Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

By majoring in sociology at UMass Amherst, you'll study virtually every realm of human society: the family, gender, race and ethnic relations, aging, education, work, population, and many others.

Although sociologists do study what are commonly regarded as social problems — crime, drug addiction, and poverty, for example—they also examine fundamental social processes present in any society: social change, conflict, and inequality. Sociology is less concerned with finding practical solutions to social problems than with achieving a fundamental understanding of the social world.

Through core courses covering areas such as race and gender, interpersonal relations, statistics, and data collection and analysis, you'll begin to understand the workings of human society and to explain social behavior. You'll also bolster your education with courses in related areas like crime and law, culture and organizations, social inequality, and diversity.

Our graduates have launched careers in social policy, law, criminal justice, social science research, human resources, organizational and non-profit management, education, environmental policy and research, advocacy, and social work.