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Sociology Department

The Sociology Department aims to foster the intellectual development of students and to promote lifelong learning experiences. Through coursework, we expect our students to develop what C. Wright Mills called the “sociological imagination,” or the ability to recognize and assess how social forces shape the lives of individuals in a changing and complex world.

Our curriculum is designed to help students to explore relationships in society, the social and cultural dimensions of human behavior, the dynamics of interaction, social institutions and groups, and social change in a global context. Upon completing the major, students are equipped with the necessary analytical and methodological skills to help solve contemporary real-world problems and are prepared for graduate study and careers in a range of fields.

James T. Mathieu
Emeritus Professor of Sociology, James T. Mathieu passed away on August 6, 2024. He was 91 years old.
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Check here regularly to stay up-to-date on Department related news, internship opportunities, and resources.
Professor Sylvia Zamora connects Elias Herrera '26 with a social entrepreneurship internship at Inclusive Action.
2014_19.00 - Manuel Paz-Castanal - An Exhibition
Interested in social interaction, relationships, communities, and institutions? Considering a career in community service, mental/public health, or corporate development?
4 Hands
The goal of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is to actively cultivate an anti-racist institutional climate that supports inclusive excellence and fights systemic oppression.
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The Sociological Eye is an academic journal, published by the Sociology Department, focusing on the scholarly work produced by LMU undergraduates.
Loretta Morris Headsho
Each academic year, the faculty of the Department of Sociology selects a sociology major as a recipient of the Loretta Morris scholarship.