About Us

Our Department provides graduate training in sociology that is informed by a global perspective. Whether a sociological question addresses individual-level processes, ideas, or organizations, there are often global influences and implications connected to that phenomenon.

The Sociology Department at Stony Brook was founded in the 1960s and rapidly became an internationally visible center of innovative education and ground-breaking research.  Hanan Selvin was responsible for starting the graduate program and for recruiting the nucleus of an eminent department, including such luminaries as Eugene Weinstein, John Gagnon, Rose Coser and Lewis Coser.  Not only did these department members in turn recruit other outstanding sociologists, but all of them, in particular the Cosers, established a tradition of cooperation through the creation of informal events, like reading groups, that fostered an atmosphere of departmental cordiality.

Students pursuing an advanced degree in sociology will have opportunities to focus on global sociology and to learn how sociological methods and theories can be applied to the study of global social, cultural, political, and economic processes.

For undergraduate Sociology majors focusing on global studies, we encourage taking advantage of International Studies and Study Abroad through Stony Brook's International Academic Programs.

Faculty research projects, conferences, seminars, and colloquia sponsored by the Sociology Department provide numerous opportunities for students to actively engage in research, dialogues and debates relevant to the study of social systems in a world characterized by increasing global interaction.