Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, students majoring in Sociology will be able to:

  • Engage in critical, analytical thinking and writing
  • Describe and analyze the connections between individuals, institutions, and social structure, which is fundamental to the sociological enterprise.
  • Discuss and synthesize the leading sociological paradigms, including the foundational work of Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Karl Marx.
  • Conduct original research and collect data using quantitative and qualitative methods.
  • Understand the crucial role of gender, race, class, and ethnic diversity in major American institutions, including economic, educational, political, and health care institutions.

Students in the sociology and organizational studies majors at UC Davis are trained and assessed in accordance with the standards of the American Sociological Association. The discipline of sociology historically has revolved around the mission to understand the meaning of society, analyze the social world critically, look beyond the surface of issues to discover the why1, analyze the linkages between individuals and societies, and question the power relations undergirding the organization of contemporary societies. We strive to equip students with the skills to enter the labor market or move on to graduate-level training in multiple fields.

Consistent with ASA standards, we expect our students to develop capacities for:
  • Creativity 

  • Innovation 

  • Critical thinking 

  • Analytic problem solving 

  • Skillful communication 

  • Collaboration 

  • Multi-cultural and global understandings 

  • Cultivation of successful interactions among people of diverse racial and ethnic 
backgrounds 

  • Strong use of math and science skills in problem solving 

  • Researching and analyzing data; facility with both qualitative and quantitative data 
collection procedures 

  • A firm understanding of the leading sociological theoretical paradigms 

  • Excellent written expression 2345

1 “Thinking About Majoring in Sociology.” 2010. American Sociological Association, http://www.asanet.org/students/majoring_sociology.cfm.
2 “Included in Sociology: Learning Climates that Cultivate Racial and Ethnic Diversity.” 2002. American Sociological Association, http://www.e-noah.net/asa/asashoponlineservice/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=ASAOE100I02.
3 21st Century Careers with an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology. 2009. American Sociological Association, www.asanet.org.
4 “Thinking About Majoring in Sociology.” 2010. American Sociological Association, http://www.asanet.org/students/majoring_sociology.cfm.
5 Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major Updated: Meeting the Challenge of Teaching Sociology in the Twenty-First Century. 2004. A Report of the ASA Task Force on the Undergraduate Major. American Sociological Association.