The primary goal of the sociology program is to provide a quality educational experience within a Christian, liberal arts perspective. Students will be prepared to assume entry level careers of service and leadership in communities or continue graduate studies in related fields of study.
Sociology is devoted to understanding our social world – how and why it is changing and how to make it better. Its primary subject matter is the group, not the individual. Sociology attempts to give people an insight into intergroup relationships at work, in the family, the church, the community and the world. Since all human activity is social, our subject matter ranges from family relationships to mob violence, from religion to organized crime, from divisions over gender, race and social class to consensus on basic values, from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact, few fields of study have such a global scope and relevance for so many applications.
Because sociology offers special training in a broad range of social issues and competency in gathering, organizing and evaluating data, a degree in sociology helps open numerous job opportunities in our information-oriented society. At the baccalaureate level, sociology majors acquire positions in such diverse occupational settings as social service agencies, management, criminal justice, community research, gerontology, public relations, medical facilities, church ministries, case workers, lobbyists, community planning, public school teaching, legal offices, public/social policy, and numerous others.
Many undergraduates in sociology pursue their master’s and doctorates in specialized fields of sociology. Others use their sociology training in diverse graduate fields such as community studies and development, family therapy, social work, urban planning, church ministry and missions. Sociology also provides excellent preparation for law school by exposing students to critical thinking and research skills, interpersonal and organizational dynamics, and social policy issues.