UWM Department of Sociology

Sociology is the study of patterns of social relations and how those patterns shape what people do and think.  I like to joke that even hermits are shaped by society because, afterall, they can only survive with the skills they learn from society.  From community and conflict, family and inequality, social change and religion, crime and conformity, class and race, gender and work, few fields offer students such breadth in the study of the social world we all inhabit.

For undergraduates we offer an exciting array of classes, where students can study everything from human sexuality to the sociology of culture, from issues related to aging to pressing questions of inequality and poverty.  Students have great opportunities to work closely with our faculty and teaching staff; our wide range of courses offers undergraduates both breadth and depth in their study of sociology.

For graduate students we offer an excellent master’s program, providing outstanding training as preparation for Ph.D. programs or for work in the “real world” of non-profit organizations, businesses, and government agencies. Check out the Prospective Applicants link for more details about the companies and organizations where our graduates work and the Ph.D. programs to which they have gone.

UWM sociology faculty members are engaged in innovative research and teaching across a wide range of topics and our faculty members come from the best universities in the country. We are both deeply rooted in the Milwaukee area and very involved in research on an international scale. We conduct research around the corner from UWM, and in places as far-flung as India and Taiwan. Check out the faculty webpages for more details on faculty publications and areas of expertise.

We hope you will join us!

Kent Redding
Associate Professor and Chair