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Sociology is the study of society

Students who major in sociology have the opportunity to learn in-depth about social structures and processes, and to gain skills in critical thinking, writing, and data analysis. Sociology graduates go into many different fields, as described by .

The following areas of knowledge are central to the undergraduate degree in sociology:

• Knowledge of the fundamental concepts, theories, and modes of explanation appropriate to the understanding of human societies.
• Knowledge of the structure of modern societies, its social stratification, its ethnic, racial, religious, and gender differentiation, and its main social institutions -- family, polity, economy, and religion.
• Knowledge of the basic social processes that maintain and alter social structure, especially the processes of integration, organization, and conflict.
• Understanding the diversity of human societies, including the differences between major historical types such as foraging, agricultural, industrial, and post-industrial societies.

In addition, students completing the degree in sociology are expected to acquire:

• Research and writing skills sufficient to locate and consult works relevant to a sociological investigation and to write a sociological paper that is coherent, cogent, theoretically developed.
• Methodological skills sufficient to understand the procedures of sociological research and to understand the problems of reliability and validity;
• Statistical and analytical skills sufficient to understand and interpret the results of sociological research.
• Critical thinking skills sufficient to analyze and evaluate sociological writings.