Our department can best be described as close knit, supportive and collegial. Graduate cohorts are small and students flourish in a nurturing and intellectually engaging environment in which research, teaching and critical discourse are valued.Faculty research interests are loosely organized into four overarching areas: culture and identity, health, aging and environment, political economy, power and movements, and social inequalities. We have a strong tradition of a focus on and expertise in qualitative methodologies. As such, our qualitative students have a rich and supportive network of mentors. Quantitative students can find their niche here as well. Because we have fewer quantitative students, faculty with expertise in quantitative methods carefully mentor students with such skills.The Department of Sociology maintains close ties with several other departments across campus, particularity Black Studies, Peace Studies and Women's and Gender Studies. Graduate students benefit from interdisciplinary teaching and research opportunities and can select from several graduate minors if they are inclined.