Are you considering majoring in Development Sociology? Then you've come to the right place! Cornell’s Department of Development Sociology offers degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels (B.S., M.S./Ph.D. (We do not offer a terminal Masters Degree.)). These programs are offered through the Department of Development Sociology and the Graduate Field of Development Sociology, both of which are located in Warren Hall. The department and graduate field are recognized as top programs in the area. The department specializes in providing instruction in development, both international and domestic, community sociology, environmental sociology, and population studies. Development Sociology faculty are committed to both quality instruction and cutting-edge research programs.

Undergraduate majors receive a Bachelors of Science degree with a concentration in Development Sociology.

Technological, environmental, demographic, and economic changes are social processes. Each has major impacts on individuals, communities, social strata, societies, and the international order. At Cornell, development sociology students study these and other facets of social change in both domestic and international settings. The Development Sociology major provides an opportunity for in-depth study of the interaction among development processes, environmental and technological contexts, demographic structures and processes, and the social movements through which people seek change in these dimensions. Courses offered by the department cover topics such as:

• community development
• sociology of the environment
• technology and social change
• social movements
• the implications of the genomic revolution for society
• population dynamics and linkages with the environment and development
• globalization and development issues
• women in development
• class, gender, and ethnic stratification

Most courses provide background in both domestic and international aspects of the subject matter. Students can develop a specialization with a domestic, international, or global emphasis by choosing appropriate elective courses. All students learn the theory and methodology of sociology and how to apply both to research and policy in their subject areas.