Alumna Jonquel Jones Wins WNBA All-Star Game MVP
Alumna Jonquel Jones, B.A. ’19 (criminal justice), HON '25, earned the WNBA All-Star Game MVP, registering 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
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UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL
STRUCTURES AND RELATIONS
through sociological research and real-life applications
Who We Are
In the George Washington University Department of Sociology, students become part of a community of scholars who analyze the social world through coursework and research. Both undergraduate and graduate degree programs explore sociology’s many applications to the world around us, with options including sociological theory, criminal justice and our in-house Human Services and Social Justice Program. Our seminar-style courses are small and intensive, which allows students and faculty to get to know each other well and work together to develop skills in social scientific research.
At this moment of profound social change amidst wide-ranging challenges to social justice, the need is great for sociological and criminological research focused on the problems of our time. The Department of Sociology equips students with the practical, critical and theoretical tools needed to make real contributions in careers as researchers, professors, child care workers, nonprofit leaders, criminal investigators, rehabilitation counselors and much more.
Surrounded by the rich social laboratory of Washington, D.C., sociology students enjoy professional opportunities at institutions like the Department of Justice, the Supreme Court, the White House and a variety of social justice nonprofits.
Join the Graduate Programs Virtual Open House: October 19–30
Registration is now open for GW's 2026 Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) Graduate Programs Open House! The virtual event features program-specific information sessions and opportunities to interact with current graduate students, faculty and our admissions team. Attendees will receive an application fee waiver.
The Sociology Department will host a virtual information session for prospective graduate students on Wednesday, October 28, at 10 a.m.
Departmental Focus Areas
Social Inequality
Gender
Race
Immigration
Criminal Justice
Urban Sociology
Human Services
& Social Justice
MA Sociology and MA Criminology Info Session: September 16
Join us online for an information session discussing the field of sociology and the GW Master of Arts in Sociology and Master of Arts in Criminology programs.
News from Sociology
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"I can say without a doubt that my choice to major in sociology at GW has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It has changed the course of my intellectual development, grounded my worldview and equipped me with knowledge that I will continue to cherish long after I graduate.”
Damien Galvan
Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award Recipient
BA '26, Sociology and Political Science