The Department of Sociology at UC Riverside has long been known as one of the finest sociology programs in the University of California system. In two fields, sociological theory and the study of race/ethnic inequality, we are widely recognized as a national and international leader. In the last National Research Council review of graduate education, we were ranked 27th among sociology Ph.D. programs in the United States.

Our reputation stems from our long-lasting material and structural approach to the study of society. We engage in scholarship on societal trends and social issues that is theoretically driven and empirically tested. The UCR Sociology Department has a long history of cooperative involvement with research centers on the UCR campus including the Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, the Institute for Research on World Systems IROWS, the Center for Social and Economic Policy, the Center for Family Studies, the Social Psychology Research Laboratory, and UC MEXUS. Graduate students in the Sociology program are active in research and teaching and typically assume academic positions upon earning the Ph.D.

The sociology undergraduate program has always had two major goals: (1) to promote undergraduate excellence by fostering analytical and critical thinking, and (2) to advance our students' career success and social responsibility through a broad-based sociological curriculum. The department oversees the awarding of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Sociology and Social Relations, and participates in various cooperative programs including Administrative Studies, Business Administration, Human Development, Law and Society, Urban Studies, and Women's Studies.