Sociology (B.A.)

  • Major, Minor
  • 4-year, On Campus

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.

Curriculum, Courses and Requirements

Highlighted Courses

Meet the Faculty

Good advising is essential as you progress through your time here at La Salle. We will help guide you through your undergraduate program and help you understand where you are in your studies and what you need to do to succeed, both during your time at La Salle and in your professional pursuits after graduation.

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.

Charles “Chip” Gallagher, Ph.D.

Career Opportunities

Graduates from the Sociology program have started careers in research, government, community services organizations, non-profits, health agencies and case managers. Students develop skills in social science research, statistics, and data analysis. Graduate of La Salle’s Sociology program have taken many different paths after graduation, including (but not limited to):

  • Data analyst
  • Rehabilitation counseling or substance abuse programs
  • Youth counselor
  • Case worker
  • Graduate and law school
  • Community service and non-profit organizations
  • Government agencies/civil service
  • Human resources
  • Public health

Internship Opportunities

The link between the theories, best practices learned in class, and the practical application of that knowledge in a professional setting is a quintessential Lasallian tradition. Your internship allows you to take the academic ideas and theories you have learned in class and apply that knowledge in a real-world setting where you will be mentored by experienced professionals in criminal justice, legal, government, advocacy, and nonprofit settings. Our students have completed internships at organizations such as:

  • City Council Offices, Philadelphia
  • CHOP, Violence Prevention Initiative
  • Uncommon Individual Foundation
  • World Affairs Council
  • GIRLS, Inc.
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office

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.

From left to right: Alisa Macksey, vice president for mission, diversity, and inclusion; Distinguished Lasallian Educator Faculty Award recipient Kelly Daily, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Communication and Expressive Arts Department; Distinguished Lasallian Educator Staff Award recipient Daniel S. “Reg” Kim, lead student success coach and lecturer in the Department of Religion and Theology; and President Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D.

As part of its annual Mission and Heritage Week celebration, La Salle University proudly recognized two outstanding members of its community with 2025 Distinguished Lasallian Educator Awards on April 9, 2025.

The 2025 Day of Giving raised the most money of all 12 Days of Giving to date, reaching more than $1.9 million in support of La Salle students.

The 2025 Day of Giving raised the most money of all 12 Days of Giving to date, reaching more than $1.9 million in support of La Salle students.

Founders' Hall

Ranked tied for 100, La Salle is one of just two Philadelphia-area institutions to be listed in the top 100 of the USNWR 2025 Best Business School rankings.