“Challenge the status quo.”
“Think outside the norm.”
“Make a social impact.”
These are just a few of the reasons why our recent sociology students chose this major. So, is it right for you? Yes, if you want to use science to understand people, study social life, and dig into critical issues like health, poverty and race. It’s a great choice for someone who’s ready to tackle tough questions and examine not only the choices that society makes, but the context around those choices.
As a sociology major, you’ll build your critical thinking skills by studying thought-provoking subjects such as sustainability, families, gender, race, ethnicity and aging.
While there are some required courses (typically in basic research methods and statistics), most of your classes will be courses that you can choose based on your interests. Which means you’ll be able to take classes in a wide range of topics that help you gain a deeper understanding of society.
Some of your most memorable lessons will likely occur outside of the classroom as you put your experience and skills to use.
Director of operations at AmeriCorps. Management analyst for a health and human services agency. Wish coordinator for Make-A-Wish. These are some of the jobs that our alumni have held.
Whether you want to be a policy analyst, social justice advocate, diversity officer or a professor, a sociology degree can prepare you for a career or grad school in a variety of fields, including:
As one of our grads said, “My sociology degree is being put to use almost every day in my work life because I work with people who have their own personalities, behaviors, traits, trends and ideas.”
Just ask our students, and you’ll hear them describe our faculty as “incredibly welcoming,” “always willing to answer questions,” and caring people who “went out of their way to help me learn and grow, as a student and as a whole person.”
Through the years, our faculty have been named Fulbright Fellows, been honored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies, and received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
As you advance through your courses at UB and prepare to take the next steps, these mentors will help you make connections both in and out of the classroom.