Best Sociology Programs in Indiana for 2027

Purdue’s Sociology BA spans institutions, inequality, family, religion, and social movements, but students can put the research side to work through a separate Research Internship in Sociology. That internship awards credit for collecting or analyzing data at a research organization and requires prior coursework in both sociology statistics and research methods, along with an application. The department’s course list also includes Sociological Theory and Social Stratification. For students comparing applied experiences, the research internship is more specific than a general field placement: its host organization must focus on research.

Research Internship

SOC 489 focuses on data collection or analysis in a research organization

Preparation

Statistics and research methods coursework before internship application

Program Sources: Purdue Sociology: Bachelor DegreePurdue Sociology: SOC 489 Research Internship

Indiana University Bloomington splits its sociology BA into clear pieces. Introduction to Sociology, Social Theory, Research Methods and Statistics each get their own course, and a capstone comes from either Topics in Social Organization or Topics in Social Psychology. The major needs at least 30 credit hours. After the core you either build a Law and Society or Social Science and Medicine concentration, or take an introductory elective plus nine advanced credits. The department describes hands-on projects and fieldwork that draw on quantitative models, experimental designs and ethnographic or historical studies. Indiana awarded 34 sociology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Methods Courses

Separate courses in Research Methods (S 370) and Statistics (S 371)

Capstone

Topics in Social Organization or Topics in Social Psychology

Concentrations

Law and Society, or Social Science and Medicine

Program Sources: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Indiana University Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences BulletinSociology B.A. + Concentrations: Undergraduate: Department of Sociology: Indiana University Bloomington

Notre Dame lets you write a senior thesis over two semesters, and the department encourages every sociology major to try. The major itself is at least 31 credit hours: Foundations of Sociological Theory, a methods course (Methods of Sociological Research or International Research Design), Statistics for Sociological Research and a one-credit Proseminar, plus three courses at the 40000 level and 12 credits of electives. To earn honors you need a 3.5 major GPA, a graduate-level sociology course and a thesis. The department lists areas such as race and ethnicity, immigration, gender, religion, crime and social networks. Notre Dame awarded 25 sociology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Methods Choice

Methods of Sociological Research or International Research Design

Senior Thesis

Encouraged, written over two semesters

Honors Track

3.5 major GPA, a graduate sociology course and a senior thesis

Program Sources: Sociology (Major) | University of Notre Dame Academic CatalogSociology (Major) | University of Notre Dame Academic Catalog

The B.A. in Sociology at IU Indianapolis keeps its major to 30 credits and asks for five fixed pieces: Introduction to Sociology, Social Science Research Methods, Introductory Sociological Statistics, one theory course, and a capstone chosen from an internship, individual readings or a Capstone Seminar. Fifteen more credits come from other sociology courses. The bulletin says the curriculum emphasizes the applied side of sociology and takes advantage of an urban campus. A separate B.A. in Medical Sociology adds Social Factors in Health and Illness or Social Organization of Health Care and nine credits of medical sociology courses. IU Indianapolis awarded 21 sociology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Theory Choice

Social Theory, Foundations of Social Theory or Contemporary Sociological Theory

Capstone Options

Internship Program, Individual Readings or Capstone Seminar

Medical Sociology Variant

Separate B.A. with health and illness coursework

Program Sources: Sociology | IU Indianapolis Campus BulletinSociology | IU Indianapolis Campus Bulletin

The sociology major at Ball State is 37 credits and follows a clear arc: Principles of Sociology, Sociological Thinking, Sociological Research Methods, Applied Social Statistics, Sociological Theory and a Capstone Course in Sociology. Electives then cover health and medicine, family, law, gender and race and ethnicity, and you can add a Diversity or Health and Populations concentration. The department also offers a Degree in 3 track that compresses the degree into three years with full loads in fall, spring and two or three summers, and an Accelerated Master’s Program that lets you start graduate work early. Ball State awarded 14 sociology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Required Sequence

Research Methods, Applied Social Statistics, Sociological Theory and a Capstone Course

Concentrations

Diversity, or Health and Populations

Fast Tracks

Degree in 3 and an Accelerated Master’s Program

Program Sources: Sociology Major - Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in SociologySociology Major - Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology

Nine courses and an original-research thesis make up DePauw’s sociology major. SOC 410, the Senior Seminar, pairs shared readings on a broad theme with your own project, and you write a 25 to 35 page thesis and present it at the annual Sociology and Anthropology Senior Symposium. Before that you take SOC 100, SOC 303 and SOC 401, Methods of Social Research, where you design and carry out a quantitative project and write it up like a journal article. At least one more course must be at the 300 level. DePauw awarded 4 sociology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Core Courses

SOC 100, SOC 303, SOC 401 and SOC 410

Senior Thesis

25 to 35 pages based on original research

Methods Course

SOC 401 Methods of Social Research, the writing in the major course

Program Sources: Sociology Major and Minor Requirements - DePauw UniversityAbout Sociology - DePauw University

At Franklin College every sociology major completes an internship, and recent students have placed at state prisons, domestic violence centers, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Damar Services. Classes use Indianapolis as a laboratory for studying jails, prisons, nonprofits and retirement communities, and majors have presented undergraduate research at the American Sociological Association’s annual meetings. Courses range from Gender and Sexuality to Social Problems and Nonprofit Responses. If crime and justice interest you, the criminal justice emphasis combines Criminal Justice, Criminology, Corrections and two political science courses on national government and constitutional law. Franklin awarded 7 sociology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Internship

Required of every sociology major

Criminal Justice Emphasis

SOC 210, SOC 321, SOC 340, POL 110 and POL 420

Research

Majors have presented at the American Sociological Association’s annual meetings

Program Sources: Sociology | Franklin CollegeSociology | Franklin College

Indiana University Bloomington admits sociology students directly to the PhD and incorporates MA requirements within the doctorate. The program requires an outside minor, which can be drawn from fields such as demography, social-science research methods, education, or population studies. That formal minor gives cross-disciplinary work a defined place in the degree rather than leaving it to unrelated electives. Required sociology coursework establishes theory and methods before advanced research. A student whose project joins sociology with another discipline can examine the approved minor list when considering IU.

Entry Structure

Direct PhD admission with MA requirements en route

Cross-Disciplinary Requirement

Outside minor

Program Sources: Indiana University Sociology PhD

Notre Dame’s sociology PhD is 60 credit hours, and 39 of them are set in advance: a two-course theory sequence, a four-part methods sequence that runs from Research Methods through Linear Regression and Categorical Data Analysis to an advanced elective, two proseminars, and six graduate seminars of your choosing. The other 21 credits are flexible. They can include up to 6 credits of master’s thesis research, up to 12 of dissertation research, extra sociology seminars, training workshops and graduate courses from other Notre Dame departments. Notre Dame awarded 5 sociology doctorates in 2023–24.

Theory Sequence

Classical Theory and Contemporary Theory

Methods Sequence

Research Methods, Linear Regression, Categorical Data Analysis and an advanced elective

Professional Development

Proseminar I and Proseminar II

Program Sources: Course Requirements | Program of Study | Graduate | Department of Sociology | University of Notre DameCourse Requirements | Program of Study | Graduate | Department of Sociology | University of Notre Dame

Purdue’s sociology PhD trains you in theory and methods first and specialization second. The required courses include Development of Sociological Theory, Contemporary Sociological Theories, Methods of Social Research, Introduction to Social Statistics taught with Stata, and Advanced Regression Topics, with Qualitative Research Methods among the methods options. Electives then run through fields such as health, aging and the life course, law and society, sociology of religion, social inequality and social movements. If aging is your focus, a dual-title PhD in Sociology and Gerontology adds 24 graduate credits and a dissertation on aging. Purdue awarded 2 sociology doctorates in 2023–24.

Theory Courses

Development of Sociological Theory and Contemporary Sociological Theories

Methods And Statistics

Social Research Methods, Social Statistics in Stata, Advanced Regression and Qualitative Methods

Dual-Title Option

PhD in Sociology and Gerontology

Program Sources: Graduate Program - College of Liberal Arts - Purdue UniversityJoint Degree Programs - College of Liberal Arts - Purdue University