Sociology

The sociology department at Salem State is an inclusive and collaborative community with a commitment to high quality and supportive instruction, research, and service. Faculty and students are engaged in a myriad of activities that surround various contemporary social issues affecting the United States and the global community, including those related to race and ethnicity, immigration, health, the American criminal justice system, American culture, family and intimate relationships, and gender and sexuality, to name a few areas. The sociology program places at the center many of these social issues, with the objective to help students deepen their understanding of social patterns and processes, the social causes and consequences of complex social problems, and the possibilities for social change.

Why Study Sociology?

Why Study Sociology?
2022 Salem State sociology graduates pose for a photo.

About Sociology

Sociology is the discipline at the heart of understanding the human condition. Sociologists and students of sociology seek to better understand social relations through the study of social groups, social behavior, social interactions, social institutions, and social structures.

Why Study Sociology?

Degree Programs

Undergraduate Degrees and Concentrations

  • Sociology

    BA
    Undergraduate

    The BA in sociology is the traditional degree in the discipline and provides students with both a strong training in sociology and foreign-language proficiency. In addition to the university's general education course requirements, students will study a broad range of sociological topics, which include the core courses (statistics, sociological theory, and research methods), and a variety of sociology electives. Students also will gain world-language proficiency. The minor requirement allows students to select a second discipline that complements their professional interest. The BA option is appropriate for students interested in pursuing graduate school, which often has a foreign-language proficiency requirement. 

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    Program Requirements

  • Sociology

    BS
    Undergraduate

    The BS in sociology combines a solid liberal arts and science curriculum with courses that complement specific career goals. Students will study a broad range of sociological topics, including the core courses (statistics, sociological theory, and research methods) and an array of sociology electives, together with the university's general education course requirements. The BS in sociology with a minor offers greater flexibility, as there is no foreign-language proficiency requirement. The BS option is appropriate for students considering the job market upon graduation and can be appropriate for those intending to further their education with graduate study if they choose the elective courses to support that choice.

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    Program Requirements

Minors

  • Sociology

    Minor
    Undergraduate

    Studying sociology not only allows students to better understand the social world, but it provides good preparation for a broad array of careers in both the public and private sectors, including in education, social services, law enforcement, public administration, and other areas. The minor in sociology requires 18 hours in sociology, including SOC 110 (introduction to sociology) as the basic course and the prerequisite to the other 15 hours required.

    Program Requirements

About Salem State's Sociology Program

Studying sociology enables students to:

Graduation cap or hat, certificate or diploma, mini text books on a laptop computer, a half world glob
  • Recognize cultural differences in the United States and in other parts of the world.
  • Gain a deeper understanding of groups and experiences that are different than their own. 
  • Get a sense of how differences in opportunities, experiences, and outcomes may be shaped by race, ethnicity, sex/gender, social class, and other social statuses.
  • Understand how social inequality is created, structured, and reinforced.
  • Become conscious of how our society is organized and why disparities, inequality, and social problems arise.

Sociology Curriculum

Meier Hall

Salem State sociology majors take a core group of classes that form the backbone of the discipline. Core classes include statistics, classical theory, contemporary theory, and research methods. Sociology students benefit from a variety of sociology electives in both general areas (e.g., social inequality and social problems) and more specialized areas (Afro-Latinos, gender and society, public sociology, race and ethnicity, social deviance, and urban sociology, to name a few of our electives). Students conclude their coursework through more applied and experiential courses (internship and/or community involvement), with the capstone seminar in sociology as the culminating experience within the major. Discover why a sociology degree could be right for you!

Student Opportunities in Sociology

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The sociology department offers a variety of opportunities and activities for our students, both inside and outside of the classroom:

What Can I Do with a Degree in Sociology? 

Hands holding graduation caps up against a blue sky.

The sociology program at Salem State provides students with excellent preparation for graduate school and professional careers. The discipline builds the necessary skills for careers in public policy, law, human and organizational relations, education, social service, criminal justice, and a variety of entrepreneurial activities. Learn more about career opportunities in sociology.

Student Spotlights
  • Matthew Morrissey

    Matthew Morrissey '22

    Sociology, higher education student affairs administration

    “I chose sociology because it gave me the opportunity and knowledge to recognize how some institutions affect different groups of people. In the sociology program at Salem State, I was able to learn about many aspects of sociology--from sexuality to race to food and even deviance. The sociology major at Salem State gave me the unique opportunity to analyze groups at the macro and micro levels, which I would not have been able to do in another major.”

    Read their story
  • Sydney Guerrier '21

    Sydney Guerrier '21

    Sociology and biology, chemistry minor

    “As an individual who comes from a family of first-generation immigrants, I understand that people in similar situations to me often struggle to obtain care and support from the current healthcare system. I strive to be a pediatrician...by using sociology to understand some of those family, cultural and social dynamics, I think it will help me decrease the barrier of entry to earn my patient’s trust and deliver the best possible care that I can for them.”

    Read his story
  • Toiell Washington

    Toiell Washington '21

    Sociology, women's studies minor

    "While I originally came to Salem undecided, the sociology department was one of the most supportive and diverse at the university. Not only was it diverse in faculty, but also in world topics that were all equally important to learn doing social change work."

    Read her story
  • Kassandra Fabian

    Kassandra Fabian '20

    Sociology, political science

    "My love for sociology is thanks to the outstanding professors we have at Salem State. I do not think I would be so enthralled with this major if it weren’t for them. They know how to capture the student’s attention, design a powerful curriculum, and put their soul into teaching. There is nothing more valuable than to learn from a professor who is truly passionate about the topics they teach."

    Read her story

Sara Moore

Sociology chair Sara Moore

Sociology Faculty

Sara Moore, Chair

"Sociology is really about giving students the skills and the opportunities to think about how the world works around them... that knowledge is really useful across a wide variety of professions and industries."

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Contact Us

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Have questions or want to learn more about Salem State's sociology program? Contact the department chairperson, Sara Moore, or the administrative assistant, Liza Bathurst, lbathurst@salemstate.edu, 978.542.6362.

Find a specific faculty or staff member from the sociology department.

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Contact Us

978.542.2795
Meier Hall, third floor, room 335
Mailing Address:
352 Lafayette St.
Salem, MA 01970
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