A Message from the Chair of Sociology

Dear Students, Colleagues, and Friends,

Sociology is the systematic study of societies.  We study how societies are organized, persist, and change.  We analyze forms of solidarity, conflict, resistance, and joy.  We study forms of power, political governance, culture, work and organizations, and family. We address the formation and persistence of social inequalities based on race/ethnicity, social class, region, gender and sexuality.  We investigate the effects of social networks and institutions on how people think, feel, and act.

In this time of enormous social upheaval, sociology is now more important than ever. Many of today’s controversies involve questions about how we should organize our social institutions, distribute power, and address conflict in a diverse, democratic society. Our department upholds the values of social inclusion and rigorous scholarly inquiry.

We offer training in a wide range of approaches, from the computational to the humanistic.  We have expertise in the sociology of international migration, science, knowledge, and medicine, politics, social movements, inequalities, education, religion, culture, law, gender and sexuality, and other fields.  Our faculty studies societies across the globe.

An undergraduate major in sociology offers rigorous preparation for graduate study in sociology and in the other social sciences. It is also excellent preparation for professional careers or further training in law, medicine, business, education, religion, and social work, among other fields. We provide hands-on learning opportunities for students who wish to apply their classroom knowledge to concrete research projects addressing real-life problems.  We offer research internships and an amazing honors program.  Students interested in a sociology major or minor are invited to meet with our undergraduate coordinators for more information on requirements, courses, and departmental activities. 

A Ph.D. in sociology offers high-level training for future careers in academia, policy, and industry.  We are integral part of interdisciplinary programs and centers on campus, including  Science Studies, Computational Social Sciences, the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, Latin American Studies, Japanese Studies, and the  Institute for Practical Ethics .

I encourage prospective graduate students to peruse the graduate program page of the website and to reach out to our graduate coordinator if you have additional questions.

Mary Blair-Loy

Professor and Chair, UC San Diego Department of Sociology

socio-chair@ucsd.edu

858-534-5639

Click here for more information on the history of the UC San Diego Sociology Department.