Sociology is the study of associational life. It is not the study of people, but the study of relationships among and between people.
Sociology addresses many of the same areas of life as our neighboring social science disciplines. But rather than approaching people as isolated, independent units, sociology conceives of society as composed of groups, relationships, and interactions that are embedded within the complex whole of the social world. Through this lens, sociologists use various conceptual and methodological approaches--both qualitative and quantitative--to explore a wide range of human activity: from politics, technologies, and inequality, to cities, culture, media, and religion.
Columbia's sociology department is one of the original homes of the discipline in the United States. Students will find the department to be welcoming and close-knit, as well as intellectually broad and demanding. A degree in sociology will prepare you for a wide variety of jobs and careers.
The department's Director of Undergraduate Studies is Teresa Sharpe. You can sign up for her office hours here.
For additional information about the department, please see Columbia College's Sociology Undergraduate Overview.
