The Sociology major emphasizes the development of a sound background in the theoretical understanding and the methodological skills needed for social science research. A hallmark of the Sociology program is the individualized Senior Thesis project. Students work intensively with a faculty member as well as with each other to complete an in-depth sociological study during their senior year. Most students choose to review the sociological literature on a particular topic. Topics from recent years include: anorexia nervosa, Brazil's development policy, the effect of unemployment on the family. Students are encouraged to engage in research either by analyzing survey data or by collecting their own data on a topic. For example, one student developed a questionnaire for college males regarding attitudes towards future wife's employment. Another student did observational research to analyze the friendship patterns among four year olds.

Sociology students often study off campus for one or more semesters in such programs as the Urban Term in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., the Swedish Program in Stockholm, or Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. Interested students should discuss these opportunities with their advisor and the Director of International Education. Many students also take advantage of internships with social agencies, business and industrial organizations, or governmental agencies to combine practical experience with research on a sociological problem.

Some students find that sociology or anthropology courses are part of an interdisciplinary program such as East Asian Studies, Russian Area Studies, Women's Studies, Environmental Studies or Urban Studies; others discover that a Sociology minor can complement a major in other disciplines, such as one of the other social sciences (e.g. Psychology or Political Science).