Sociology is the study of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Our subject matter ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob, from crime to religion, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, from the study of work to the study of sport. Sociologists examine everything from short contacts between anonymous individuals in public places, to sustained relationships between global actors. A person can “apply sociology” in any environment — the sociological perspective offers a unique way of looking at how society works and at the intricacies in relationships between individuals and society (American Sociological Association). According to a national survey of 2007 Sociology Bachelor of Arts recipients, most decided to major in sociology because of the interesting, timely and relevant concepts and topics covered in their courses and because of the resulting insights they gained into understanding social forces and individual relationships. Many sociology grads also viewed their major experience as complementing their goal of helping to change society, and with providing insights into different facets of their own lives
The Sociology undergraduate program at the University of Florida is diverse and multi-faceted, offering coursework in the broad categories of sociological theory and methods; stratification, poverty and inequality; marriage, families and gender studies; aging, the life course and medical sociology; environmental and resource studies; social psychology; deviance, criminology, and social control; race, ethnicity and minority studies; and urban sociology. Among our approximately 500 majors are many who pursue dual degrees or double majors in various other disciplines, including Psychology, English, Criminology & Law, Political Science, Anthropology, Sustainability, History, Women’s Studies, Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, and various foreign languages. Many others pursue certificates or minors in areas such as Latin American Studies, African-American Studies, Non-Profit Organizational Leadership, and Business Administration.
UF sociology majors have many opportunities to engage in internships and overseas studies, conduct independent research and honors theses, and pursue comination B.A.-M.A. degree in sociology or with other departments and colleges on campus. Each sociology faculty member has regular office hours and is available at other times by appointment. We urge you to meet the professors, get to know them, and give them the opportunity to get to know you. A hallmark of our undergraduate program is teaching: our instructor evaluations are consistently above the CLAS average, and in recent years, many of our professors and graduate students have been honored with various teaching awards by both the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the University. Our faculty is committed to providing you with the best possible training in the classroom, the research environment and in applied community settings.
Please click on the image below to be directed to a video from our Sociology Alumni.
