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Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato


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Sociology is the scientific study of contemporary society, social structures, human social behavior, and the organization and functioning of groups. Sociology can help prepare you for a variety of careers and improve your ability to promote social justice in your community.

As sociologists we are able to understand what influences peoples' preferences, how people make their decisions and what factors influence the structure and process of social interactions. Sociological knowledge is a very powerful instrument in understanding the social dynamics of politics, family, community and work.

We deal with questions such as: Why do people vote as they do? What factors lead to a preference for using illegal drugs? How do people bring about social change? What factors contribute to discrimination? How and why have women changed their role in society? Why do we have very rich and very poor in an affluent, democratic society?

Undergraduate Program

The Sociology program has an undergraduate major and minor option. Undergraduate majors can choose to three different tracts: the general tract, globalization, or applied sociology. The general track allows for students to take more diverse electives and is great for those who are planning to go on to graduate school or are unsure what type of work they plan to do after graduation. The applied tract helps students refine their ability to do sociology in work and real-world situations and gain some hands on work experience through an internship. The globalization tract allows students to develop a global perspective of the world and is good for those who plan to work with diverse populations in their future.

  • You can learn more about the course requirements for the undergraduate major here:[PDF] SociologyClassRequirement (245 KiB)
  • You can learn more about the course requirements for the undergraduate minor here: SociologyMinor 
  • The full bulletin with complete course listings for the program is available here: [PDF] Sociology Bulletin (32 KiB)

Graduate Program

The sociology program has four graduate degrees. An M.A in Sociology with a General Emphasis, and M.A. in Sociology with an emphasis in College Teaching and M.S. in Sociology with a Corrections Emphasis and an M.S. in Sociology with an emphasis in Human Services Planning and Administration. Check out our Graduate Program webpage for more information on all of these options.