About

The Sociology Department at Hunter College offers a solid general sociology curriculum with several learning programs including a minor, a major for BA, a BA/MS program, and a MS program.

BA in Sociology

A major in sociology requires that a student take a set of required courses no matter what exactly their career plans are. Beyond that, students should choose their electives carefully, in view of what they want to do after obtaining the bachelor's degree.

Sociology provides several answers to this important question:

• The undergraduate degree provides a strong college foundation for entry-level positions throughout the human services, government, and business sectors.
• Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate education in sociology provides, especially knowledge of social groups, norms and culture, organizations, and analytical and statistical skills.
• Many students choose sociology because they see it as a strong base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, counseling, and social services administration. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that directly concerns each of these fields.
• A BA in sociology is excellent preparation for future graduate work in sociology in order to become a program planner, evaluation researcher, professor, applied sociologist, human services administrator, sociomedical researcher, or policy analyst.

BA/MS and MS in Applied Digital Sociology

Hunter College’s M.S. in Applied Digital Sociology is a top-ranked, two-year program that combines academic training with independent research. Designed for individuals with a background in the social sciences, the program equips students with advanced research skills and prepares them for careers in research, policy, data analysis, and other related fields.

As one of the few programs globally—and the only one with an applied focus—it explores the role of sociology in the digital age. The program encourages students to move beyond traditional divides between qualitative and quantitative methods, pushing the boundaries of sociology as a discipline. It welcomes and supports diverse research interests, including international, historical, and data-driven projects. Students explore how foundational sociological theories and methods intersect with today’s digital landscape—analyzing how technology shapes society and, in turn, how society shapes technology. With a focus on real-world application and innovation, the Master of Science in Applied Digital Sociology provides the tools and support for students to become forward-thinking researchers and practitioners in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Students are trained in how to understand the world through a sociological lens and apply it to the needs and demands they encounter in a world outside the classroom that is often shaped by digital technologies. This happens in a variety of settings, such as marketing firms, think tanks, non-profit and grassroots organizations, the healthcare industry, entertainment and social media companies. Alumni from our program work find employment in these fields as data scientists, researchers, policy analysts, ethnographers, and focus group leads.