Pitt’s undergraduate program in Sociology aims to spark students' sociological imagination by providing them with the analytical tools, research skills, and experiential learning opportunities necessary to understand social processes and advance social justice.
Experiential learning provides students with hands-on experience that deepens their understanding of the structures, inequalities, and dynamics that shape our social world. Through internships, field research, and community-based projects, students have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
These experiences not only make students more competitive in the job market but help prepare them for careers in social work, public policy, research, advocacy, law, education, counseling, and even health professions through development of practical expertise grounded in sociological thinking.
Participating in Pitt Sociology's existing, and growing, range of experiential learning opportunities also provides students with the chance to actively contribute to positive social change at the local, and even, global-levels.
The combination of real-world experience with academic learning as well as personal and professional growth ensures that students involved in experiential learning are poised to become the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
- Collaborate on Faculty Research
Faculty in the Pitt Sociology Department do research in a range of areas, including culture and politics, medicine and environment, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and contemporary social movements. Students have the opportunity to develop their research skills by working on projects with individual faculty throughout every part of the process–from study design, to data collection and analysis, and even publishing.
Read co-authored paper, “Racist Policing, Practical Resonance, and Frame Alignment in Ferguson” (2020) by Dr. Josh Bloom, Associate Professor of Sociology, and former Sociology major, Zachary Frampton.
- Learn in the Field
A growing number of our classes (varies by section) focus on community-based research and learning outside the classroom through active collaboration with local organizations and initiatives related to affordable housing, human rights, racial justice, and environmental sustainability. Other classes include experiential components alongside traditional classroom learning.
SOC 0339 Sociology of Religion
Ethnographic study on Pittsburgh-based religious institutionsSOC 0352 Social Movements
Hands-on group projects addressing social issues at PittSOC 0446 Sociology of Gender
Autoethnographic study of gender and student life at PittSOC 0444 Urban Sociology
Community-based research on affordable housing in PittsburghSOC 1277 Pittsburgh Area Study
Mixed methods research and fieldwork on social inequality in PittsburghSOC 1448 Working Women
Interview project on workplace gender discriminationSOC 1500 & 1520 Capstone
Individual and group research projects - topics include: politics of food, healthy equity, prison reform, environmental sustainability, activism and digital media, human rights, and wealth inequality- Study Abroad through Global Experiences
Pitt’s undergraduate Sociology program already offers a number of study abroad opportunities for our students. Long-time favorites are the six-week summer sessions in Greece and Cyprus with Dr. Mike Epitropolous. And starting in 2026, the plan is to offer a Spring semester version of these programs as well! We also recently added The City in France led by Dr. Michael Glass, run in conjunction with the Urban Studies program. Students can also work with the Global Experiences office and the Sociology Undergraduate Advisor to find other study abroad opportunities as well.
Learn more about the City in France and Pitt in Cyprus and Greece summer programs!
- Design and Publish Your Own Study
One of the biggest opportunities for hands-on research comes from our capstone course. All Sociology majors complete a class-based project aimed at bringing together sociological theory, analysis, research design, and methodological skills as their culminating experience in the program. Topics vary by semester and cover areas as diverse as critical perspectives on healthcare to the sociology of food. Students can also choose to do a BPhil honor’s thesis in Sociology or work with individual faculty advisers on independent studies. Or they can work on the newly launching Sociology Student Association journal, Confluence, and submit their original research for publication!
Check out a digital issue of the former journal, Pitt Sociology Review (now renamed and relaunched as Confluence: An Undergraduate Journal of Sociology)
- Develop Career Skills with Internships and Teaching
Students in Sociology pursue external internships while working with faculty supervisors to get class credit and apply sociological thinking in their professional development. Numerous local internship opportunities exist, involving counseling and education, hospitals and healthcare, criminal justice, business, law, and politics. Recent internships and student volunteer positions have included:
- Abolitionist Law Center
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Homeless Children’s Initiative
- Human Rights City Alliance
- Make-A-Wish Foundation
- Office of U.S. Senator Bob Casey
- PA Bureau of Consumer Protection
- Pittsburghers for Public Transit
- Responsible Business Initiative for Justice
A new internship offered through the Frederick Honors College and supervised by Sociology faculty, Dr. Jackie Smith, Dr. Crystal Eddins, and Dr. Fernando Tormos-Aponte, will engage students in the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review of U.S. human rights practices in Pittsburgh. Student work will contribute to educational programs, policy briefs, and public outreach for the Human Rights Cities Alliances.
As of Spring 2025, the department is also offering students the opportunity to work as undergraduate teaching assistants in Research Methods as well as other introductory and survey courses.
- Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)
For research-related internships, the Office of Undergraduate Research has a number of opportunities. Learn more about the various awards offered through OUR here.
If you would like to discuss ideas or proposals with OUR, or if you have any questions about these opportunities, please email our@pitt.edu and a staff member will follow-up with you.
Pitt’s Department of Sociology is committed to expanding our experiential learning programming for students. Plans are underway for a number of new possible courses and opportunities including specific classes dedicated to experiential learning, public sociology, and civic engagement. There are also efforts to build relationships with existing programs at Pitt and the broader Pittsburgh community, including certificate programs such as the Human Rights Social Justice Certificate, the Urban Studies Civic Learning distinction; and internships with local community-based organizations and programs.