Sociology is a social science discipline that enables us to understand how society is organized, how society is ever changing, and how groups experience the social world. It is a discipline that can also let us start to understand group attitudes and behaviors as well as individual lives. It examines the ways in which social categories (such as class, race, sex, age, nationality, or sexuality), and various social institutions (such as kinship, economic, political, or religious) affect human attitudes, actions, and opportunities. It also lets us begin to understand more broadly how our society is organized. One of the most important things that sociology does is to link individuals' private troubles to large public societal problems; this is called the "sociological imagination." For instance, if person in Detroit is laid off from his or her job, what are the larger societal trends that might be the reason for that layoff? Or, think about all of the people without health insurance around you – what are the real reasons for this lack of insurance and how can we understand this disparity?

In the Department of Sociology at Wayne State, we specialize in the study of health and illness, race and gender inequality, labor studies, and urban studies. Faculty members study a variety of things themselves, for instance, gender and race inequalities in paid work, policy changes in workplaces, fetal alcohol syndrome, elder abuse, menopause and midlife, religion and racial politics in Detroit, the Detroit gardening movement, motherhood, why different racial groups stay in Detroit, public health, and race disparities in education. We also have faculty studying paid work patterns, work-family policy, social movements, and the effects of natural disasters in countries such as Mexico, China, Germany and Japan. A good background in Sociology can be a valuable component of preparation for a variety of careers, professions, and occupations.

Admission requirements for this program are satisfied by the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University.

Candidates must complete 120 credits in course work including satisfaction of the University General Education Requirements and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Group Requirements, as well as the Departmental major requirements cited below. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees. It is expected that Group Requirements will be fulfilled during the freshman and sophomore years. Language Group Requirements should normally be fulfilled before election of the major.

Major Requirements

Students majoring in sociology are required to elect a minimum of thirty-three credits in the field of sociology, including seven required courses:

For SOC 4996, students are required to complete SOC 1010, SOC 2200, SOC 3200, and one sociology course at the 3000/4000 level with passing grades prior to enrollment. SOC 4996 also must also be completed with a grade of D- or better. In addition to required courses, all sociology majors are required to take at least fifteen credits in sociology elective courses. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA within the major.