Drugs and Society Online Course

Explore the social impact of drugs, addiction, and policy in this self-paced, 3-credit sociology course from the University of North Dakota.

REGISTER NOW

About SOC 355: Drugs and Society

SOC 355: Drugs and Society is a fully online, self-paced course that examines how psychoactive drug use is influenced by social norms, policies, and inequalities. With 3 undergraduate credits from UND and no set deadlines, this course is perfect for learners seeking general education, pre-health, or criminal justice electives — or anyone interested in the complex intersection of drugs and society.

This course provides the opportunity to explore social factors affecting the use and control of self-administered psychoactive drugs, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other illicit substances. After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

• Find and summarize official statistics and information on drug use in the U.S.
• Understand and describe how formal and informal responses to illicit drugs are socially constructed
• Evaluate the consequences of criminalization and public health approaches to drug use and addiction

Students have 3 to 9 months to complete this course from the time of enrollment. You may work at your own pace and complete lessons on your own schedule, submitting up to three items per week for grading. This course contains 15 lessons designed to focus your study of drug use and abuse and to assist you in achieving the course learning objectives/outcomes. You will work through a combination of required readings, PowerPoint presentations, recorded interviews, films, and writing assignments. 

This course does not include proctored exams.

 Course Organization

• Lesson 1: Introduction to the Sociological perspective 
• Lesson 2: Alcohol use and abuse
• Lesson 3: Tobacco use and addiction
• Lesson 4: Narcotics, opioids, and heroin
• Lesson 5: Cocaine use and abuse
• Lesson 6: Methamphetamine use and abuse
• Lesson 7: Hallucinogens
• Lesson 8: Cannabis use and legalization
• Lesson 9: Prescription and OTC drugs
• Lesson 10: Drug impact argument
• Lesson 11: Impacts on marginalized communities
• Lesson 12: Criminalization approach
• Lesson 13: Psychological theories
• Lesson 14: Public health approach
• Lesson 15: Treatment and prevention
• Lesson 16: Differing approaches to combating the opioid epidemic

Required Textbook and Materials

• Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America
  ISBN: 9780316551304
  Authors: Beth Macy
  Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
  Publication Date: 2019

• All other texts will be made available on Blackboard for free as PDFs, Word docs, or links to articles posted with each lesson. You may need to log in through the UND library to access some of these required readings. You will also watch several films for class, some of which are available for free online. Others may be available through Netflix. Information for accessing these films will be posted with each lesson.

How will the course appear on my transcript?

You may enroll at any time and have up to 9 months to complete this online course. The credits earned will be recorded on your UND transcript based on the date you registered for the course. It will appear on your transcript in the same way as a course taken during a regular semester. There is no indication that the course was taken online or that you completed it at your own pace. 

Consult the table on our How Enroll Anytime Courses Work page for a current listing of Enroll Anytime Registration Dates and the semester information that will appear on a UND transcript.

Why Take Online Classes at UND?

Here are a few reasons why you should take an online enroll anytime course at UND:

• Great customer service – Our registration team is ready to answer questions quickly so you can focus on your coursework.
• Affordable – UND's enroll anytime courses are priced at North Dakota's affordable, in-state tuition rate.
• Accredited – UND is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Easily transfer credits – Transferring credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which the credits are being transferred. In general, credits from schools/universities that are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. UND's online courses appear on your UND transcript in the same way as other courses.

Flexible 100% Online Course

You'll take this online course at your own pace. Some students thrive in this environment, while other students may struggle with setting their own deadlines. If you have successfully taken an independent study or correspondence course previously, UND’s enroll anytime courses may be right for you. Still not sure? Take our online quiz to help determine if online enroll anytime courses are right for you.

Course information including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams is subject to change without notice.