Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [Sociology] From Willamette University

Our curriculum examines ways that human interactions produce social institutions, processes and culture, and how social relationships shape and are shaped by social, economic, political and historical forces. We provide diverse opportunities to gain real-world skills, including in-depth training in data collection and analysis, service-learning courses, independent and collaborative research, and internships.Sociology is an excellent starting point for careers in a wide array of fields ? including education, social service, government, business, research, community-based organizing, organizational management, medicine and law.Major areas of study include:

• ??? Environmental sociology and sustainability
• ??? Gender and sexuality
• ??? Social problems and social movements
• ??? Health and medical sociology
• ??? Race and ethnicity
• ??? Qualitative and quantitative methods

The program in sociology is designed to reflect the historic importance of the discipline in the liberal arts education and tradition. The sociology curriculum teaches students to recognize how social processes, social institutions, and culture are produced through humans interacting with one another, and how social, economic, political, and historical forces shape, and are shaped by, social relationships. Through the progressive acquisition of skills, students learn the basic principles of sociology and apply these to the critical analysis of social problems, social issues, and social relationships. Research and internship opportunities in the major ask students to put their sociological knowledge and skill set to use in real-world settings. Throughout their sociological journey, students are encouraged to become responsible and engaged community members who are committed to creating positive social change.

Sociology presents many distinctive ways of looking at the world, and its focus on critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and analysis makes an education in sociology an excellent point of departure for a number of careers. Opportunities for the sociologist are numerous and vary greatly. Historically, the most popular career fields for graduates with a sociology degree are education, social service, government, business, research, community-based organizing, and organizational management. In recent years, there has been considerable growth in medical and legal career opportunities for sociologists, as well.