Welcome to the Department of Sociology at Mississippi State University!

Our award-winning faculty do research and teach courses with an emphasis on inequality. Specifically, our faculty examine issues related to race and racism, gender and sexualities, age, health disparities, the criminal justice system, poverty and wealth, and rural communities. Our faculty publish top notch research articles and acclaimed books, work on federally funded grants, and share their expertise with the general public through newspaper op-eds, media engagements, and public talks.

Our dynamic department also houses three undergraduate degrees (criminology, social work, and sociology), and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Sociology. With nearly 400 undergraduate majors in the department, we attract students because of the skill set we provide them. Whether students head to the workforce, to graduate school, or law school, our faculty provide students with research and critical thinking skills, as well as an understanding of inequality, preparing them to work in professions like social work, law enforcement, government, education, and other community agencies.

Our 60-year-old graduate program is one of the oldest programs in the South. Our graduate students receive individual faculty mentorship, work collaboratively on research projects, and learn how to teach their own classes. These graduates go on to work as professors at universities, in research centers, as community leaders, or in other applied settings where they work to improve the lives of others.

We are committed to inclusion, equity, and diversity, evident through the research we do, the courses we offer our students, the kinds of programming we offer, and our collaborative affiliations with African American Studies, Gender Studies, and Safe Zone.

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Nicole Rader
Professor and Head