Qu Qiubai, the first director of sociology department of Shanghai University, was founded in 1923. The purpose of the early sociology department was to "cultivate talents for the founding of the country and promote cultural undertakings", which combined theoretical discussion with social practice and trained a large number of social elites. 1April, 980, the Department of Sociology of Shanghai University was rebuilt (formerly Fudan University Branch). As the first sociology department rebuilt after the restoration of sociology in Chinese mainland, it has long adhered to the development goal of "based on Shanghai, relying on the Yangtze River Delta, leading the development of disciplines and cultivating the style of study", and has formed obvious advantages and characteristics in the fields of social organization and management, social stratification and social network, and community and urban social research.

It has national key disciplines, the "2 1 1 project" key construction discipline of the Ministry of Education, the national teaching team, the "085 Project" key construction discipline of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, the first-class discipline construction plan of sociology (Class B), the Shanghai Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences, the E Institute of Sociology of Shanghai University, and well-known magazines of the Ministry of Education.

There are 26 full-time teachers in the Department of Sociology, including professor 13, associate professor (associate researcher) 8, lecturer 6 and doctor 23 (including 6 overseas). There are outstanding talents 1 1 person at or above the provincial level, such as new century talents from the Ministry of Education, Shanghai Shuguang scholars and Pujiang talents. It has the right to award doctoral and master's degrees in sociology, forming a complete talent training system from undergraduate to master's, doctoral and postdoctoral research. Since/KLOC-0 trained the first batch of undergraduate graduates in June, 1983, more than 3,000 senior professionals of all levels and types have been sent to all walks of life.

Professor Yuan was the first head of the Department of Sociology, and professors Yuan Huayin, Shen, Pang, Wu Shengling, Deng and Qiu Liping successively served as heads. The current dean is a professor, and the deputy director is Associate Professor Huang.