Sociology is a science dedicated to understanding the social universe, from the micro-dynamics of human emotions to the larger processes involved in the creation of social institutions, corporate organizations, and large-scale industrialized societies. To give Sociology majors a firm understanding of the field, the UCR department of sociology offers courses covering a broad spectrum of topics including; ethnicity, race and class inequality, gender, social stratification, sociology of education, the city and urban problems, the environment, sociology of religion, as well as crime and deviance. Course topics also include sociology of human and primate societies, formal and large organizations, the family, political organizations, language diversity in the United States, evolutionary sociology and social psychology.

The Sociology undergraduate program has two major goals: to promote undergraduate excellence and to advance career success for students after graduation. To this end, Department staff and faculty provide students with individual attention and guidance. In addition, structured and diversified courses foster analytical and critical thinking.

The Department is known for outstanding teaching evaluations, research, and for the commitment of its full professors to teaching lower division courses in social problems, inequality in American society, and especially the introduction to sociology.

Sociology Department
1206 Watkins Hall
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
Phone: (951) 827-5444
Fax: (951) 827-3330