Students acquire the "sociological imagination," a broad perspective of the relationship between society and the individual with a strong emphasis on social justice, gender, race, and contemporary urban and global problems. This emphasis leads to greater self-awareness, appreciation for diversity, understanding of local-global connections, and the knowledge and skills needed to work for a more socially just world. The department of sociology houses three institutes, the Policy Research Collaborative, the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation, and the St. Clair Drake Center for African and African-American Studies, which provide students with opportunities for internships, transformational learning, and courses that take students into Chicago neighborhoods.

An individual who has completed or will complete a high school degree or its equivalent and has fewer than 15 transferrable college credit hours. IELTS 6.5 or equivalent