The Sociology Department at GVSU is a community of critical scholars who analyze the context of social interaction and the construction of difference in society. Sociology is the study and understanding of human interaction, how society effects individuals and how individuals effect society. We offer two majors—a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree that emphasizes research and data analysis, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) that emphasizes foreign language skills and the humanities. We also offer a minor program that fits well with nearly any major.

Whichever major or minor program in Sociology you choose, we study the family, schools, peer groups, environment, gender, ethnicity, politics, economics, popular culture, sustainability, religion, life course, and other substantive areas. Wherever people interact and whatever they create, all the good and the bad of life and the stuff in between, that is the science of sociology.

The Sociology Department is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Why Study Sociology at Grand Valley?

• As a liberal arts school, Grand Valley takes interest in social issues and therefore offers a campus actively engaged in service, creating unique opportunities for sociology students.
• The Sociology Club meets regularly throughout the academic year, engaging in fundraising; social, career, and graduate school planning activities; and providing a forum for discussing topics relevant to the discipline.
• The Grand Valley Theta chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society, promotes excellence in scholarship in the study of sociology, research of social problems, and other social and intellectual activities that will lead to an improvement in the human condition. 

Sociological Scholarship Opportunity

The Sociology Department is very pleased to offer the Robert and Linda '89 Rynbrandt Endowed Sociology Scholarship, funded by a generous grant from the Rynbrandt family. The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage and assist sociology majors with the costs of their junior and senior year at GVSU. Please click here for detailed information.