世界不断面临着本质上具有社会性的公共政策问题。社会学分析为检查这些问题和理解尝试解决社会问题涉及的许多观点提供了一个连贯而又多样化的框架。在达特茅斯（Dartmouth）社会学系修读课程的学生将被带到一种提出问题，研究问题和观察世界的独特方式。社会学问题探索人际互动和冲突，并研究群体，组织，机构，行业，社会运动和民族国家的行为。该课程旨在学习博雅艺术的最佳传统中的分析思维，为达特茅斯的学生提供一个视角，帮助他们更好地了解自己的日常生活。
When you take courses in Dartmouth's Sociology Department, you'll be introduced to a unique way of asking questions, examining problems, and viewing the world. Sociology is really about learning analytical thinking in the best tradition of the liberal arts. In addition to the standard major, the two sociology minors and the modified major are designed to fit the needs of students who have an interest in sociology but are primarily interested in another discipline or, in the case of a modified major, wish to study some specific problem or topic that resides at the nexus of sociology and a related field. Our curriculum focuses on current and important social problems. The world is constantly confronted with public policy issues that are essentially social in character. Sociological analyses provide a coherent, yet diverse framework for examining these issues and understanding the many perspectives involved in attempting to solve social problems. We also provide students with a unique perspective with which better to understand their day-to-day lives. Sociological questions concern not only interpersonal interaction and conflict, but also the behaviors of groups, organizations, institutions, industries, social movements, and nation states.