Welcome to Loyola University Chicago’s Department of Sociology! From our faculty to our graduate students, to our undergraduate majors and minors, our department is a place for intellectual growth, a commitment to understanding and engaging major societal challenges, and collegial fellowship. Through research and publication, in-class teaching, and out-of-the-classroom experiences, members of the department reach out in the best tradition of both the sociological discipline and the social justice commitment of Jesuit universities.

What Is Sociology?

Sociology is the study of the various ways that people interact and organize themselves...in nations and families, cities and suburbs, in factories, churches, schools and gangs. The subject matter is the world around us. A sociologist might study the causes of high infant mortality rates among black women, the links between real estate speculation and the creation of ghettos, the work life of people in the gig economy, or the way rumors spread. The perspective gained from sociology teaches us to look in a different way at the world we often take for granted. Introducing students to sociology as a social science, the department seeks to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which people relate to each other through the organization of society and the ways in which social structures influence our lives.

Department History/Overview

Undergraduate students entering Loyola University Chicago's Department of Sociology become part of a distinguished program with a long history of teaching, research, and service to the community begun in 1914. With fifteen full-time active sociologists our department supports both an active research agenda and a teaching program that grants personal attention to our students, small class sizes, and faculty-student collaborations. Faculty in the sociology department do research and teach in a variety of sub-fields, including:

• Urban, Environment, and Community
• Health and Medicine
• Power, Politics, and Social Justice
• Global and Transnational 
• Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality
• Religion, Science, and Knowledge

Along with our research, the department prides itself on its teaching and the quality of the experiences our majors and minors have.

Careers in Sociology

A sociology major is a valuable tool for understanding the world, and the communication and critical thinking skills a Loyola Sociology education offers are flexible and useful in the workplace. Sociology majors and minors can expect to learn important skills that are relevant and useful in the workplace, including:

• How to engage with a range of ideas and arguments, and how to interact thoughtfully with those around them, even when they disagree.
• How to assess data and claims based on data
• How to conduct research and draw valid, data-supported claims about the social world

Graduates of our major go on to graduate school, including medical and law school, as well as a host of different positions in government and non-profits as well as business, marketing, and tech jobs. 

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Policies and Procedures

Please see Undergraduate Policies and Procedures for academic policies that supersede those of academic units within the University.

Sociology (SOCL)