Sociology Department

The Sociology Department teaches the systematic analysis of social life and expands awareness of the often subtle social structures that are shaped by individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions.

One of the cornerstones of a liberal arts education, the scientific discipline of sociology will teach you how to hypothesize social phenomena, and utilize empirical data from quantitative research to qualitative methods to study the development, structure, and functioning of human society. As a Sociology student, you will learn to:

• Understand the nature, possible causes, and effects of human social behavior from interpersonal deviance to global warfare
• Describe the subtle interpersonal social processes involved in creation and management of personal identity
• Articulate the power of unseen structures that shape human interaction in mundane as well as crisis-oriented events
• See the workings of oppression within systems of domination and the principle dynamics of social movements to overcome them
• Critically appraise current trends in the future of social institutions using observation and theories of human interaction and institutionalization 

The department offers many courses that fulfill a sociology major, the cultural diversity requirement, and survey course requirements for all undergraduates.