Sociology contains a number of specialty areas including social inequality, race and ethnic relations, urban studies, social movements, law and justice, marriage and family, gender, sexuality, culture and more.

Career Opportunities

  • Paralegal
  • Teacher
  • Public Relations
  • Marketing Associate 
  • Not-for-profit Coordinator
  • Social Service Worker
  • Research Associate
  • Health Care Coordinator
  • Business Management/Development
  • Homeless Advocate
  • Statistician
  • Labor Relations 
  • Juvenile Court Worker
  • Forensic Interviewer
  • Welfare Counselor
  • Program Director 

Study Format

  • On Campus

Sociology Program and Degree Overview

Several popular classes focus on research, providing students with opportunities to conduct original work under the guidance of a faculty member.

Recent research projects have focused on the homeless, the dynamics of congregations, family interactions, labor unions, the assimilation of minority groups and criminal justice.

There are many electives to choose from to complete your degree requirements. Electives cover areas such as the sociology of gender, human rights, criminology, social movements and more.

Students have an opportunity to complete an internship as part of their coursework and to integrate their academic learning with work experiences. They also can participate in the Sociology and Law and Justice Club, a recently formed chapter at CUC.

If choosing to minor in sociology, you are required to take courses covering the fundamentals of sociology and research methods. To complete requirements, you may choose from many electives that are of interest you.

For details about required courses, please visit our online catalog.

Sociology Major Opportunities

Located only 10 miles from downtown Chicago, the University’s location enables students to experience diversity whether it pertains to the arts, cultural institutions or as a learning laboratory. There are nearly endless opportunities for internships, research, study and service.  

CUC’s sociology students have distinguished themselves by presenting the results of their research at several local and national conferences including Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area symposia, the Midwest Sociological Association, Concordia University Chicago’s annual Women’s and Gender Studies Conference and the American Sociological Association.

Students participate in a variety of clubs, associations, organizations and events such as the Global Justice Series.

Sociology honor students are also invited to join Alpha Kappa Delta, a national sociology honor society. The worldwide society has more than 490 chapters and more than 80,000 members who benefit from scholarship and publication opportunities. 

A CUC bachelor of arts degree in sociology provides a solid liberal arts foundation and real-world skills. Employers look for graduates with investigative skills and the ability to work with diverse groups. Sociology students acquire a sociological perspective, develop critical-thinking skills and practice scientific inquiry. Many students who choose sociology as a major go on to careers in law, business, education, government, social work and counseling.

All full-time sociology faculty members have doctorates in sociology. They also have considerable real-world experience that allows them to bridge theory and practice in the classroom setting. You will benefit from one-on-one interaction with your professors.

Alpha Kappa Delta - International Sociology Honors Society

Membership in Alpha Kappa Delta is an earned honor. Once you join, you become a lifetime member. Your membership may be used on your resume, applications for graduate school, and job applications. 

Membership is limited to students in sociology, criminal justice, or social work who have maintained a record of high academic achievement. The purpose of Alpha Kappa Delta is to seek to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition.

Requirements to Join:

  1. Must be sociology major or demonstrate a serious interest in sociology/social issues (all sociology minors, social work majors, and law & justice majors fulfill this requirement)
  2. Have an overall 3.0 GPA, including sociology courses
  3. Must be at least  junior 
  4. Taken at least 4 courses with an SOC prefix

Potential candidates should contact Dr. Carol Jabs as the AKD chapter representative by phone, ext. 3145 or email, Carol.Jabs@CUChicago.edu for further information.

Download the application.

American Correctional Association, CUC Chapter

Membership is open to all individuals and organizations with interest in the correctional field. The American Correctional Association is the largest international organization interested in correction-related scholarship, networking, research and professional standards. This group receives information and field trip invitations to state and national prisons not available to regular classroom groups. Interested students can attend full-day, extended field trips and even participate in correctional officer, warden and counselor job shadowing.

In 2010, Concordia University Chicago welcomed our first ever chapter of the American Correctional Association, the largest international organization interested in correction-related scholarship, networking, research and professional standards.

Benefits of ACA membership:

  • Yearly subscription to Corrections Today, official publication of the ACA.
  • You can attend, or present, at the yearly conference. This is a great way to meet others with similar interests and to build your professional network.
  • Looks great on a resume.