Skip to main content

Sociology

MajorMinor

Degrees Available: Bachelor of Arts

Explore a wide range of social justice issues and promote a more equitable society.

Sociology at Willamette investigates social inequalities and tactics for social change. Our program will give you opportunities to explore an array of subjects, including racism, human rights, gender and sexuality, sustainability and climate justice, public health, education, social movements and activism.

You’ll learn how interactions between people produce and reproduce social patterns, power dynamics and social structures like capitalism, white supremacy and settler colonialism. Sociology goes beyond blaming individuals for social problems to explore the institutions that make social patterns durable. You’ll also discover how people are organizing to change those institutions. And you’ll be inspired by research and internship opportunities in real-world settings.

By the time you graduate, you'll have the tools to analyze social structures, understand social injustice and promote social change. Your cultural competency and critical thinking skills will lend themselves to careers in social work, education, law, politics, public policy, advocacy and community organizing.

Featured Alumni

German & Russian

Diana Serrano ’10

  • Secondary English learner who was raised in rural Mexico and Woodburn, Oregon
  • Earned an M.A. from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California, then a PhD at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
  • Became a Strategic Data Project fellow through Harvard University in 2019
Sociology

Liz gill '17

  • Interned at the Sustainability Institute, led Take A Break trips and was a scholarship-funded fellow for environmental advocate Oregon Climate
  • Former president and council member of the Associated Students of Willamette University
  • Earned master’s degree at the University of Oxford after graduating
Sociology

Alika Masei '17

  • Joined the Council on Diversity and Social Justice and the President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Created a documentary about LGBTQ+ Pacific Northwest college students
  • Led an effort to add the option of gender pronouns on campus IDS
Willamette University

Sociology Department

Address
Smullin Hall 3rd floor
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6556 voice
503-370-6720 fax