Sociology

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Sociology is the study of social relationships, institutions and change. Our programs examine how social structures, cultural practices and systems of power shape individual experiences and collective life across communities, nations and historical periods.

Faculty and students explore topics including race and ethnicity, gender, health, immigration, environmental justice, labor, religion, media, technology, urbanization and social inequality. Through theoretical and empirical inquiry, the program investigates the social forces that influence contemporary issues and social change.

Sociology is home to an active community of scholars engaged in research, teaching and public scholarship. Through their work, faculty and students contribute to conversations about social issues at the local, national and global levels while advancing knowledge across a broad range of sociological fields.

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The Department of Sociology is committed to supporting students and providing quality lectures and presentations for both the campus and community. Your gift to the Department of Sociology will help support scholarships or events sponsored by the department.

To give online, please type in “Department of Sociology” in the “Gift Designation” field below.

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Our Programs

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Major and Minor

Sociology is the study of social relationships, environments, institutions and change. Our programs explore issues like power and inequality, gender, education, racial and environmental justice, human rights, democracy, social media and emerging technologies like AI. 

Sociology Major and Minor

The Sociology program offers the following combined programs:

  • Combined BA in Sociology/MA in Social Research and Data Analysis
  • Combined BA in Sociology/MBA in Business Administration
  • Combined BA in Sociology/MAT with Teacher Certification in Grades K – 6 and Teacher of Students with Disabilities
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Graduate Programs

Our faculty take pride in helping you to launch your career with research at its center. Whether your interest is in health care, education, market research, customer and user experience, or elsewhere, our programs provide you with the research skills and applied experiences necessary for meeting your goals.

Social Research and Data Analysis MA

Customer & User Experience Research (CX/UX Research) Certificate

Data Collection and Management Certificate

Sociology Internship Capstone 

The Capstone Internship is designed to prepare students for starting life as sociologists after college—this includes preparing for the work force and understanding how we can be public sociologists. The goal of the course is to provide you with an end-of-program “capstone experience” in which to apply your sociological knowledge and skills to the world of work and beyond. Additionally, this course will help students to recognize the opportunities and privileges that come with a college degree as well as its limits, challenging them to devise long-term strategies to pursue a meaningful and engaged life.

Application and Deadline

Spring Application Deadline: October 10, 2026

Application

After submitting the online application, you should receive a confirmation message and an email with your submitted responses immediately.  If you do not receive these, your application may not have been successfully submitted and you should follow up with the instructor, Dr. Ruszczyk.

This is an online application, but you may preview the application as a PDF.

Internship Information

All Sociology Majors must successfully complete the application process in order to receive permission to register for SOCI 410 Internship.  For students who anticipate registering for SOCI 410, the following requirements must be met by the start of the semester you are applying for:

  • Senior level standing is recommended
  • The successful completion of SOCI 240 and SOCI 301 is required
  • Completion of SOCI 313 is recommended

Students must submit their application and meet the eligibility requirements by the following DEADLINE:

SPRING:  October 10, 2026 for SOCI 410.

All applications must be completed and submitted online.

  • Students are encouraged to submit the application as soon as possible.
  • Students are responsible for checking their MSU email for important updates about the internship process.
  • Many internship sites require a background check. You must advise the instructor if you have a prior arrest, conviction or expungement.
  • Internships require 100 hours of fieldwork over the designated semester.
  • All self-placements must be approved by the Department.
  • Students must create a well designed and grammatically correct resume with no spelling errors. View a Guide to Resume and Cover Letter Writing.

Careers

Sociology students learn to write surveys, conduct interviews and ethnographies, lead focus groups, analyze data using software like Excel, Qualtrics, and SPSS, carry out independent research and give presentations. Our students learn about important fields like human and social services, education, law, politics, public policy and social welfare. Use the links below to learn more about popular careers, their salaries, and their prospects for growth in the future.

The Careers Portal for Social Research & Data Analysis is a new service for graduate students and alumni. We use it to learn about you and your interests so we can connect you to internships, summer work experiences and new career opportunities!

As you answer questions, the Careers Portal gets smarter and it tailors some information just for you. Undergraduates and anyone else interested in our graduate programs can also join the portal to introduce themselves and learn how we connect students to job opportunities.

Join the Careers Portal Now!

The Careers Portal only takes 5-10 minutes and you don’t need your resume in hand.

Student Resources

Data Resources for Students

Meet our Graduate Students

Our graduate students have gone on to work for an impressive list of companies and their job titles include Survey Research Specialist, Senior Market Analyst, DE&I Strategist, Qualitative Researcher, UX Researcher, Research Associate, Data Strategist, Online Qualitative Researcher, Ad Tech Associate, Data Coordinator, Research Analyst, Clinical Data Coordinator & Business Analyst. 

Hear from our students below or read about their experiences on our Instagram or LinkedIn!

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"I learned so much more about ... data analysis and project management that gave me a level of confidence in my position that I can't even put any kind of value on it."

Karen Ramsden
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"A lot of the classes are introductory [yet] complex, but complex in a way you can understand… The classes, plus the cost, plus the flexibility of the program really made it a fit for me."

Gio Exume
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In the News

Our Faculty

Sociology has a roster of full-time and affiliated members from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. It includes scholars in health research, environmental justice, immigration, gender, bullying, demography, development, gender, labor, mass media, religion, race and ethnicity, urbanization, text analysis, theory and youth studies.

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