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Department of Sociology

Professor Emerita Sandra L. Hanson
Associate Professor Brandon R. Vaidyanathan, Chair
Assistant Professors Hannah Chesterton; Laurie DeRose; Chelsea Rae Kelly
Lecturers George Ackerman; Evita Bynum; Stephen Cranney; Audra Dugandzic; Jonathan Froehlich; Sammy Perez; Christopher Tamborini; Celeste Torio; Stewart Whitson

The Department of Sociology, one of the oldest in the United States, was founded in the mid-1890s. William J. Kerby and Paul Hanly Furfey were early chairs of the department. Programs are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The undergraduate program in Sociology, like its graduate equivalent, is organized around four principal areas:

  1. Crime and Justice Studies, offering courses on the sociology of crime and punishment; criminological theory; the sociology of law; international crime and terrorism; global threats and threat management; surveillance and penology; sociology of organizations and law enforcement; and potential social impacts of crime and justice prevention programs;
  2. Global and Comparative Processes, offering courses on globalization involving immigration, family, race/ethnicity, and gender; political and religious change, civil society and social justice; and comparative analyses of contemporary societies;
  3. Public Policy Analysis, offering courses on inequality and poverty eradication; educational and family institutions and policies in a comparative context; ethnicity and race as major forces that hold society together or split it apart; urban America; disability, sports, and gender policies; as well as economic sociology and social change;
  4. Health, Society, and Policy, offering courses in medical sociology; healthcare policy; social inequalities in health; families and society; and the relationship between religion and mental health.

In each of these areas, courses draw from the sociological tradition as well as Catholic Social Teaching. Students receive basic training in research methods and social theory. Undergraduate education in sociology or criminology serves as an excellent conduit to professional positions in law enforcement, public policy, and social research, as well as preparation for successful application to law schools, graduate programs in sociology and social work, and professional schools.

The Department of Sociology offers qualified students a five-year B.A/M.A. sociology degree. See the entry for B.A.-M.A./B.S.-M.S. Program in Accelerated Degree Programs above in the School of Arts and Sciences section of these Announcements. The department offers two merit honors. Students who earn a GPA of 3.2 or higher in sociology courses are nominated for the Alpha Kappa Delta international honor society. The graduating senior with the highest GPA in Sociology is awarded the William Joseph Kerby Award.

Every student majoring in sociology or criminology will be assigned a departmental adviser who will assist the student in making curricular choices to suit particular educational goals, and who must approve each semester's course selections. Students may elect one or two semesters of Independent Research (SOC 493, SOC 494) in order to provide individually tailored programs. Advisers may approve related courses in other departments as part of the twelve courses required for the major in sociology. Up to six hours may be earned in supervised internships (SOC 495). All students are required to pass a senior comprehensive examination (SOC 498) or must complete a senior thesis (SOC 496).

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

The requirements for the major can be found at Sociology - Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Bachelor of Arts in Criminology

The requirements for the minor can be found at Criminology - Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

The criminology major investigates the causes and implications of crime in societies and preventive strategies that could control such social behavior. The Sociology Department approaches the study of crime from an evidence-based and Catholic social justice perspective. The program takes advantage of the considerable expertise the Department of Sociology already offers, the resources of the Washington, D.C., Consortium of Universities, and the location of our university to provide students with a unique course of study about the effects of criminality in our society today.

Minor in Sociology

The requirements for the minor can be found at Sociology - Minor

The Sociology minor allows students from other disciplines to gain a foundation in sociological research and an introduction to evidence-based interpretations of contemporary social problems.

Minor in Criminology

The requirements for the minor can be found at Criminology - Minor

The interdisciplinary Criminology minor allows students to gain a foundation in criminological research and an introduction to evidence-based interpretations of contemporary issues regarding crime. Course requirements apply only to non-Sociology majors. Students majoring in sociology consult with their academic advisor to select four interdisciplinary electives from outside the department.

Minor in Health, Society, and Policy

The requirements for the minor can be found at Health, Society and Policy - Minor

The Health, Society, and Policy minor is an interdisciplinary minor focusing on understanding health as a social phenomenon, paying special attention to healthcare systems and public health policy development and implementation. Course requirements apply only to non-Sociology majors. Students majoring in sociology consult with their academic advisor to select four interdisciplinary electives from outside the department.

Minor in Global Migration Studies

The requirements for the minor can be found at Global Migration and Refugee Studies - Minor

Global Migration Studies is an interdisciplinary minor focusing on the comparative study of migration and national development, affirming the principle expressed by the Catholic Church of individuals' rights to find the good life in their homeland and, when this effort fails, to search for prosperity and well-being elsewhere. The minor is interdisciplinary and is a joint collaboration of the Departments of Anthropology and Sociology that is open to students in all majors. The minor in Global Migration Studies is divided in three aspects: (1) one methods requirement (SOC 202, SOC 301, or ANTH 201); (2) four elective courses; (3) and a research or internship project.