Sociologists study questions such as: Why do women earn less than men? What effect does poverty have on health? How do couples decide who is responsible for household chores? Are married people happier than single people? Why are so many neighborhoods racially segregated? Why do individuals commit crime? How does a prison record affect a person's chances of getting a job? At UB, we offer courses related to a wide variety of social problems and institutions including family, gender, race, social class, the city, law, social policy, crime, health, organizations, aging populations, and the environment. Training in sociology prepares students for a wide variety of professional careers as well as active, enlightened participation in local, national, and world affairs.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will:

• Be able to identify the major research methods used by sociologists, compare and contrast the utility and relevance of a range of methods to the study of different social issues, and apply some basic research methods to the analysis of social issues
• Obtain knowledge of basic social science statistical methods and be able to conduct basic statistical analysis
• Be able to describe the significance of social theory to society, compare and contrast basic theoretical orientations, and apply some basic theories to social issues