Undergraduate Sociology Students
Learn about the academic program and the opportunities for students studying sociology.
“Whatever sociology may be, it is the result of constantly asking the question, what is the meaning of this?"
C. Wright Mills (1916-1962)
American sociologist
Systematically Study Social Life
Fascinated by the ways people interact? Interested in understanding social change?
Sociology is the study of human social life. Sociologists examine the dynamics of human social interaction, study the ways we learn to become members of social groups, and investigate the origins of social problems. Our faculty are an energetic group of teachers and scholars who bring a wide variety of perspectives to their classrooms and to their research. Our courses help student understand their current social world and the one they will inhabit in workplaces, communities, and families after they graduate.
Welcome to the Sociology Program
I look forward to meeting with students to help them chart a path to success in our program, and beyond. Sociology has a lot to offer students interested in a wide range of careers, such as health and medicine, law and public policy, and more. The major and minor in sociology are flexible to allow students to tailor their course of study to their interests. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you're interested in our program and have any questions.
Miguel Centellas
Instructional Associate Professor of Sociology and Sociology Undergraduate Program Coordinator
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Academic Advising
Freshman anthropology majors are advised in the Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience located in Martindale-Cole Hall. From sophomore year until graduation, they are advised by Sociology Undergraduate Coordinator in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology. They are also supported by CLA Student Services.
Sociology Undergraduate Coordinator CLA Student Services -
Alpha Kappa Delta
This national sociology honors society is for students with at least 12 hours in sociology and at least a 3.0 GPA in sociology. Our chapter meets for social activities, such as movie and game nights, as the social hub for the community of sociology majors and minors on our campus.
Alpha Kappa Delta AKD Chapter Advisor -
Mark V. Frezzo Human Rights and Social Justice Award
Deepen your engagement with sociology with the mentorship and project of the Frezzo award. Named for Mark Frezzo (1968-2020), the one-year award is given to a sociology major to conduct research or a service-learning project related to human rights and social justice.
Frezzo Award -
Accelerated Law (3+3)
In a partnership with the UM School of Law, students admitted to the Accelerated Law Program may earn baccalaureate and law degrees in 6 years instead of 7 by using first year law school courses to complete their undergraduate degree. They start law school during their senior year.
Accelerated Law (3+3) -
Health Professions Advising Office
Many sociology students pursue a health profession, and many of our courses are required or highly encouraged for students in those programs. Increasingly, medical schools are looking for students with backgrounds in sociology. Learn about the support and activities of a nationally recognized Health Professions Advising Office on our campus.
Health Professions Advising Office -
Careers and Alumni
Discover the wide range of possible career options for sociology graduates.
Sociology Careers and Alumni
Beyond the Classroom
Internship
According to employer surveys, internships are the #1 desired experience on college resumes. Employers want to know that students have experienced the professional world and have solidified their career goals. Take your sociological methods and knowledge into the workplace and enrich your community engagement after graduation.
Research
Sociology students may engage in research with faculty mentorship. One possibility within the department is to work with the Center for Population Studies. Another is the Mark Frezzo Award, which allows students to get mentorship on a project related to social justice and human rights.
Travel Courses
Students earn credit for general education, major, or minor requirements studying abroad for as few as two weeks or as long as an academic year. Even better, travel with a CLA professor during a 2-week term. Other opportunities for faculty-led travel courses are through Study USA. Generous donors help many CLA students participate.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers a Study USA course on the Anthropology of the Blues that travels through the Mississippi Delta.
Promote Development with the Grisham-McLean Institute
The Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Initiative works with students and faculty to build actionable partnerships with Mississippi communities. These partnerships inspire a sense of entrepreneurship in our scholars while promoting economic development in rural Mississippi communities.
Volunteer with M-Partner
A program of the Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement, M Partner has completed nearly 120 projects and engaged over 50 faculty/staff and over 800 students with the partner MS communities of Charleston, Ecru, Lexington, New Albany, Pontotoc, and Oxford. These projects support small businesses, promote tourism, advance food security, offer educational enrichment, promote community health, elevate local history, and build capacity for nonprofit organizations.
Recent Alumna
"I decided to study Sociology as a major and Society and Health as a minor because I am devoted to learning about community health and development. I thought these two fields worked together well to focus on public health and community research. I think majoring in sociology is a great choice for those interested in social relations and social systems, which is emphasized in many classes! This major has helped form a grasp on my goals and intentions within community work and public health."
After earning her Master of Public Administration degree with a focus on Nonprofit Management from the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga, Katie had several years of experience working with and in nonprofit organizations. She currently works in New York City in development within the education sector.
Katie Howell
(B.A. in Sociology, Minor in Society and Health '21)
Outstanding Sociology Students
Each year the Department of Sociology and Anthropology recognizes outstanding sociology students. Over the years sociology majors also have received the top academic award for graduating seniors at UM, the Taylor Medal.
The Julien Tatum Award recognizes the outstanding graduating senior in Sociology. It was established in 1981 by the friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Julien Tatum, former university professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
2025: Azalea Smith
2024: Gracie Gray
2023: Lilly Hunter
2022: Jon’na Bailey
2021: Emma Scott
2020: Jasmine Nguyen
2019: Brenna Paola, Victoria Heim
2018: Elizabeth Taylor
2017: Jacquenique Holifield, Jenna Bailey, Dominique Scott, Ebonee Carpenter
2016: Lauren Hughes
2015: Joshua Shane Horton, Matthew Trent Fernandez
2014: Shanda Taylor, Melissa Wiesniewski
2013: Robert Corban, Emma Willoughby
2012: Heather Knight, Darian Khosrowshahi
2011: Kelly Pizzo, Curtis McGehee
2010: Robert Reece, Artair Rogers, Haley West, Blake Williams
2009: Drew Wilkerson
This award is named after UM sociologist Mark V. Frezzo (1968-2020), a scholar of human rights and "the right to science" as defined in Article 27 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He was loved and respected by students and colleagues for his dedication to his field, his mentorship, and his institution-building efforts. The one-year award is given to a sociology student who demonstrates a passion for human rights (civil, political, economic, social, or cultural rights, including the right to science) and social justice.
2024-25: Rakiya Cunning
2023-24: Gracie Gray
2022-23: Te'Keyra Shelton
Taylor Medals, the university's highest academic award to graduating seniors, recognize no more than 0.45 percent of undergraduates for meritorious scholarship and deportment. Recipients of the award must have at least a 3.90 grade-point average. Students nominated by the College of Liberal Arts have taken their academic achievements "beyond the classroom." The award was established at UM in 1904 by Dr. William A. Taylor of Booneville in memory of his son, an honored 1871 alumnus of the university.
Here are the more recent sociology recipients.
2020: Lauren Hamme
2013: Emma Willoughby
2009: Drew Wilkerson
2000: Kurt Brummett
Recent Award Recipients
Rakiya Cunning
Rakiya Cunning is the 2024-25 Mark Frezzo Award recipient. She worked with Dr. Minjoo Oh, Associate Professor of Sociology, on an honors thesis exploring the connection between the experiences of Black woman in white postsecondary institutions and Black women's attainment (or lack thereof) of true educational justice. By drawing from scholars like Kimberle Crenshaw and Barbara Combs, this project highlights how physical integration at these institutions has not been substantial enough to ensure that all students are getting chances to excel culturally, socially, and academically in higher education settings.
Azalea Smith
Azalea was chosen for the 2025 Tatum award, which recognizes an outstanding senior in sociology. Her work in her courses has reached the highest standards of excellence and she has actively helped build community among sociology majors.
Azalea also demonstrated a high degree of preparation for community-based projects, including an oral history project that she has collaborated on with the Burns-Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center in Oxford.