Academic Culture & Values

Supporting an Academic Culture of Excellence and Success in the Curriculum

The Department of Sociology actively pursues excellence and success by creating an open academic environment and seeks to create a welcoming environment for students from all backgrounds. To do this, we offer an array of courses in each of our four topical concentrations: 1) Crime, Law and Power; 2) Health, Medicine and Well-Being; 3) Globalization; and 4) Social Justice and Policy.

In addition, the Sociology major trains students to utilize a range of methodological approaches–from qualitative to quantitative–to observe and analyze the social world. The capstone course provides all students with the opportunity to put their sociological training to work in a semester-long directed and mentored research experience.

Our concentrations and wide array of courses provide students with both holistic methodological training as well as substantive exploration across diverse topics. The concentrations provide students with hands-on skill development, on-ramps to career pathways, access to research opportunities and a range of faculty advisors.

We also provide students with a variety of research internships through the Social Justice Policy Initiative and other faculty-led projects.

Supporting the Success of All Students

The Department of Sociology’s four concentrations, and our curriculum more broadly, provide students with the necessary skills to succeed, and provide pathways from course work to careers. Our alumni frequently go on to law school and have pursued master's and doctorate degrees in public policy, public administration, sociology and array of other fields. They put their sociology degrees to work in practice through careers as lawyers, judges, schoolteachers, public health professionals, social workers, community organizers, business entrepreneurs and in many other professions.

Supporting the Success of Faculty and Staff

The Department of Sociology actively supports the success of its faculty and staff. We regularly hold teaching workshops to improve classroom instruction. New faculty members work with a departmental mentor to ensure success in teaching, research and beyond. We also encourage and support faculty led community engagement both within and beyond the university. Faculty in the Department of Sociology have won a number of awards from both the university and national organizations for their teaching and research. In addition, members of the department have been recognized for their community engagement in local schools and with community groups.

We emphasize life-long learning and professional development for staff members. The Fiscal and Administrative team in the College of Arts & Sciences offers a number of training opportunities for staff to acquire and hone skills with diverse software packages and platforms. The department chair encourages staff members to attend these and other professional development opportunities, and staff are also made aware of the opportunities for tuition-free courses offered as a benefit to all University employees.