华盛顿州立大学

Sociology looks at society from every angle—it is the scientific study of social life. Sociology is part of the social sciences that aims at answering questions of why and how we group together to form societies as well as the individual’s role within society. The fundamental insight of the discipline is that the social world matters; our lives are affected not only by our personal psychology, but by our place in the social world.

Program strengths

The Department of Sociology at Washington State University has been consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation. Over the past three decades the department has placed among the top twenty departments in the nation.
Over 70 percent of Ph.D. graduates secured academic appointments at colleges and universities. Another 29 percent secured comparable research positions with government agencies or private research organizations. Research is important to sociologists and our undergraduate students have opportunities to work with faculty and graduate students pursuing research.
In sociology course work, students focus on developing analytic and writing skills, data analysis, and the ability to understand issues from different points of view.

Career options

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY

• Business management and human resources

• Marketing and public relations

• Financial and statistical analysis

• Program support and recruiting

• Nonprofit and community-based agencies

• Social work and counseling

• Probation and correctional officer

• Education support for at-risk populations

• Social science research

• Local, state, and federal government

SKILLS YOU CAN MARKET WITH A DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY

• Ability to conduct ethical and effective research

• Using quantitative and symbolic reasoning to analyze data

• Global and community perspective and civic responsibility

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Cultural and social awareness and sensitivity

• Skillful written and oral communication