Sociology

Overview

Sociology is the study of social life. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies. Because all human behavior is social, our subject matter ranges from intimate families to hostile mobs; from crime to religion; from the divisions of race, gender, and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; from the sociology of work to the sociology of emotions.

The Sociology major and minor are designed to provide students with a broad liberal arts education and a greater understanding of the social systems and processes that bear upon everyday lives. Students majoring in Sociology can pursue one of our two areas of concentration (i.e., "Inequalities & Social Justice" or "Identity and Community"), and majors and minors alike have opportunities to participate in internships, education abroad, and undergraduate research.  Majors are also eligible to apply for our awards and scholarships.

Students who graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology have numerous career options. Some go on to work for social service agencies or educational institutions; others work in human resources, criminal justice, and urban planning; others enter graduate programs in one of the social sciences, education, law, social work, public administration, public health, medicine, or business.

If you are thinking about declaring Sociology as your major or minor, please visit Major or Minor or the College of Arts and Sciences' information pages for Majors or Minors.

You might be interested to know that a number of famous people majored in Sociology. Among them are Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Jesse Jackson, Saul Alinsky, and Michelle Obama.