Prospective Students

Welcome to GVSU Sociology!

The Reverend Martin Luther King was a sociology major. So was former First Lady, philanthropist, and lawyer, Michelle Obama. Sociology welcomes critical thinkers of all varieties and we are proud to say that our student body is one of the most diverse on campus. If you want to change the world, and you don’t think it is cliché to say so, sociology may very well be the major for you. By developing a “sociological imagination” you will be better able to actively engage the world around you and to do something constructive and useful in it. Sociology students learn about the dynamics of race, class, and gender and about the powerful institutions that we live in and work in everyday. Our graduates have found success in government and non-profit agencies, in large and small private business, and as university professors and researchers. Students choose the sociology major because they are genuinely interested in the concepts and ideas that we teach and because sociology helps them to understand their lives. The world is constantly changing. Why not learn to affect that change? 

Other notable Sociology Majors include:

  • Political Activist, Minister, and Politician, Reverend Jesse Jackson
  • Politician, Activist, and Educator, Shirly Chisolm
  • Politician Maxine Waters
  • Politician Cory Booker
  • Actress Nina Dobrev
  • Actress Gabrielle Union
  • Actor Kal Penn
  • Author Mitch Albom
  • Actor Dan Ackroyd
  • Former Head of NAACP Roy Wilkins
  • Workers' Rights Activist Francis Perkins
  • The Sex Doctor, aka Dr. Ruth Westheimer,
  • Father of Community Organizing, Saul Alinsky
  • Athlete Alonzo Morning
  • Actress Yara Shahidi (in school now for Sociology)
  • NFL Coach Mike Tomlin

Events

ENS Fall 2024 Sustainability Showcase (Nov 18 - Nov 23)

November 21, 2024 All Day

You're invited to learn about the research projects, innovative designs, and assessments that students in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENS) Program have been working on this semester.  Starting...

The Uplift Exchange

November 21, 2024 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Come through to The Uplift Exchange! Write a quick note of gratitude, take a positive message for yourself, and spread some good energy across campus. It’s a simple way to brighten your...

Student Solutions Summit

November 21, 2024 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

The Student Senate's Student Solutions Summit is a public forum-style event for students to engage with their student government, express their biggest concerns on-campus, and learn about what...

Volunteer with Family Promise!

November 21, 2024 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Come enjoy some hot cocoa while decorating cards for Family Promise! Grand Valley Alternative breaks has worked with Family Promise on multiple occasions. At this event, we will be making cards...

INTIMATE APPAREL (presented by Theatre at Grand Valley)

November 21, 2024 7:30 PM

Written by Lynn Nottage Directed by Demetria Thomas Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts Winner of the 2004 New York Drama Critics’ Circle...

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Page last modified January 17, 2022