Welcome to the Whitman College Department of Sociology!

Sociology courses deal with the structure and functioning of societies, the nature of social interaction, the relationship between the individual and society, and the nature of change in human societies.

We here at the Sociology Department strive to give our students a diverse exposure to and understanding of sociology. We therefore offer a wide variety of classes with topics ranging from Environmental Sociology to the History and Sociology of Rock 'n' Roll. Be sure to check out a list of the courses that we offer, and a short description of each of them by clicking the "Courses" link at the top. If you want to take a closer look at a course, just click on the "Syllabi" link to see the syllabus for the course that interests you.

A culmination of this diverse major is the senior thesis. Anyone is welcome to attend the presentations, so swing by if you have a chance! We are housed in the Maxey Hall of Social Sciences here at Whitman College. Take a tour of the college to find out more about where we are located.

Sociology Major Requirements

The Sociology major: Sociology 117, 207, 367, 490, either 492 or 498; additional work in sociology to make a total of 36 credits.

The Sociology minor: Sociology 117, 207, 367; additional work in sociology for a minimum of 18 credits.

The Sociology-Environmental Studies combined major: Sociology 117, 207, 367; one course chosen from either Sociology 307, 309, 317, 348, or 350 (chosen from whichever were not taken as a basic background course); one course selected from: Sociology 257, 347, 369, 490, 492, or 498. For more information about this option, please visit the Environmental Studies section of the Whitman catalog.

Those students interested in teaching sociology at the high school level should take Sociology 330, and a selection of advanced problems courses (numbered 257 through 317) as electives. Those interested in community organization should take Sociology 259, 260, 267, 300, 307, 317, 347, 350. Recommended courses for students going on in social work or other social service organizations include: Economics 107, History 368, Philosophy 127, and 128, Psychology 110, 210, 240, 260, and 330, and Sociology 117, 257, 267, 300, 307, 317, 330, and 350. For more information regarding this issue, please see the Careers and Professions portion of the Whitman catalog.