Bachelor of Science in Sociology

at State University of New York College at Brockport USA

Our program will help you develop foreign language skills and cross-cultural competencies. You will also have opportunities to participate in an international exchange program and complete an internship to gain exposure on a global stage.  

The AACSB-accredited International Business Major provides an interdisciplinary education combining core courses in business and advanced courses in international business as well as courses in foreign language, culture, and opportunities for participation in study abroad and foreign internship. Graduates gain knowledge and skills for careers in business and other organizations with international operations. The program also prepares students for graduate study.

Students interested in business studies may also wish to consider the College's majors in accounting, business administration, finance and marketing.

What You’ll Learn

Our interdisciplinary degree in International Business equips you with in-depth knowledge and understanding of international business, marketing, finance, and economics. It will prepare you for a career in business anywhere in the world.

The bachelor of arts or bachelor of science in liberal studies degrees provide a wide range of educational options leading to an individualized educational program. The required seminar courses are offered online and through independent study while the electives may be completed online, hybrid or in a traditional classroom. The program focuses on social sciences, natural sciences, humanities/fine arts, and an individualized area of research.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Student learning outcomes (SLOs) for Liberal Studies students must be understood in the context of a multidisciplinary program with no prescribed core of specific courses (although there is a core of prescribed disciplinary categories), considerable variation in courses making up each Liberal Studies candidate's plan of study (POS), and each student's differing personal and professional goals. Nevertheless, a number of SLOs are expected for all Liberal Studies candidates. These include:

• Contributors to Knowledge – Examine the unique perspective of the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences as contributors to knowledge.
• Multidisciplinary Nature of Knowledge – Analyze the multidisciplinary nature of knowledge, and assess the value of a multidisciplinary approach to scholarship.
• Self and Nature within Contemporary Society – Provide examples of the way in which insights and methodologies from the arts and humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences contribute to an understanding of one's self and nature within contemporary society.
• Knowledge Skills and Application – Assess interrelationships between areas of knowledge and skill within the Plan of Study, illustrate how these areas provide an integrated holistic overview.
• Critical Reasoning – Use critical reasoning skills to evaluate and synthesize knowledge from different disciplinary perspectives.
• Effective Communication – Employ effective communication skills through coherent and well-organized written and verbal presentations.

This dual certification major is designed to prepare students for initial certification in both Biology and Student with Disabilities (SWD)-Generalist in grades 7 to 12, with extension to teach Biology in grades 5 and 6. In addition, this major prepares students for the Content Specialty Tests (CSTs) required for the dual certification.

The major in Biology Adolescence Inclusive (7-12) Education with Grades 5 and 6 Extension includes 43 credits of EDI (Education and Human Development), and 57-58 credits to complete the Biology Content Core. This curriculum meets the requirements for initial dual certification as outlined by The New York State Education Department (SED) for Adolescent Education (grades 5 through 12).

What You’ll Learn

This dual certification major is designed to prepare students for initial certification in both Biology and Student with Disabilities (SWD)-Generalist in grades 7-12 with extension to teach Biology in grades 5-6.

In addition, this major prepares students for the Content Specialty Tests (CSTs) required for the dual certification.

Physics is the study of the physical properties of the universe and of the fundamental properties and interactions of matter and energy. Physics has applications in every field of pure and applied science, such as engineering, optics, materials science, space science, and medicine.

The major in Physics Adolescence Education is intended for students who want to become certified to teach high school Physics. It includes 57 credits in the Physics Content Core and 36 credits of Pedagogy Content offered by the Department of Education and Human Development (EHD). Because of the large number of required credits in this major, students should plan their time at Brockport carefully and consult with advisors in both Physics and EHD.

The Physics Adolescence Education major leads to initial certification (see 'Certification' below) under the 'Adolescence Physics Education' category as outlined by the New York State Education Department (NYSED):

• Adolescence Physics, 7-12
• Adolescence Physics, 5-6 Extension

What You’ll Learn

Physics pursues answers to how the Universe works on scales both large and small. High school teachers get to share these answers with their students and spark their curiosity about the natural world.

Your Physics Teacher Education degree will provide you with the content and skills necessary to become an outstanding educator in Physics and prepare you to teach in today's diverse classrooms. You will leave with an initial single certification in teaching Physics.

The 36-credit Master of Arts in Dance is a graduate program that offers students an opportunity to focus on intensive scholarly study in dance. Students may also develop an interdisciplinary focus in dance/movement studies, which might include coursework and research in areas such as theatre, music studies, recreation and leisure studies, health and wellness, or women/gender studies.

While at Brockport, graduate students may perform in faculty and guest artist work, choreograph their own work, or assist in directing departmental touring performances. They may also travel to regional/national conferences and festivals; to countries with complimentary foreign study programs such as Ghana, England, Brazil or Norway; or to New York and other locations for approved and credited apprenticeships, internships or dance study.

Upon completion of their degrees, Brockport MA students go on to become college and university faculty; PreK-12 teachers; performers and choreographers; dance administrators; private studio directors; independent movement practitioners; and teaching artists.  Others pursue doctoral degrees in dance or related fields.

The Department of Dance offers an MA in Dance, or an MFA in dance. The Department of Dance seeks to provide a rigorous and nurturing environment for the development of artists, scholars, choreographers, and educators. We support creativity through conceptualization and performance.

The department has some of the best dance facilities in the country, including its own fully equipped 300-seat proscenium dance theater, a 270-seat large-space studio theater, five studios, a body-conditioning lab, and computerized music and design studios. Faculty and professional staff are nationally and internationally recognized in their areas of expertise and are leaders in professional organizations such as CORD, NASD and NDEO. SUNY Brockport is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply artistry and individual expressivity across a range of movement aesthetics.
• Embody physical mastery of a variety of contemporary dance idioms.
• Generate and design choreography that demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of compositional tools and aesthetic framework.
• Articulate a critical understanding of aesthetics regarding dance styles through dance making, and/or oral and written forms.
• Summarize and synthesize concepts regarding history, aesthetics, and culture of dance.
• Identify and investigate an individual research agenda in creative and/or written scholarship.
• Situate individual interests in the context of the larger dance field.
• Exhibit appropriate professional conduct throughout choreographic process, performance, collaboration, and production.

The MA in Psychology program is designed to prepare students for further study at the doctoral level and/or for careers in psychology and the helping professions. Students choose one of three tracks that best serves their educational goals:

• Clinical (with applied emphasis): a 48 credit program designed for students interested in developing clinical skills; it emphasizes diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of psychological and behavioral disorders, and it culminates in a semester-long practicum placement in an applied setting. *Please note that this track is currently on hiatus.  No new students are being accepted to this track.*
• Clinical (with research emphasis): a 39 credit program designed for students who want to move on to PhD programs, usually in clinical psychology; it emphasizes diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of psychological and behavioral disorders, but students in this track also engage in research; the culmination is a Master's thesis based on empirical research, rather than a practicum.
• General: a 30-36 credit program designed for students who want to move on to PhD programs, usually in non-clinical areas of psychology; through independent study and active research collaboration, this track provides the most opportunities for working closely with faculty mentors; the culmination is a Master's thesis based on empirical research.

All three tracks share a core set of courses, taken in the first year and building upon students’ undergraduate experiences, that provide advanced knowledge of scientific psychology, often in a seminar format. In the clinically-focused tracks, students are trained as scientists and practitioners, concerned with the application of psychological principles to the treatment and prevention of behavior disorders. Courses provide theoretical and practical training in contemporary methods of assessment, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral clinical intervention, and program evaluation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Analyze the biological, developmental, and contextual determinants of behavior
  • Analyze the relationship between biological bases of behavior and human functioning
  • Describe the process of human development and acquisition of learned behaviors across the lifespan
  • Analyze how individuals' knowledge exists in the context of their environment (e.g., social, geographical, familial, institutional, cultural, etc.) and how the environment affects their functioning
• Critique and apply principles of research methods
• Apply psychological principles and evidence-based theories to practical problems in the field of psychology
• Synthesize clinical coursework and apply it outside the classroom (Applied Track)
• Produce a substantive research paper describing data that elucidates a psychological topic (Research Tracks)
• Apply ethical and professional standards to relevant research and/or clinical situations
• Explain the role of social and cultural diversity in human characteristics, experiences, and behavior
• Select appropriate intervention techniques, correctly administer tests, and accurately interpret results (Clinical Tracks)

With a strong focus in one studio area and opportunities to take courses in many others, students learn to expand their knowledge of what art can be, leading to highly personal and unique senior work. Along the way, students and faculty meet each semester for engaging activities such as group critiques, workshops, field trips, and exhibition opportunities.

The BFA degree allows students to take up to 78 credits in Art, Design, and Art History courses (the more liberal-arts focused BA/BS degree is a 42 credit major)

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply technical skills, elements of art and principles of design to achieve basic visual communication and expression in one or more media.
• Identify and holistically discuss major works of art through formal and conceptual analysis, socio-historical contextualization, and interpretation.
• Identify and demonstrate ways to utilize and apply their skills and abilities to postgraduate professional practices.
• Make viable connections between concept and form/media.
• Create works of art and/or design that respond to contemporary, relevant issues inside and/or outside of the discipline.
• Employ professional competence in the major area of specialization, including significant technical mastery; produce work and solve problems independently; and develop a coherent body of work.

Develop the knowledge and skills required of a public health professional with exciting courses in programming planning and evaluation, health communication, leadership, and a full-semester professional internship.

Undergraduate students in the Department of Public Health & Health Education can choose from one of two programs:

• Public Health
• Consumer Health

Student Learning Outcomes

The Public Health Education program is aligned with the seven Areas of Responsibility as defined by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.

Public Health Major

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Assess individual and community needs for health education
• Plan health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Implement health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
• Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Serve as a health education resource person
• Communicate and advocate for health and health education

Consumer Health Concentration

The Consumer Health concentration is aligned with three of the seven Areas of Responsibility as defined by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
• Serve as a health education resource person

Sociology explores how our lives, behaviors, and identities are shaped by our ties to others, from intimate spheres to global ones. Completing the Sociology major gives you the tools to understand the complex structures of the social world and how they interact. Sociology courses at Brockport include topics as diverse as sport, health, race and ethnicity, food, gender, education, and human rights.

At the core of sociology is what C. Wright Mills calls "The Sociological Imagination," the awareness that "neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both." Rigorous research and creative concepts enable sociologists to, in Pierre Bourdieu's words, "think in a completely astonished and disconcerted way about things you thought you had always understood."

Both scientific and humanistic, sociology is a classic, liberal-arts discipline. Sociology students learn to examine both cultures and social structures, gaining significant insights into society, social change, and their own social identities. Research and analytical skills, combined with an emphases on effective communication and critical thinking, prepare sociology students for success in graduate school or careers in the social service, nonprofit, public-sector, and business fields.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply sociological theories to understand social phenomena
• Explain how culture and social structure shape individual experiences and opportunities
• Rigorously analyze social science data
• Effectively communicate sociological concepts and empirical findings

The 30-credit Master of Arts in Mathematics provides students with a solid foundation in the major areas of mathematics, an appreciation for the structures and theories of advanced mathematics, and a deeper understanding of the role of mathematics in applications. The department strives to produce graduates who exhibit knowledge, comprehension and creativity in the practice of mathematics as they pursue their careers in college/high school teaching, business or government, or as they pursue doctoral studies. Please note that the information in this document is subject to change. For the latest information on our courses, please contact the department.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply the methods of three major areas of mathematics to rigorously solve problems and carry out proofs that are typical to each of these areas.
• Carry out the creative and explorative processes of mathematics, including conjecture, generalization, and the construction of mathematically rigorous proofs.
• Use mathematics to model and analyze real world problems, and utilize technology as appropriate to help solve mathematical problems and judge the reasonableness of results.
• Communicate mathematics effectively.
• Actively engage with mathematics beyond the classroom.