College Catalog: 2015-2016

Sociology is unique among the social sciences because it examines the whole of human societies.  It focuses on institutional and sociocultural changes rather than on simply economic, political, or technical transformations.  For example, sociology provides an understanding of “modernization” and “globalization” by analyzing their impact on culture human subjectivity, power relations, and collective resistance.  Sociology prepares students to scientifically study and personally engage with human groups and communities.  It links individual biographies with public issues.

Recognizing the international character of contemporary life, the Sociology program at Ramapo College emphasizes internships in local New Jersey and New York communities, as well as in study abroad programs.  By engaging in field study internships, sociology majors develop a broad and refined world perspective, and become highly prepared for graduate school and the workforce.

A degree in Sociology provides our graduates with analytical capacities and practical skills for understanding and working with human groups, and for conducting research using a precise and humanistic scientific methodology.  Sociology majors are employed as researchers and human relations personnel in industry and government, human services, and criminal justice.  They fill positions in regional and community planning and environmental protection.   Many of our students enter a range of graduate programs and professions.  Students may also select Sociology as one of the suitable majors for Teacher Education and Social Studies certification.

The Sociology major offers two tracks to Ramapo College students interested in studying questions of human diversity, inequality, and social justice in U.S. as well as international societies:

• Public Sociology
  The Public Sociology track offers students opportunities to engage public issues like poverty, race relations, popular culture, gender, and globalization in their studies.  This track emphasizes applied research experience which will prove invaluable in the job market and as an excellent preparation for graduate school.
• Criminology
  The Criminology track offers students interested in law enforcement fields the opportunity to explore issues of class, race, gender, religious difference and Human Rights, both locally and globally.  The Concentration offers a unique perspective with the inclusion of a Human Rights component.  Students will be trained to analyze diverse situations they may face within their future professions in law enforcement.

Students majoring in Sociology are urged to pursue a minor, such as Africana Studies, Anthropology, Gerontology, Latin American Studies, or Women’s Studies.  The Sociology major is offered by the School of Social Science and Human Services and leads to a B.A. degree.

Goal 1: A student majoring in sociology will be exposed to research experiences that require posing sociological questions, data gathering with quantitative and/or qualitative methods, developing theoretical explanations, and bringing the aforementioned data to bear on them. 

Outcome 1: Be able to support an argument, thesis, hypothesis, or research question by incorporating high quality sources into a research, as indicated by correct usage of bibliographies and in-text citations, that is distributed at the beginning of each semester. 

Outcome 2: Be able to articulate how a theory or theories explain the relationship between concepts. 

Outcome 3: Be able to demonstrate the ability to correctly describe and/or conduct either quantitative or qualitative data collection. 

Outcome 4: Be able to demonstrate the ability to correctly describe and/or conduct either quantitative or qualitative data analysis. 

Outcome 5: Be able to successfully bring empirical results (either primary or secondary) to bear on sociological questions or hypotheses. 

Outcome 6: Be able to describe the process of protecting human subjects in research studies.

1. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below.  Waivers only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or Major Requirements.
2. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
3. Writing Intensive Requirement (six courses):  three writing intensive courses in the general education curriculum are required: First Year Seminar, Critical Reading and Writing, and Readings in the Humanities; the other three courses are taken in the major.
4. Not all courses are offered each semester.  Please check the current Schedule of classes for semester course offerings.

SOCIOLOGY MAJOR

Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

1. The Criminology Minor brings together critical sociological, legal and psychological foundations for examining crime and societal responses to crime.  The cluster of courses in the minor is meant to sharpen the students understanding of how ideological mechanisms and institutions are reproduced in the context of the criminal justice system.
2. The Sociology Minor consist of 5 courses.

SOCIOLOGY MINOR

1. The Criminology Minor brings together critical sociological, legal and psychological foundations for examining crime and societal responses to crime.  The cluster of courses in the minor is meant to sharpen the students understanding of how ideological mechanisms and institutions are reproduced in the context of the criminal justice system.
2. The Criminology Minor, offered to non-Sociology majors, will consist of 5 courses.

CRIMINOLOGY MINOR

General Education Requirements
Four Year Plan
Graduation Requirements
School of Social Science and Human Services Website
Faculty Profiles