Majors: Criminal Justice and Sociology
Minors: Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Anthropology
Certificate Programs: Certificate in Applied Research

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of societies, organizations and groups and the ways people act and interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the family to social movements and revolutions; from the divisions based on race, gender and social class to the underlying and shared beliefs of a common culture. One area of great interest to our department is crime and societal responses to crime. Few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, law, and social policy.

The degree program in sociology provides students with the theoretical and methodological tools that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life and prepare them for a wide variety of careers. Because sociology addresses the most pressing issues of our time, it is a field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who create social programs and craft policies.

The degree program in Criminal Justice will be based on an in depth understanding of the social bases of crime and crime control, and will prepare the graduate for a career in a criminal justice agency, social service agency, and for admission to graduate school and law school.