Sociology Major - Social and Criminal Justice Concentration

B.A. and B.S. degrees

Advisors

Brian Smith
Anspach 125
(989) 774-3428
smith1b@cmich.edu

Mensah Adinkrah
Anspach 126
(989) 774-3367
adink1m@cmich.edu

A Concentration in Social and Criminal Justice on the Sociology major consists of 42 hours of course work. No more than 3 credit hours of courses taken from CR/NC can be counted toward the major. SOC 525 Internship in Social & Criminal Justice exhausts the 3 hour limit.

I. Core Courses (18 hours):

  • SOC 100 (3) Introductory Sociology
  • SOC 200 (3) Introduction to Social Research and Analysis
  • SOC 221 (3) Social Problems
OR
  • SOC 302 (3) Social Inequality
  • SOC 301 (3) Sociological Theory

OR

  • SOC 501 (3) Development of Sociological Theory
  • SOC 350 (3) Social Research Methodologies

II. Additional Required Courses (21 hours):

  • SOC 220 (3) Introduction to Social and Criminal Justice
  • SOC 222 (3) Juvenile Delinquency
  • SOC 324 (3) Criminology
  • SOC 326 (3) Inequalities & Justice Processes: Race, Class and Gender
  • SOC 523 (3) Community Corrections and Alternative Sentencing
  • SOC 525 (6) Internship in Social and Criminal Justice

III. Elective Courses (21 hours):

  • SOC 399 (3) Special Topics in Sociology*
  • SOC 410 (3) Women, Crime and Deviance
  • SOC 422 (3) Youth Welfare
  • SOC 515 (3) Custodial Institutions
  • SOC 521 (3) Advanced Study of Deviant Behavior
  • SOC 524 (3) Sociology of Law
  • SOC 526 (3) Police and Community Relations
  • SOC 527 (3) Alternative Dispute Resolution in Justice Systems

* May be applied only when the special topic pertains to a social and criminal justice related area

Total: 42 semester hours

SOC 300 and SOC 301 cannot be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis. A grade of C (2.0) or better must be earned in SOC 300 and in SOC 301. No more than three hours of course work can be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis for the sociology major with a social and criminal justice concentration, not including courses that are only offered with this grading option. No more than 15 hours of coursework can transfer to the sociology major with a social and criminal justice concentration from another institution.

NOTE: Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or better in SOC 200 in order to continue with SOC 350.

Cognate Areas of Study

The Concentration in Social and Criminal Justice within the Sociology major prepares students to carefully analyze criminal justice processes, with an emphasis on community-based responses to offenders and victims. Students should learn not only how justice agencies and the law work, but why and with what consequences. The concentration emphasizes the development of communication and reasoning skills and fosters understanding of the relationship between criminal justice and other social institutions.

Criminal justice advisors can assist students in assessing their individual strengths and making an appropriate selection of minors, University Program courses, and other areas of study so as to complement these strengths and develop a wider understanding of social processes.

Careers in Social and Criminal Justice

Sociology/criminal justice prepares students to make civic contributions as thoughtful, informed citizens and to engage in life-long learning. It also prepares them for a variety of entry-level jobs in probation, parole, alternative sentencing and diversion programs, day treatment programs, and community mediation, as well as social justice organizing efforts. The program stresses a critical sociological perspective on social control and justice, together with service learning. This combination leads to work supporting healthy alternatives to the currently dominant approaches to controlling crime.