Sociology is the science of society, social institutions and social relationships. UVM's Sociology Department has earned a reputation for outstanding teaching and a diverse array of courses that use the sociological perspective to analyze current social issues such as crime, deviance, gender, social organization of the family, race relations, health care, and death and dying.
Majors are trained in both qualitative and quantitative research methods in order to master analytical thinking tools. Faculty members conduct important sponsored research and have reaped prestigious awards from the American Society of Criminology, National Science Foundation and National Institute on Aging, among other organizations. Many professors also serve as advisors to community organizations such as the Vermont Health and Corrections departments. Students take part in a wide array of internships, and many serve as teaching assistants or assist faculty in research projects to gain experience in the collection of data and presentation of the results. Graduates leave UVM well-prepared to begin careers in both the public and private sectors.
Phone: (802) 656-3236
Fax: (802) 656-2131
E-mail: Sociology@uvm.edu
Department Web Site:
http://www.uvm.edu/~soceval/
Graduate school: Nearly 60 percent of majors who graduated in the last five years have completed an advanced degree or are in the process of doing so. Alumni gain admittance to some of the country's best university graduate programs, including Harvard, Princeton and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Careers: Alumni pursue careers in public policy, public administration, criminal justice, urban planning, public health and law. Some eventually teach: Three faculty members in the department earned their undergraduate degree in sociology at UVM.
Sociology alums work for public companies, nonprofit agencies, governmental bureaus and community programs; others launch careers in research, advertising, public administration, program and policy planning, marketing, management and human services. Majors serve as a special assistant to the president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research, an educator/coordinator for the Anti-Defamation League, a teacher at the National Institute of Technology in Beijing, a case worker for troubled youth at the North American Family Institute, a production assistant at NBC News and a journalist for The Village Voice.
