Sociology is the study of social relations in groups, institutions and organizations, communities, and entire societies. Why do people in groups interact with each other as they do? How do changes in health care services, and the health care industry, affect people's quality of life? How do communities organize to fight poverty and crime? What are the most important social changes in the U.S. and abroad over the last fifty years?  How do changes in immigration patterns affect understandings about race and ethnicity? What is the significance of race in the twenty-first century? Why are there more wars in some world regions than in others? All of these questions, and many more, interest sociologists, who use various theories and research techniques to study the social problems that affect all of us.

If you are interested in the study of society, then sociology may well be the major for you. After graduation, sociology majors find employment as teachers, social-service workers, business people, health-care professionals, and in many other fields. Sociology is also an excellent major if you are planning to enter law school or another professional field, including medicine. Of course, some sociology majors enter MA or PhD programs in sociology because they want to become professors, professional researchers, or even market analysts. In short, sociology prepares people for a broad range of careers (Click here for more information).

The Department of Sociology, in collaboration with the University Honors Program, offers additional opportunities for undergraduates through course work, special topics, freshman forums, individualized research, and honors thesis.

Undergraduate Curriculum:
To receive a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with a major in Sociology, you must complete the University's general education curriculum as well as the requirements of the sociology major. The entire major requires 30 hours - 15 are core courses (listed below) and 15 are upper division electives that focus on issues that interest the student. One of our primary goals is to provide our majors with a comprehensive liberal arts education centered on sociology as an approach to life.

The Core:

• SOCI 1010 - Introduction to Sociology
• SOCI 3311 - Social Statistics
• SOCI 3322 - Methods of Social Research
• SOCI 4210 - Rise of Sociological Theory OR SOCI 4211 - Contemporary Social Theory
• SOCI 4999 - Senior Thesis

For course descriptions, go to the Undergraduate Bulletin.

For additional information regarding undergraduate studies in Sociology, please contact:

     Kendra Murphy
     Undergraduate Advisor
     Computer Lab Coordinator
     Instructor
     Clement Hall Room 229A
     Phone: (901) 678-4555
     kendra.murphy@memphis.edu