Study how people form groups and institutions which develop and change over time. With a Sociology major, you'll have the insight and research tools you need to address social problems and inequality.
Why Study Sociology?
Sociology offers a powerful lens for understanding our world. You'll explore the way our lives and institutions are shaped through the intersections of:
- Race
- Class
- Gender
- Religion
- Sexuality
- Ability
- Citizenship
- Other social categories
You'll learn how to use this lens through sociology's analytical perspective, social theories and research methods. You'll become aware of the human social relationships, cultures and groups that profoundly shape our lives.
Through your coursework, you'll develop:
- Critical analytic skills
- Enhanced writing abilities
- A broad knowledge of social relations, social systems and processes
- A substantive knowledge in a variety of sociological sub-fields such as immigration, social movements, globalization, social welfare practice and policies, family, education, work, and law, among others.
You'll explore how sociology has been used to solve problems for clients, agencies and the community. You'll discover how sociology has contributed to social policy formulation and policy analysis. You'll be prepared to take your learning and apply it to your future career.
Why Study Sociology at CSUN?
Three Concentrations
Sociology is a broad field with many applications. To help prepare you for your future goals and cater to your interest, we offer three concentrations for your major. The concentrations are:
- Social Welfare and Social Justice
- Inequality and Diversity
- Social Movements and Political Sociology
Excellent Faculty
Our faculty have a long tradition of research and teaching in a range of specializations which include:
- Race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality
- Immigration, globalization, Social inequality
- Political sociology, social movements, social justice
- Education, religion, media, health, labor/work, crime/deviance
- Social psychology, sociology of emotions, cultural sociology
Our faculty have published the following research:
- Aspects of Sexual Subjectivity Among Young Women
- Children’s Academic Achievement in the U.S. and Great Britain
- Co-constructed Narratives of Pansexuality
- Decentering the White American Religious Experience
- Latino Migrant Day Laborers in Post-Harvey Houston and Critical Environmental Justice
- Photographic Voices of Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive Undocumented and Displaced People
- Profiles of Academic Achievement and Persistence: Rethinking Narratives about Latino/a/x College Students in need of remediation
- Role Identities and Self-Efficacy
- Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, and the #MeToo movement in Portuguese politics
Honor Society
The Department of Sociology is proud to host a chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society. You can apply to the society beginning your junior year, and you must have at least a 3.3 overall GPA. As a member, you'll enhance your resume, gain networking opportunities and find internship opportunities.
What You'll Learn
As a Sociology major, you will study human behavior in groups, organizations and institutions. You will learn sociological theory and research skills that will help prepare you for your career.
In your core courses, you will learn about:
- Classical sociological theory
- Contemporary sociological theory
- Statistical techniques in social research
- Qualitative and quantitative research methods
You will take a variety of electives to complete your major. These electives include courses such as:
- Sociology of Education
- Sociology of LGBT+ Communities
- Culture and Personality
- The Family
- Sociology of Religion
- Social Psychology
You may also choose to take one of our three concentrations to help focus your elective classes.
In this concentration you will focus on social service and social justice work to enhance the lives of others. Students choosing this concentration will gain a foundation for a career in social work, counseling, and social services. You will take:
- Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice
- Supervised Field Seminar and Fieldwork
You will also choose one additional class:
- Social Welfare Institutions
- Social Legislation and Social Policy
- Diversity and Social Justice
In this concentration you will study the distribution of power, diversity and the ways in which social categories impact social relations. With this concentration, you will gain a foundation for careers in the public, private or non-profit sector as you deepen your knowledge of diversity.
You will take the course Class, Status and Power. You will also choose two additional classes from the following:
- Ethnic Diversity in America
- Sociology of Sex and Gender
- Sociology of Immigration
In this concentration, you will study social change through social movements, political processes, and globalization. Students choosing this concentration will gain a foundation to engage in social change work as community organizers, in politics, and in the public or non-profit arena. You will choose three courses:
- Political Sociology or Social Movements
- Sociology of Globalization or Politics of Globalization
- Social Movements
- Progressive Community Organizing
Careers & Outcomes
Our Sociology major will help you to apply sociological concepts to the real world. You'll be adept at collecting, analyzing and interpreting data. You'll understand issues of diversity and social change. You'll be ready for a variety of careers in fields such as social work, education, community organizing and market research. You'll also be prepared to apply for master's programs in sociology and other related fields.
Employers of recent alumni include:
- Children's Law Center of California
- County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health
- CSUN Family Focus Research Center
- Filmore Unified School District
- Friends Research Institute
- Good Shepherd Domestic Violence Shelter
- iNexxus Marketing Agency
- LA County Department of Children & Family Services
- Safe Place for Youth
- UNAIDS
Common career paths for graduates include:
- Social work
- Human resources & career counseling
- Community organizing
- Labor relations
- Equity, inclusion, and diversity training
- Market research or policy analysis
- Nonprofit program manager
- Public relations/communications
- Graduate school for sociology, social work, public sector management, etc
- Law school
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