Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Telephone: (302) 831-2581
http://www.udel.edu/soc/
Faculty Listing: https://www.soc.udel.edu/people/faculty

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice administers separate undergraduate programs in Sociology and in Criminal Justice.

Sociology

Sociology is the study of social organizations, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior in the modern world. The Sociology major offers a liberal arts curriculum that integrates theory and methods with courses focusing on contemporary social problems. The major provides students with the foundational skills for analyzing and understanding the most pressing issues we face as a society, including inequality and social justice, deviance and crime, health and wellbeing, disasters and the environment, and law. Sociology teaches a distinctive way of looking at society and offers unique insight into social behavior.

The major offers students a number of opportunities for experiential learning including undergraduate research, study abroad, and field experience in professional settings. The department currently offers specialized concentrations in three areas: Emergency and Environmental Management, Health and Health Services, Social Welfare, and Law and Society.

Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice major program is structured around a core of criminal justice courses on such topics as law enforcement, the judicial process, and corrections. The multidisciplinary Criminal Justice curriculum includes courses in sociology, political science, and psychology. Criminal Justice majors also take elective courses on topics such as criminology, juvenile justice, criminal law, criminal justice policy, and the intersection of crime, criminal justice, and inequality. Students have further opportunities to study abroad, engage in undergraduate research, and engage in a field experience with a criminal justice-related organization.

Double Major: Students may choose to combine their academic and professional interests in complementary fields by fulfilling requirements for two majors such as criminal justice and English (for a career in journalism, for example), criminal justice and chemistry (for a career in forensic science), criminal justice and political science (for a career in court administration), criminal justice and psychology (for a career in corrections), or criminal justice and sociology (for a career in social work or related fields). These are just a few examples. With appropriate planning and advisement, a Criminal Justice major can complete a second major in almost any subject, especially within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Residency Requirement: at least 15 credits of courses applicable to the Criminal Justice major (courses with a CRJU prefix or cross-listed with CRJU) must be taken at the University of Delaware.

Programs

Major

Minor

Sociology Minor

Honors Degree