About Sociology at Rice

We offer 20 to 25 different courses annually, in addition to independent reading courses and the senior honors program, both of which are tailored to the interests of individual students. The faculty takes pride in the teaching reputation of the department, and many members of our faculty have won major teaching awards. At this time the department does not have a graduate program, although we do have a postdoctoral program that provides two years of research support for each admitted fellow.

The Sociology Department is located on the fifth floor of the east wing of Sewall Hall; and shares the building with the Rice Art Gallery, the Anthropology Department, the Art and Art History Department, the Linguistics Department, and the Psychology Department.

Sewall Hall was built in 1971 by Lloyd and Jones Architects, and was dedicated to the memory of Cleveland Sewall (1881-1942). This building is located at the east end of the academic court, and resembles the Physics Building located in the opposite side of the court.

Broadly speaking, faculty and postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Sociology at Rice University investigate the causes and consequence of social inequality. Although we research a variety of topics relating to stratification, a major focus is racial and ethnic stratification. For more information about the various research activities going on in the department please visit the People link

The Sociology Department has taught more than 12,000 students over the years and about 600 of them have majored in the discipline.The faculty takes pride in the teaching reputation of the department, and most of the faculty have won major teaching awards.

There are numerous and varied career opportunities available to students graduating with a major in sociology. The major provides a foundation for careers in professional fields like law, criminal justice, social service, and for graduate training as a professional sociologists in government, business, community agencies, research organizations, or educational institutions.

Our undergraduate program provides students with considerable latitude in pursuing personal interests while ensuring familiarity with basic theoretical approaches and research methods. The faculty members rely heavily on undergraduates to participate in research projects.

Our students have received a variety of honors, such as Rhodes Scholarships, the Fulbright scholarships, Watson Fellowships, and two students have been elected president of the Student Association.