Best Sociology colleges in Seattle 2024

The Department of Sociology at University of Washington was founded in the 1920’s and boasts a faculty of five departmental members that have served as presidents of the American Sociological Association, and a student to teacher ratio of 21 to 1. The department has a strong commitment to research and in addition to being known for research in institutional analysis (which includes comparative historical sociology, economic sociology, social movements, ethnic conflict and sociology of religion), sociology of gender and sexuality, and theory, the department is affiliated with a number of interdisciplinary centers where research is done on demography and ecology (Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology), family and kinship (Center on the Family), research methodology (Center for Statistics in the Social Sciences), deviance and social control (Comparative Law and Social Studies), and the West Coast Poverty Center.

Undergraduates are able to get real-world experience through three different types of practicum that give students a better idea of what they can do with their degree post-graduation: an education practicum, an applied research practicum, or a community and civic internship program. The University of Washington sociology department also accepts graduate applications for both M.A. and PhD degrees, with more than 300 PhD’s in sociology having been conferred by the department since the degree was first awarded in 1932.