Sociology Degree - BA | University of the Pacific

Understand what shapes our society and empower change

Earning your sociology degree at University of the Pacific means you'll dive into real-world experiences right away—both on campus and beyond. Through Pacific’s Department of Sociology’s strong connections, you'll sharpen your career goals and land internships in areas like social work, law, veterans' services and criminal justice. You'll also find your people here when you join student clubs and community organizations that will make your sociology experience even richer.

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Why sociology?

At a moment when our society is reckoning with systemic racism, sexual harassment and growing inequality, sociology has never been more relevant. Whether you're interested in social work, criminal justice, public policy, youth mentoring or community development, Pacific has a place and a pathway for you.

Beyond the classroom experience

At Pacific, you can learn through experience by interning or working with professional sociologists. Whether you’re serving a community or joining campus organizations, there are many ways to enrich your sociology experience.

Three-year sociology degree option

Do your part to stay on track and you could shave a year off your undergraduate work by completing your sociology degree at Pacific in just three years. By taking a focused courseload, you’ll save on tuition and get a head start on launching your career or starting graduate school—one year earlier than most.

Career Paths in Sociology

Since sociology is such a broad field, there really is no end to what you can do with the degree. When you graduate, you’ll have the ability to map out social structures and discover the ways in which race, gender, power and economic worth shape society.

Examine social processes like deviance, social mobility and community building.

Explore alternatives and evaluate social solutions to problems like poverty, racism and crime.

Discover ways to effectively and equitably interact with your peers while maintaining social order or mapping social change.

Pacific’s sociology graduates enjoy careers in areas as diverse as criminal justice, law, journalism, social services, urban planning, government, education and business. You can also prepare for graduate study and become a professional researcher or teacher in your field.

The first Latina Chief of Police in Northern California
A disaster-response planning expert in Washington D.C.
A social worker dealing with problems of aging populations in Los Angeles
An associate working with a national civil rights organization
An advocate for the Cambodian League for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

Criminal Justice concentration

Pacific offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology with a criminal justice concentration to prepare you for careers in community reform, gang prevention, family support and more. You’ll explore issues like mass incarceration while building the skills to shape a fairer, just society.

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Pacific student volunteer wearing t-shirt that says, "Be part of the solution".

Outstanding sociology student

Rahila Shah

Rahila's passion for sociology is personal. She has wanted to be a medical social worker since her family was helped by a social worker when her grandmother was sick. Now Rahila wants to do the same for other families.

Learn more about Rahila

Public policy dual-degree program

At Pacific, you can earn your sociology degree and a public policy minor in just 3.5 years—then head straight into McGeorge School of Law’s Master of Public Policy program, finishing in only 1.5 more. Stay on track academically, and your spot in the grad program is guaranteed. The program offers a foundation in law and develops the quantitative analytical skills used in formulating public policy.

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students in master of public policy classroom

Success After Pacific

Michelle Prince

“When I started in sociology, I fell in love with learning more about the world around us, the culture and how culture impacts our behavior. And that led to my gender studies minor and learning more about how we identify and the importance of identifying.”

Learn More About Michelle