Sociology alumna builds community through urban farming
Amy Melena ’16 came to The College of Wooster with no knowledge or interest in farming, but she did know she wanted to do […]
Overview
What kinds of jobs are available for sociology majors?
Many sociology graduates from The College of Wooster go on to graduate school in sociology or related fields. Those who enter the job market have started careers in business, education, law, public administration, public health, social work, counseling, research, and criminal justice. Recent graduates include a high school principal, journalist, research fellow and other roles.
Sociology at The College of Wooster
The program emphasizes the value of learning how to deal with contemporary social issues and how to develop problem-solving and research skills. Students have abundant opportunities to learn and conduct research outside the classroom, including a course taught once a year in a juvenile prison and semester programs abroad. Faculty members bring expertise in systems of inequality, race and ethnicity, gender, medical systems, welfare reform, criminology, nonprofit work, environmental advocacy, etc. Students can opt to be part of a 3-2 program with Case Western Reserve University, allowing them to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work in five years.
Learn about Anthropology at WoosterFaculty & Staff
Christa Craven
Professor of Anthropology and Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies, Program Chair of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies (On leave Spring 2025)
Heather Fitz Gibbon
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology; Department Chair of Urban Studies
Setsuko Matsuzawa
Professor of Anthropology and Sociology; East Asian Studies
Olivia Navarro-Farr
Professor of Archaeology, Sociology, and Anthropology; Program Chair for Archaeology
Santha Schuch
Administrative Coordinator - Africana Studies, Archaeology, East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern & North African Studies, Religious Studies, Sociology and Anthropology, South Asian Studies, Urban Studies, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Zareen Thomas
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology; Latin American Studies; Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
Latest Sociology News
Six Wooster students compete in Moot Court national tournament
Six students from The College of Wooster’s Moot Court team recently competed in the American Moot Court Association National Tournament. Representing Wooster at the […]
Sociology major talks with individuals seeking asylum during APEX Fellowship
Aimee Hernandez ’25, a sociology major at The College of Wooster, completed an APEX Fellowship at The Ohio Center for Immigration Litigation and Outreach […]
Sociology major expands leadership and education skills in APEX fellowship
Nachi Goto ’25, a sociology major at The College of Wooster, completed an APEX fellowship at Ryugaku Fellowship, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering […]
Major
The basic challenge in sociology is to understand ourselves and others more fully. The discipline asks us to probe beneath the surface and to question why people behave as they do, especially in group situations. The sociological perspective asks us to question what we often take for granted, why our society operates as it does, and how our social arrangements could be different.
Students who major in sociology must take 12 department-related courses, including courses in anthropology, social statistics, classic and contemporary social theory.
View CoursesMinor
Six courses in sociology and related courses are required to complete a minor.
View CoursesIndependent Study
In the senior year, each student works with a faculty mentor to conduct an intensive investigation into a subject of the student’s choosing, which results in the Independent Study thesis. Recent students have explored major social problems such as crime, homelessness, or poverty as well as issues affecting individuals and families such as college dating behavior, the effects of athletic participation on academic performance, and working mothers.
View the IS Handbook for Sociology and AnthropologySearch the I.S. Database
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Alumni
Many majors elect to enter graduate study in sociology. Others move into careers in business, education, law, public administration, social work, counseling, museum studies, and criminal justice. For example, one recent graduate is working as a career counselor at Georgetown University; another is an associate attorney in a law firm; others have titles ranging from medical social worker to college librarian to bank manager.
Lectures
Stieglitz Memorial Fund
In 1989 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis N. Stieglitz, M.D. from Concord, New Hampshire, established an endowed fund in memory of their son Martin, a Sociology major, who died in an off-campus apartment fire, spring semester, 1989. The fund enables the Department to invite prominent sociologists and anthropologists to campus each year as Stieglitz Lecturers.
Faculty Emeriti
