Department of Sociology

Do you ever wonder why people behave the way they do? Do you want a degree that's flexible enough to take you down a multitude of career paths? Studying sociology will help you understand how society and individuals function together while giving you the research, communication and analytical skills you need for any career path.

Choose Your Course of Study

In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate degrees, we also offer an accelerated bachelor's and master's program. If you choose to pursue that course of study, you'll start working toward your master's degree while you're still an undergrad. After four years, you'll have both a bachelor's degree and 12 credits toward a master's degree.

Conduct Research

We have a rigorous approach to research. While you're here, you'll find plenty of opportunity to work with a faculty member on a research project, or create your own. Our engaged faculty are some of our best assets. They work hard to help you understand the topics they cover in class, to engage you in research and to help you on your career path after graduation. They've also won three separate grants in excess of $2,000,000 each to conduct interdisciplinary research on topics like the connection between virtue, happiness and meaning in society.

You can conduct your research in one of the best social psychology labs in the country. The state-of-the-art facilities draw sociologist from around that world. That means you'll have the chance to gain a diverse understanding of sociological perspectives without ever leaving campus.

Department News

View our exciting employment opportunities!

The Sociology Department is seeking two new faculty: an Assistant Professor and an open rank professor (Assistant, Associate or Full professor) who use Social Networks in the study of Family & Gender, Health and Wellbeing and Methods.

Check out Sociology's new research lab launched by Dr. Jennifer Augustine!

The Sociology Department now has a new research lab called Family Inequality Research Lab (FIRL). FIRL aims to provide fresh scientific knowledge on inequalities in and between American families.

Kudos to PhD student Victoria Money!

Victoria Money's manuscript titled "Demonstrating anticipatory deflection and a preemptive measure to manage it: An extension of Affect Control Theory" will be published in the current release of Social Psychology Quarterly.

Check out Professor Jennifer Augustine's article posted in Demography!

Associate Professor Jennifer Augustine's article "Gender Disparities in Increased Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Research Note" was recently published in research journal Demography.

More news...

Join Our Community

Our students are engaged both in and out of the classroom. You'll find welcoming student groups that focus on sociology. If exploration is more your style, there are many study abroad programs to choose from that allow you to earn credit while studying a different culture.

Always Asking Why?

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.