Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University
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    Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University

    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America
    United States of America, University Park
    University Rank:#82
    Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University

    International students can study the Sociology at Pennsylvania State University across its Main Site, Any Penn State Campus, University Park, and Harrisburg campuses in United States of America. This Bachelor degree is available as a Full Time program delivered on campus in English. The program has a duration of 4 years and is offered across its Main Site, Any Penn State Campus, University Park, and Harrisburg campuses. Students can apply for the next intake starting on June 1, 2027.

    About Bachelor of Sociology

    Sociology is the scientific study of social behavior and human social groups from individual families to nations. Sociology focuses on the ways that social environments, such as family, neighborhood, school, and society influence individuals' life options, advantages and disadvantages. Sociology also helps us understand how societies operate and change, and the impact of large scale events such as hurricanes, economic recessions, and social movements on individuals, groups, and societies. The workings of societies and the social world are often invisible to us as individuals - sociology helps to make these processes visible to us.

    You Might Like This Program If...

    • You are interested in understanding the social and environmental factors that influence our lives.
    • You would like to learn the skills needed to conduct social research on important topics.
    • You want to understand American society, how and why it changes, and our relation to the global community.
    • You enjoy learning about all kinds of social groups and how individuals interact.
    • You hope to pursue a career in research, education, social/human services, counseling, business, non-profit work, public policy, or the health professions.

    The major provides graduates with a sociological perspective on human behavior informed by exposure to different substantive areas of the field; an understanding of the structure of American society, its internal diversity, and its international context; an understanding of basic principles of the scientific method, statistics, research design, computer use, logic and critical thinking, and how these apply to the study of human behavior; and experience in posing sociological questions and collecting and analyzing data to bear on those questions. Graduates have the background to seek employment in a variety of public and private sector jobs, to pursue graduate study in sociology or related areas, or to enter professional schools in social work, law, business, or health fields.

    Students may choose either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree program. The B.A. degree in Sociology is a classic liberal arts degree. The B.S. degree is intended for students with a strong interest in quantitative skills. Students completing the B.S. degree have additional training in mathematics and other social science disciplines.

    Opportunities to work as departmental teaching and research assistants are available. Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad and/or internship experiences while enrolled in either the B.A. or B.S. sociology majors.

    Graduates of this program have found positions in social research, social service agencies, government and business research and planning offices, other business positions (especially sales and marketing), or have entered graduate school in sociology, social work, policy analysis or law school.

    • Career-Related Skills:
      • Demonstrate an understanding of the career options available to someone with a background in sociology
    • Communication Skills:
      • Write a paper following the format of published sociological research, including each of the major sections of a research paper.
      • Communicate the results of sociological research in oral form.
      • Content Knowledge: Describe the focus of sociology as a discipline.
      • State what is distinctive about the sociological perspective.
      • Apply the sociological perspective to a problem or scenario.
    • Knowledgeable Consumers of Research:
      • Comprehend and effectively extract central points from sociological research as this research is presented in professional articles, including substantive content, theory, methods and conclusions.
    • Research Skills:
      • Demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret quantitative sociological data using  statistics, graphs, and data tables.
      • Do research that develops and tests hypotheses using data, including use of appropriate previous research, theory, data collection, statistical analysis techniques, interpretation of research results and development of conclusions.
      • Present research results in correct tabular and written form.
    • Understanding of Theory:
      • Identify theories and concepts from classical sociological theories.
      • Apply theories and concepts from classical sociological theories.
      • Identify theories and concepts from contemporary sociological theories.
      • Apply theories and concepts from contemporary sociological theories.

    Disciplines

    Liberal Arts

    Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University

    Entry Requirements

    Penn State requires the submission of specific academic credentials to complete your application. Review the secondary and post-secondary requirements for your country below.

    If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:

    Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.

    After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.

    After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:

    All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.

    If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:

    If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:

    • Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
    • Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 6.5
    • TOEFLMin 80

    Career Opportunities after Completing Bachelor of Sociology

    Sociology offers you a background in research, data analysis, statistics, and sociological concepts. You can explore positions in social work, corrections, business, health services and government services. Additionally, you'll be well prepared to further your education in graduate school.

    The Sociology degree prepares you for graduate school in sociology or a variety of careers in social science-oriented jobs.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE SOCIOLOGY PROGRAM

    Opportunities for Graduate Studies

    Ranked among the top sociology programs in the nation, the Penn State Graduate Program in Sociology offers students the flexibility to study a wide range of topics, reflecting both the size and intellectual breadth of the faculty. Our department provides strong training in the areas of Demography, Families, Relationships and Interpersonal Networks, Quantitative Research Methods, Social Inequality, Urban and Community Studies, Health, Immigration and Incorporation.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

    Professional Resources

    • American Sociological Association
    • The International Sociology Honor Society

    Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University

    Application Fee 75

    How to Apply for Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University

    Step 1: Choose Your Application Method

    Apply through MyPennState

    The first step of the application process is to create a Penn State account, if you do not have one already. MyPennState is where future students can access the online application.

    If you are new to MyPennState, you will need to establish a Penn State User ID and password, which you will access during the MyPennState profile creation process. Once you have your log in information, you can sign in to begin work on your application.

    When creating the profile, please use the name that is on your passport. Because materials are filed alphabetically under the family name on the application, it is important that all correspondence and records consistently use the same name (family and given) and spelling. If this name does not match your academic records, please notify us of the difference. Please note: In the U.S., the family name is usually referred to as the last name, and the given name is referred to as the first name.

    Additionally, Penn State requires a current, valid email address, as that is our primary means of communication with international students. To ensure deliverability, please make Penn State (psu.edu) an eligible sender to the account.

    Applying through the Common App

    Applying to Penn State via the Common App is available to first-year (freshman) international students. If applying through the Common App, Penn State will create a MyPennState profile when the application is submitted and you will receive instructions on how to access your profile. If you intend to apply with the Common App, you do not need create a MyPennState profile prior to submitting your application.

    Step 2: Access the Application and Review Important Dates

    While you can create a MyPennState profile at any time, the application for admission becomes available on the following dates:

    Fall/Summer Admission: August 1

    Spring Admission: June 1

    The application submission dates vary by applicant type and intended program of study. Some programs have specific deadlines or admissions requirements. Please refer to our Dates & Deadlines for more information about application deadlines, as well as our Admissions Requirements to review information about any additional materials required for your intended program of study.

    Step 3: Start Your Penn State Application

    If applying through MyPennState:

    Click Apply Online to start your Penn State application. 

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), unless otherwise directed. You will be directed to enter information about your secondary school coursework. Please have a copy of your secondary school records as you complete SRAR. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. You will need to enter every grade for every course you have taken in the last three years, as well as your current schedule of classes.

    Students educated in South Korea will not complete SRAR. The document requirements for South Korea can be found by reviewing our International Credential Requirements.

    After this section, you will be directed back to the Penn State application to complete the Program of Study portion. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for either first-year students or transfer students.

    After this portion, you will provide some additional application information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If applying through the Common App:

    Complete the Common App, which will then direct you to MyPennState to complete SRAR. Applicants using the Common App may feel that they provided their high school record via the Common App, but Penn State requires the completion of SRAR via MyPennState. We strongly encourage you to obtain an official copy of your high school transcript to ensure accurate entry of your coursework completed and grades earned. The SRAR will include all of your high school coursework from your last three years of work and your current year schedule. If your final year grades are available when you enter SRAR, you can enter them at that time.

    Step 4: Submit Your Application

    The application requires a nonrefundable application fee of $75 for international students. Be sure to complete the last step after Summary and Review, which finalizes payment of your fee, and be certain it is successfully submitted. Once the application is submitted, you can verify its completion by accessing your MyPennState profile.

    Step 5: Submit Required Application Materials

    In order to complete your Penn State application, we need the following materials:

    • Application
    • Secondary school record
    • Post-secondary school records (if applicable)
    • First-year applicants only: Official test scores: SAT (code #2660) or ACT (code #3656)

      Writing Component and Subject Tests

      Please note: The writing component of standardized tests (SAT or ACT) is not required. The writing component will not be used as part of our evaluation. If your test scores include the writing component, by all means, have those scores sent to Penn State. Additionally, we do not require SAT Subject Tests.

    • English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

    Please see the admissions requirements for international students to review the details about the required application materials. Some programs require additional items to complete your application. Please review our Admissions Requirements for those details.

    Penn State does not require letters of recommendation, nor are they used in a student’s evaluation (unless required for a specific program).

    Step 6: Check Your Application Status in MyPennState

    You can always check the status of your application in MyPennState. We will communicate with you via MyPennState and through a series of emails regarding the missing items for your application. When everything has arrived, you will see a status in MyPennState confirming the completion of your application.

    Please note: It is your responsibility to check on the status of your application and send us any missing materials.

    Step 7: Receive Your Admission Decision

    Once we have reached a decision regarding your application, we will update your status in MyPennState and provide a printable PDF of your decision letter. Review our Dates & Deadlines to see when you should expect your decision.

    If accepted, you can accept your offer of admission in MyPennState to begin the process of becoming a Penn State student. Visit our Accepted Students section to review the next steps in this process. Once you accept your offer of admission to Penn State, those students completing SRAR will submit their official records for validation purposes as soon as possible.

    Bachelor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America

    United States of America, University Park

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