Sociology is the scientific study of society, social institutions, social relationships, and human organization.
Sociology faculty members at UC Merced have rapidly built a vibrant and collegial intellectual community, marked by outstanding research, engagement in important public discourse in California's Central Valley and across the globe, and dynamic teaching and training at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The goal of our graduate program is to foster scholarly excellence in sociology, with a specific focus on several core areas of the discipline, including race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, politics, immigration, health, and education, among others. Our program is nationally and internationally recognized for its high-quality scholarship, graduate training, and contributions to the university and community. Students master a diverse toolkit of research methods and conceptual approaches for carrying out independent research, while also learning in depth about two core research areas that they select. Doctoral students have the option to obtain master's degrees in sociology en route to their Ph.Ds.

