | Popular Culture | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| This paper offers a sociological perspective on historical and contemporary forms of popular culture. | |||
| SOCIO204 | Punishment, Society and Social Justice | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This subject will provide students with a critical understanding of the theoretical, political and policy issues associated with societies' response to crime and social harm. | |||
| SOCIO206 | Environmental Sociology: From Denial to Actions | 15.0 | 24A (Online) |
| The environment and climate are as much about human activity, economic and political choices as scientific information. Thinking sociologically, not just as individuals is the key to change. | |||
| SOCPY200 | Social Policy and Social Issues | 15.0 | 24A (Online) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| The paper continues the study of social policy at 200 level. The focus of this paper is on the welfare state, the policy cycle as well as social problems, such as poverty. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALPSS390 | Directed Study | 15.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| This paper allows students from the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology, and Social Sciences to undertake research on a specific topic related to their major or minor under the guidance of academic staff. | |||
| GNSEX303 | Intersectionalities: Identities and Inequalities | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides a comprehensive review of the historical context for understanding contemporary issues of race, gender, sexuality, and social class. It investigates micro and macro level experiences and the social construction of identities. In doing so, this paper looks at how power is distributed in society, the theories that... | |||
| SOCIO303 | Big Tech, Big Data, Algorithms and Society | 15.0 | 24A (Online) |
| Thinking sociologically about digital technologies: algorithms in social life, surveillance, disinformation, the gig economy and precarity. What does it mean to do sociology in the age of big tech? | |||
| SOCIO304 | Sociology of the Body | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| A sociological investigation of bodies, as they are experienced and represented, examining the embodied relationship between structure and agency. | |||
| SOCIO305 | Human Enhancement Technologies and Social Life | 15.0 | 24A (Online) |
| This paper analyses the causes and impacts of technologies of human enhancement on individuals and societies. The paper addresses issues such as smart drugs, gene edits and cybernetics. | |||
| SOCIO308 | Gender and Violence | 15.0 | No occurrences |
| This paper provides critical understanding of the complex dynamics of gendered violence in Aotearoa. Students will address societal challenges regarding the causes and effects of gendered violence across the life span. | |||
| SOCIO311 | Current Issues in Crime Control and Social Justice | 15.0 | 24G (Online) |
| This paper examines sociological explanations for criminal behaviour and examines issues within criminal justice. | |||
| SOCPY300 | Applied Social Policy | 15.0 | 24B (Online) |
| This paper provides students with experience of the ways in which policy is formulated and enacted. Theoretical perspectives are consolidated and extended to enhance opportunities for employment in the social policy field. | |||
| SOCPY301 | Health, Wellbeing and Policy | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24A (Online) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| This paper provides a critical introduction to key issues in the formation of health policy at both a national and international level. | |||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALPSS500 | Academic & Professional Research & Writing | 30.0 | 24A (Online), 24B (Online) & 24C (Online) |
| In this course, students will gain the skills and confidence to seamlessly transition from study to work. This course works to enhance the 'skills for the future' identified by the World Economic Forum (2020), in order to produce resilient, creative students with strong analytic and critical thinking skills. | |||
| ALPSS590 | Directed Study | 30.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| This paper allows students from the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences to undertake research on a specific topic related to their major under the guidance of academic staff. | |||
| ALPSS591 | Research Project | 30.0 | 24X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga) |
| A research report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical or practice-led investigation (up to 12,500 words maximum). | |||
| ALPSS592 | Dissertation | 60.0 | 24X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga) |
| A research report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical or practice-led investigation (up to 25,000 words maximum). | |||
| SOCIO507 | The Regulation of Sexuality | 30.0 | 24A (Online) |
| This paper examines how sexuality is regulated in contemporary Western societies through social norms, discourses, laws, policies, and rules that privilege certain notions about sexuality, while others are marginalised. | |||
| SOCIO508 | Advanced Studies in Gender and Violence | 30.0 | No occurrences |
| This advanced paper offers a critical exploration of the complex nature of gendered violence in Aotearoa. Students will address societal challenges regarding the causes and effects of gendered violence. | |||
| SOCIO593 | Sociology Thesis | 90.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | |||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIO800 | Sociology MPhil Thesis | 120.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIO900 | Sociology PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 24I (Hamilton), 24J (Hamilton), 24K (Hamilton), 24X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga) |
| No description available. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Study in Tauranga
Sociology is one of five BA major subjects available in Tauranga from 2019. To ask about being one of the first students in our new CBD campus (opening 2019), contact a Future Student Advisor: [email protected]
Contacts
School of Social Sciences
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4138
General Enquiries: [email protected]