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Social Sciences

Sociology Professor Sharmilla Rudrappa sits in library and smiles while wearing pink scarf

The social sciences explore our deepest understanding of humanity and emphasize how to improve society through innovation in areas such as health, commerce, and social justice. Guided by LAS faculty, students can study everything from violence prevention strategies to the political effects of online journalism and social media to the relationship between mood and anxiety disorders. Recent social science course topics include medical anthropology, criminology, the sociology of youth, health economics, Latinos in Chicago, abnormal psychology, and the Constitution and civil liberties.

Social science professionals use quantitative and qualitative information to make meaningful suggestions that help inform policies, programs, and approaches that can improve social conditions. Career opportunities for social science majors include social work, counseling, criminology, government relations, and public policy.

Visit the LAS Career Development Website
Jan 20 2026

Soledad Álvarez Velasco, Assistant Professor, Anthropology and Latin American & Latino Studies, “Inhabiting the Transit: Migrant Spatial Struggles from Global South America to the U.S.”

Tuesday, 4:00 pm–5:30 pm
Institute for the Humanities, 153 Behavioral Sciences Building
Feb 19 2026

Steven Vladeck: The Rise of the Supreme Court's "Shadow Docket," and Why It Matters

Thursday, 11:00 am–12:15 pm
Mar 3 2026

Richard Hasen: Unbent Arc: American Democracy 1964-2024

Tuesday, 11:00 am–12:15 pm
Mar 4 2026

LAS Distinguished Professor: Jennifer Brier

Wednesday, 3:30 pm–6:00 pm
Student Center East Cardinal Room
Mar 10 2026

Laura Dickenson: The U.S. Constitution and the Domestic Use of the Military

Tuesday, 11:00 am–12:15 pm