Insights on Undergraduate Social Science Programs Based on the Students of a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Program

This study aimed to provide some insights that might help school administrators and faculty in developing or improving their respective Social Science degree programs to make them more attractive to student stakeholders. BA Sociology students have been asked to participate in a focus group discussion and two separate surveys in an effort to assess the BA Sociology program of the University of the Philippines Los Baños in terms of its curricular structure, course content, and methods of instruction. The findings of the study reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the undergraduate Sociology program from the perspective of its primary stakeholders. In general, BA Sociology was evaluated positively by students of the program. However, the results show that there is room for more improvement, especially when it comes to convincing the students that the courses which they are required to take are useful after graduation and in terms of classroom management in major Sociology courses. The findings also indicate that there is dissatisfaction among the primary stakeholders on the prescribed timetable of the BA Sociology curriculums well as the existence of the program’s three curricular options: thesis, practicum, and all-coursework. The study made salient the importance of several elements in managing an effective social science degree program that covers different aspects such as personnel (knowledgeable and hands-on academic advisers and  faculty focused on the course they teach), classroom management (particularly an insistence to revert to the discussion- and lecture-type classes in teaching social science courses instead of the more supposedly-progressive methods of reporting, film-showing, and skits), and curriculum (such as sequence of courses and, more importantly, a revisiting of the courses to make them more responsive to the needs and interests of today’s generation).

Keywords: Sociology, Curriculum, BA Sociology, Degree Program, Student Perceptions