Mission Statement

The Department of Sociology at UMass Lowell, through excellence in teaching, research, service and mentorship contributes to a rigorous, scientific understanding of society that will serve as a powerful resource for strengthening communities. We provide a diverse environment in which students gain the skills to think using a critical and intersectional perspective and to contribute to social justice and community building through their academic and professional work.

Overview/Description

The Department of Sociology at UMass Lowell provides an enriching program of study for students interested in understanding society's effect on people and people's effect on society, based in a social justice perspective. Sociology students at UMass Lowell delve deeply into issues surrounding class, gender, sexuality, race, and physical ability, with a focus on inequalities. Through coursework, service learning, and research, students gain the skills to think critically, to analyze structures of organizations and to view society from a critical perspective.

Students across many disciplines take introductory sociology courses as part of their course of study, and we also have a Sociology minor, as well as a robust concentration within the Bachelor of Liberal Arts program. In addition, Sociology faculty are involved in many interdisciplinary undergraduate programs at UMass Lowell, including Gender Studies, Labor Studies, Disability Studies, Environment & Society and Peace & Conflict Studies. At the graduate level, the Sociology Department contributes to a number of interdisciplinary efforts, and is central to the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program.

For additional information, visit the Department of Sociology website.