Sociology

Sociology is the study of society in all its complexity, from both an empirical and a theoretical perspective. The Department of Sociology at Wits has an outstanding staff with an extremely wide range of teaching and research interests, and a deep commitment to teaching and to involving students in its work.

The Department of Sociology has a rich series of offerings both for students majoring in the subject and for those who wish to gain some idea of its scope, or to explore a particular area.

For students intending to major, we have a programme which contains both prescribed modules and options; we are also able to offer the opportunity to take modules in addition to those prescribed. Students eligible for second and/or third level courses may take more than the minimum Sociology modules at any particular time.Sociology and Industrial Sociology prepare students for careers in a variety of areas. These include:

Policy and Planning in the public and private sectors
Development and Aid work particularly in the NGO community
Survey and other forms of social research
Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Academic Teaching and Research
Journalism and many others.
Social Research in Health and HIV/AIDS

For students interested in single modules, we offer topics in such diverse areas as the Sociology of Law, of Health, of Work, of Peace, of Crime, of Culture, HIV/AIDS in Context and others. Many of these may offer students majoring in other subjects a particular insight into their chosen field.