What is Sociology?

Sociology is (from http://www.asanet.org/about-asa/asa-story/what-sociology):

• the study of society

• a social science involving the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies

• the study of our behavior as social beings, covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes

• the scientific study of social aggregations, the entities through which humans move throughout their lives'

• an overarching unification of all studies of humankind, including history, psychology, and economics

• the systematic study of people and groups

What are some of the most challenging issues facing our society today?

Some of these include: poverty and social inequality, community and police relations, immigration, race relations, violence against women, and climate change. These are exactly the types of things that sociologists study. Sociologists study issues that are tremendously complex!

The Sociology Program at UTA has strength in the following areas:

• Environmental sociology

• Family

• Leisure, sports, and recreation

• Qualitative methodology

• Quantitative methodology and statistics

• Racial and ethnic relations

• Sex and gender

• Social psychology

• Theory

Majoring in Sociology at UTA

The major program of study in sociology has three principal objectives:

• To develop the ability to understand human relationships from a sociological perspective

• To develop the analytical skills necessary for discovering and explaining social patterns and solving social problems

• To enhance awareness of the relationships between events in our own lives and the social environment in which we live

A major in sociology requires the completion of 13 courses in sociology, including 4 required courses and 1 course in anthropology. Our course offerings are sufficiently broad to incorporate a variety of individual interests.

Optional Specializations in Sociology

Students majoring in Sociology may pursue a general course of study in the discipline or concentrate in a specific area or areas: Human Capital and Work, Non-Profit and Community Organizations, Health, Science and Technology and Social Services and Diverse Populations. The purpose of specialization is to provide the student with a focused educational experience related to different career paths or areas of interest in the context of a broad liberal arts education

Minoring in Sociology at UTA

Students may minor in Sociology. A minor in sociology requires 18 semester hours, at least six of which must be 3000/4000 level.

Thinking about majoring or minoring in Sociology?

Please contact the Chair of the Department of Sociology, or the Undergraduate Advisor, LaDorna McGee, to learn more.  Please also see the American Sociological Association's web page for more information.  

IMPORTANT LINKS Undergraduate Catalog Sociology Degree Plan

---