Undergraduate
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Undergraduate

When you take courses in Dartmouth's Sociology Department, you'll be introduced to a unique way of asking questions, examining problems, and viewing the world. Sociology is really about learning analytical thinking in the best tradition of the liberal arts.

  • Professor Kathryn Lively talks with students.

Curriculum and Perspective

In addition to the standard major, the three sociology minors and the modified major are designed to fit the needs of students who have an interest in sociology but are primarily interested in another discipline or, in the case of a modified major, wish to study some specific problem or topic that resides at the nexus of sociology and a related field.

Our curriculum focuses on current and important social problems and the theoretical and methodological tools needed to understand them. The world is constantly confronted with public policy issues that are essentially social in character. Sociological analyses provide a coherent, yet diverse framework for examining these issues and understanding the many perspectives involved in attempting to solve social problems.

We also provide students with a unique perspective to understand their day-to-day lives. Sociological questions concern not only interpersonal interaction and conflict, but also the behaviors of groups, organizations, institutions, industries, social movements, and nation states.

Educational Aims and Learning Outcomes

  • Students will gain an understanding of core sociological theories and how they apply to a wide range of real-world issues.
  • Students will learn how to interpret theory and research findings and communicate them to a broad public audience.
  • Students will acquire the methodological tools to design and conduct sociological research.