The Department of Sociology is one among the five Departments that started with the inception of the Central University of Odisha in the year 2009. Initially it started with the M.A. programme and at presently the Department offers Master Degree Programme, Research (M. Phil & Ph.D.) Programme in Sociology. The courses are oriented towards the study of Society, Culture, and Social Structure, Sociological Theories, Research Methodology, Urban Sociology, Social Demography, Gender and Society, Sociology of Health, Sociology of Environment, Sociology of Gender, Sociology of NGOs, Sociology of Development, Sociology of Crime and Deviance, Study of Social Movements in India.

The Department of Sociology course in Central University of Odisha gives an opportunity to study the ways that our world is changing today. Understanding the structure and functioning of the contemporary society, it explores the various forms of power and inequality in the world today and how they affect the lives of all of us. By joining together the social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of social life, sociology also gives a platform one need to understand the key events of our time and how they are linked to the main forces and institutions that shape the modern world.

Courses offered at the Department are interdisciplinary and are drawn from other Social Science Subjects like Anthropology, Psychology, Economics, Politics, and History. Courses at this level are concerned with the problems relating to Cultural Analysis, Globalization, Social Change and Development, Modern Indian Sociological Thinker and their engagement with Social Stratification, Caste, Marriage, Family life and Kinship, Polity, Economy, Religion, Urban life and Social Change.

Vision of the Department :

Promote scientific temperament among the students, scholars and faculty members in understanding human society and foster the composite culture of India and inculcate holistic study of human society and its reflection in polity, economy, technology, and culture.

Mission of the Department :

• Promote in the students and teachers an awareness and understanding of the social needs of the country and prepare them for fulfilling such needs. Endeavours to emerge as potential centre for Sociological learning by bridging the gap between local and global sociological perspectives through continues engagement with teachers, scholars, and Alumni.
• To generate new knowledge by engaging in advanced interdisciplinary and collaborative research to promote academic growth and facilitate sustainable interaction with academia, civil society and industry

Goal:

• Take special measures to facilitate students and teachers from all over India to join the University and participate in its academic programmes.
• Upgrade the curriculum regularly by incorporating new and frontier areas of sociological topics.
• Provide opportunity for dissemination of knowledge through learning, sharing and development of discipline including its stakeholders (students, alumni, faculty and staff).
• Emerge as a leader in the field of promotion and preservation of the cultural heritage of the region and the nation as a whole.
• Engage its scholars and teachers in community/ social services and endeavours for the empowerment of the marginalised section through meaningful interventions.

Present Practices of the Department:

• The Centre regularly engages itself in academic debates and dialogues through organizing seminars/conferences/workshops.
• The faculty members of the Centre deeply engage themselves in conducting community level studies through various projects and case studies.
• The Centre focuses some of the key areas of sociology like Sociological theories, methods of social research, sociology of development, sociology of health, sociology of environment, sociology of NGOs, Sociology of Tribal Society, Social inclusion, gender and society, social movements in India, Sociology of crime and deviance, regional/KBK specific socio-economic issues.