OVERVIEW

Waynesburg University gears the sociology major toward preparing students for careers in government, social service, and educational institutions as well as adequate preparation for graduate study in sociology, social work, and allied fields. The program also intends to support and extend the liberal arts and science foundation that is imperative for those who will meet the challenges of the future with responsibility, versatility, and compassion. To these ends, the sociology major offers three different tracks: sociological studies, urban studies, and family studies.

• articulate how broad social forces have shaped and continue to shape the modern world;
• evaluate how these forces strongly affect the opportunities available to individuals and their decisions;
• compare many of the different perspectives within the discipline that affect the conduct and practice of sociology;
• identify many of the subfields within the discipline and understand how sociological perspectives can be applied to broad spectrum of social phenomena;
• practice the methodological foundations of sociology as an empirical social science and use them in answering complex social questions;
• see the world through the lens of different cultures and communities with profound opportunities to collaborate with others in the development of multi-cultural and global understandings;
• analyze social problems with theories and evidence that can help in solving these problems, thus fostering the strong writing and presentation skills needed in a diverse world; and
• practice tolerance for the beliefs and practices of others.