Program Overview

The Sociology Department seeks to develop in students the sociological knowledge and skills that will enable them to think critically and imaginatively about society and social issues. Through coursework, internships, independent studies and collaborative research with faculty, the Department encourages a commitment to social justice based on an appreciation of social and intellectual diversity and an awareness of social inequality.

The major in sociology is intended to serve as preparation for careers in teaching, delivery and administration of social and health services, urban and environmental studies, law, government service at local, state and federal levels and related occupations. The major also provides training for advanced graduate work in sociology, social work and other social sciences. Sociology is also recommended as a second major or minor for students of all other social sciences; for business; for the humanities; especially literature and theatre arts; for ethnic and area studies; for journalism and other various applied arts and sciences.

LEARNING GOALS AND OUTCOMES:
The following learning goals and outcomes identify the means by which the preceding general statements of purpose are to be accomplished.

• Identify and apply sociological concepts and theories to understand social phenomena. Employ the sociological imagination and use evidence-based social theories to analyze social problems in context, and to generate and evaluate solutions.
• Critically evaluate explanations of human behavior, social phenomena, and social processes locally and globally. Identify and assess the assumptions underlying different theoretical perspectives. Evaluate and respond to inequalities and emerge from a global, integrated, and unequal world.
• Identify how social structures create and reproduce different forms of social inequality, locally and globally. Understand how social structures reproduce themselves, as well as how patterns and processes of cultural, socio-political and economic change occur. Analyze the origins, mechanisms, consequences, and response to global systems and flow, and their implications for society.
• Apply social scientific principles to understand the social world. Articulate the effective use of evidence; generate research questions and/or hypothesis based on social research. Identify the limits of the scientific method in understanding social behavior and processes. 
• Evaluate the quality of social scientific data. Identify the characteristics of high quality data in sociological research, and evaluate multiple representations of data in public discourse.
• Rigorously analyze social scientific data. Demonstrate the ability to understand, interpret, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
• Communicate in a clear and coherent manner in both written and oral communication. Convey sociological concepts and understandings to a broader audience.
• Use sociological knowledge to inform public understanding and policy debates. Use sociological knowledge, skills, and theories to engage with the world around them, and to promote social justice