Discover the forces behind social inequality and social change.

A major in 社会学 will help you understand why society functions the way it does, and how you can work to make it more just.

You’ll learn about individual and group identities connected to race, class, gender, sexuality, age, culture and religion. Study institutions like family, politics and religion, and how power is distributed in society. 社会学 helps you understand why some groups maintain the status quo while others upend and reshape society. It helps you see an event like a crime wave as the tip of an iceberg and identify the larger social and historical forces at work under the surface.

社会学 will teach you to study the causes and consequences of human beliefs and behavior from a scientific perspective. You’ll learn how to design a research study of a topic you’re curious about and produce professional-level work. Outside the classroom, you’ll apply your skills by interning at a place like a child welfare organization, nonprofit that serves the urban poor, girls empowerment club, family violence shelter, or environmental or human rights advocacy group.

After graduation, you may work in social services, business, the health professions, journalism or government – or pursue a career producing sociological research, which underpins many 政策 decisions and social programs. Whatever you choose, you’ll leave St. Edward’s with strong research skills, insight into society and a passion for social justice.

什么我们的毕业生呢？

社会学 majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.

• English Teaching Assistant in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program
• 和平队成员在厄瓜多尔
• Senior associate in Client Solutions at the Gerson Lehrman Group
• Student in the 社会学 PhD program at Washington State University in Pullman
• Donor relations and data coordinator at Foundation Communities, which provides supportive, affordable housing to families in need

课堂内外

As a 社会学 major, you’ll learn through service, research and internships. These experiences will help you understand how the dynamics you’re studying in class unfold in the Austin community.

研究

社会学 majors learn methods for conducting research to understand social phenomena. You’ll have the opportunity to present your work at the St. Edward’s Symposium on Undergraduate 研究 and Creative Expression or at a professional academic conference, where you can learn about the careers in research and academia and build your network.

Study Abroad

Studying for a semester at any of St. Edward’s partner campuses, or during a shorter faculty-led program, will enrich your understanding of 社会学. You’ll witness how different policies and cultural expectations affect social justice in another country and build your ability to critically analyze initiatives in the United States.

Service Experiences

Campus Ministry offers numerous service programs open to all students, regardless of major or religious affiliation. Give back to your community and learn about real-world efforts to address the challenges you’ve learned about in class.

S.E.R.V.E Austin is a weekly, semester-long volunteer commitment at a specific site where you’ll develop relationships with immigrants and refugees, children at an after-school program, young adults working on their GED, the elderly or the formerly homeless.

S.E.R.V.E. 1 Day events are Saturday-morning programs that include breakfast, transportation to the site, lunch and a reflection. These one-day projects often involve physical labor, like cleaning up a park, removing invasive species or painting a school.

中断服务经验 give you the chance to travel to another community, volunteer and learn about local life. SBEs are built on ongoing relationships between St. Edward’s and the service location and require students to prepare – educationally and spiritually – for several months beforehand. The trips incorporate structured reflections so you’ll integrate what you’ve learned and use it to fuel your charity and justice work going forward. A hallmark of SBEs is their emphasis on living simply – you’ll leave your phone and other luxuries behind.

Many of the organizations where students intern (listed below) also accept volunteers. These are good settings to contribute to an organization’s mission while learning about a potential career path.

实习

All Sociology majors complete an internship of at least 75 hours at a community organization with a mission focused on some form of social justice. Here is where you will apply your knowledge of social inequality; diversity and inclusion; critical thinking; effective communication; and social justice. 社会学 majors recently have interned at the following sites: