La Salle University
What You’ll learn
The Sociology major at La Salle provides students with an understanding of the scientific study of human groups in modern societies and the social and cultural forces that affect them. Students will gain an understanding of the sociological perspective so they can better grasp the social and cultural forces that remake our lives on a daily basis.
Why Study Sociology at La Salle?
Located in Philadelphia, La Salle’s major in Sociology offers students numerous internships and experiential learning opportunities. The small classes and attentive faculty create a tight-knit and supportive community atmosphere where students will study the social forces that create hierarchies of inequality as they impact groups based on race/ethnicity, social class, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. Lastly, we are committed to developing the skill sets that lead to careers and graduate training inspired by social justice.
Highlighted Courses
SOC 151: Social Problems and Policy
This course examines major social problems in contemporary society, their nature, development, social causes, and policy solutions.
SOC 265 – Sociology of Law
This course analyzes the law as a social process in historical and comparative perspectives.
SOC 262 – Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary Societies
This course is an analysis of the dynamics of race and ethnic relations and of the intersection of race, gender, and class in historical and contemporary contexts.
SOC 355: Drugs, Crime and Justice
This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of a variety of issues related to drug use, abuse, addition drug-related crime and drug control.
Charles Gallagher, Ph.D
Charles A. Gallagher is a professor in the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department at La Salle University. His research focuses on social inequality, race relations, and immigration and has published over 50 articles, reviews, and books on these topics. As a nationally recognized expert on race, immigration, and social inequality, Gallagher has given over 60 talks on these topics around the country, serves as an expert witness on civil rights cases, and is a frequent media source on these issues, appearing in the press, television and radio interviews over 100 times. In 2016, he was selected to serve as a Fulbright Scholar in the UK where he studied residents’ views on immigration. He also serves as Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Urban Ethnography Project.
A recent study tour to Washington, D.C., proved transformative for a group of La Salle University students—both in how they engaged with the nation’s capital and in how the capital responded to them.
La Salle University nursing students stepped beyond the classroom and into international healthcare environments through immersive clinical experiences in Rome, Italy, and Mexico City, Mexico, during spring 2025.
Amber Murray, ‘25, balanced full-time work, chemotherapy, and clinicals—proving that compassion and courage go hand in hand.