Undergraduate
Dear Visitor:
Welcome to Northwestern’s undergraduate program in sociology!
My name is Karrie Snyder, and I’m the Director of Undergraduate Studies. If this is your first time visiting us online, it’s my pleasure and privilege to introduce you to our undergraduate program. If you’ve been here before, welcome back!
In its most elemental form, sociology can be understood as the systematic study of social groups. Where do different social groups come from? How do they shape the way we see the world and the way the world treats us? What kind of impact have different social groups had on our economic, political, and cultural life together?
Northwestern is one of the best places in the country to become acquainted with the field of sociology as an undergraduate. Our department features a world-class collection of faculty and top-notch graduate students. We are strong across all major areas of the field, but we are especially strong in the study of race, gender, sexuality, law, historical sociology, economic sociology, political sociology, urban sociology, ethnography, science and technology, and culture.
Based in Weinberg College, the primary mission of the undergraduate program in the sociology department is the provision of a high-quality liberal arts education. Drawing on their knowledge of sociology, our faculty members strive to teach Northwestern students how to read critically, think clearly, and write persuasively.
The undergraduate program features a well-balanced selection of challenging and rewarding courses. We have the ability to offer our students not only fairly wide exposure to the field but also the chance to delve deeply into the topics that interest them the most. We offer a few large classes taught by dynamic lecturers, but also a substantial selection of smaller classes where students have ample opportunity for close, classroom interaction with our faculty. Whether you are a first-year student looking for some exposure to the social sciences, or a Biology major looking for a distribution course, or a Medill student looking to develop some expertise on a topic that you hope to report on in your future career as a news correspondent, almost everyone can find something to interest them in the sociology department.
If you are still searching for a major, sociology is worth your consideration. Anywhere from eighty to one hundred students major in sociology at any given point in time. We have somewhere between forty to sixty minors in a normal year. This makes us a medium-sized major in Weinberg College, and what our size gives us is the ability to offer you a rich selection of intellectual opportunities along with a degree of individualized attention and more than a measure of freedom and flexibility. The latter qualities are certainly valued by the one-quarter to one-third of our majors who are actually double-majors. Our majors go on to a wide range of careers after graduating, and what they learn in their sociological education serves them well.
Thanks so much for visiting our website; I hope you find it a useful way of learning about the undergraduate program and how it might help you meet your interests and goals in your time at Northwestern. Please don’t hesitate to e-mail me if you have any questions!
All the best,
Karrie Ann Snyder
Director of Undergraduate Studies