Sociology Major

Sociology is the study of human societies. You can expect to learn how social changes, problems and behaviors affect human interactions. You will identify patterns in social inequality and injustice in attempt to make the world a better place. We emphasize working with human beings to create a caring community.

Program Details

Program Overview

In the sociology major you will learn about society, social problems, social change, diversity and interactions within and between social groups. Undergraduates in sociology can enter a variety of fields such as: community service programs, human social services, education, health care, human resources, public and business administration, social justice and activism, nonprofit leadership, marketing and survey research, policing, and urban planning.

Program Concentrations

This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.

Social Inequality, Social Change, & Social Institutions

Concentration Overview

Social institutions are necessary structures in human society, but they also shape persistent inequities and inequalities of class, ethnicity, gender, age, race and nationality in people’s lives. This concentration focuses on social structures that serve as mechanisms for the creation and perpetuation of social disparities, while also studying how individual and collective action in turn, affect the impact of societal structures on people’s lives.

Courses in this Concentration

Social Identities: Intersections of Race, Gender, & Class

Concentration Overview

This concentration focuses on how intersections of race, gender, class, and other significant social locations shape social identity and inequality. Students in this concentration area learn to interrogate the complicated ways that human behavior is shaped by both structure and agency through a variety of theoretical vantage points with an emphasis on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and gender.

Courses in this Concentration

Concentrations on this page are required for this program. Additional courses or concentrations may need to be added to meet program or credit requirements.

Program Coursework

The specific degree requirements on the website are for illustrative purposes and may change at any time. Please contact the Registrar's Office, Academic Advising or refer to the course catalog for detailed program requirements.

Liberal Arts Core

Liberal Arts Core - The Liberal Arts Core Curriculum is rooted in the Liberal Arts and our Franciscan heritage. It is designed to create a framework to develop knowledge, skills, and responsibilities necessary to educate students so that they will be prepared to contribute to the world guided by a concern for issues of justice and ethical behavior.

LEADERSHIP: 4 credits

Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)

FOUNDATIONAL LITERACIES/SKILLS: 12 credits

Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
Writing for the 21^st Century (3 cr.)*
Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
Language & Culture (3 cr.)

*For ‘Writing for the 21^st Century’ (English) and ‘Quantitative Problem Solving’ (Math), you may need additional courses depending on your placement.

CORE LITERACIES: 15 credits – Choose one (1) course from each broad theme. Course options can be found in the course catalog or on the academic advising page. Broad themes are:

Narratives of Identity (3 cr.)
Science, Environment & Culture (3 cr.)
Social Tensions (3 cr.)
The American Experience (3 cr.)
Approving the Better Things (3 cr.)

Professional Core

Culminating Experience

Giving students a culminating experience as well as practical work experience, the Professional Core is a graduation requirement for every Stritch student in a bachelor’s degree program. This bachelor’s degree program includes completion of the Professional Core consisting of three courses: