Have you ever wondered why human beings do the things we do? Or thought about how society shapes the decisions we make every day? Sociology seeks to answer these kinds of questions through the scientific study of human behavior in social groups. The discipline examines social institutions and focuses on how people coordinate their activities to achieve both individual and collective goals. California State University, Bakersfield offers both a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Sociology, as well as a minor in Sociology. Undergraduate Sociology majors may choose the general Sociology track (which requires a minor), or may choose from one of three concentrations: Human Services, Ethnic Studies, or Urban Studies and Planning. All Sociology students are required to take the same set of “core” classes. The M.A. graduate program has three separate tracks. The Thesis track prepares students for a career as a college professor; the Teaching track prepares them for community college teaching; the Special Project track prepares students to work in the public service sector. The M.A. program includes a “core” curriculum that all students complete regardless of their focus area. Please click on the links at left for more information about the Sociology department at CSUB. The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology emphasizes the systematic study of human behavior in social groups. It focuses on how people coordinate their activities to achieve both individual and collective goals. Sociology is different from the other social and behavioral sciences in two important ways. First, it places primary importance on the social group within the larger society. Second, it seeks to explain the broad range of human behavior as it is influenced by the social context. Thus, sociology studies the major issues of our times and seeks to understand their complexity and predict their future. It investigates how patterns of social activity originate, what sustains them, why they take one form rather than another, and how they change. Depending on the particular interest of the student, an appropriate minor area of study is selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. In lieu of the traditional minor, the Department also offers a concentration in either Ethnic Studies or in Urban Studies and Planning. Qualified undergraduates are encouraged to seek opportunities as teaching assistants and as research assistants with the Institute for Social and Community Research.

Career opportunities for sociology majors include a variety of agencies at the federal, state, and municipal levels, as well as with both private non-profit and private for-profit organizations.