START ON YOUR CAREER PATH WITH A SOCIOLOGY DEGREE
Sociology is the scientific study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and how people interact within these contexts. Potential career paths include community and human service; social activism; advocacy and reform; law enforcement and criminal justice; public service and government; teaching and education; and, general business and management.
Department of Sociology and Social Work
Why Study Sociology at UW-Stevens Point?
Sociology is a highly versatile degree, and at UWSP, we focus on the skills and knowledge graduates need in order to improve organizations, communities, and society writ large. Our program emphasizes the career-readiness and professional proficiencies of Applied Sociology. In other words, we take the ideas of sociology and bring them to life through practical applications and experiences.
Applied Sociology Practicum
All Sociology students are required to complete the Applied Sociology Practicum, an opportunity to utilize and apply their course knowledge to hands-on field or research internships. Internships are a type of experiential learning that provide students with both observational and hands-on knowledge to enhance their academic endeavors and increase their ability to perform professionally. The UW-Stevens Point Department of Sociology and Social Work has partnerships with community organizations and agencies across the region and state. Students acquire transformative knowledge to succeed in their careers by completing our Applied Sociology Practicum.
Career Opportunities
Students are encouraged to explore career options throughout their time at UWSP to understand the abundance of options available with a degree in sociology. Graduates pursue careers in the public and private sectors as well as advanced degrees in graduate school. Entry-level positions for sociology degree majors are common in the public sector and can involve case work, program planning, development and evaluation, agency-based or outreach services, survey research, and statistical analysis. Careers in the private sector can include program consultancy, market research, policy analysis, and others.
WHAT TO EXPECT
A sociology major at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is rooted in 32 credits of coursework that builds analytical skills – through four required core courses – and then applies those skills – through electives that provide a foundation and the Applied Sociology Practicum that emphasizes practical experience.
Required core courses:
- SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
- SOC 350 – Applied Social Theory (3 credits)
- SOC 351 – Social Statistics (4credits)
- SOC 352 – Research Methods (3 credits)
Electives:
15 additional Sociology credits. Course descriptions can be found in the course catalog here.
The Applied Sociology Practicum caps off the Completing an internship as your final undergraduate experience and allows for a natural bridge into the professional world and/or graduate school.
ONLINE OPTION
Sociology students may choose our program coursework delivery in person or fully online with instructors who are highly interactive in the remote learning environment.
STAY CONNECTED + GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS
To connect students to the program, each other, and the university, we have created the SOC-HUB. All students majoring in Sociology have access to the SOC-HUB in Canvas. Students will meet their faculty and find academic, department, campus, and professional resources.
The department sponsors the Sociology and Social Work Organization, a student organization that involves students in extra-curricular activities related to sociology and social work. The organization participates in a wide variety of activities such as hosting speakers and fundraising for cancer research, food drives and numerous other local volunteer activities.
UW-Stevens Point also sponsors a chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta honor society, an organization that acknowledges and promotes excellence in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and other social and intellectual activities that will lead to involvement in the human condition.
More opportunities can be found on the Stevens Point Involvement Network (SPIN).
MEet Your Faculty
Our diverse faculty, with backgrounds from around the U.S. and around the world, has expertise in a wide range of subjects including gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, family, demography, criminology, community studies, environmental sociology, globalization, social inequality, social change, and more. All sociology faculty members hold a Ph.D.
Ann Herda-Rapp
- Professor
David Barry
- Professor
- Applied Sociology Practicum, field coordinator
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Maggie Bohm-Jordan
- Associate Professor
- Coordinator, Health, Behavior, and Society Minor