The Department of Sociology and Criminology is committed to providing quality undergraduate liberal arts education for its students, producing new knowledge through scholarship and research, and performing service to its profession, the university, and community.
As an academic unit within the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, & the Arts and the primary department goal is the creation and transmission of knowledge through its two social science disciplines, sociology and criminology.
To this end, the department's programs provide curricula that encourage critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and an understanding of the social science perspective. Through various and innovative instructional modes, including technologically enhanced and web-based courses, individualized instructions, interdisciplinary curricula, distance learning, internships, and practice, the department seeks to fulfill the university's commitment to providing a quality learning experience for its students.
Excellence in scholarship and research is also viewed as essential to providing an effective and meaningful educational environment. Performing service in the region from the special perspective of sociology and criminology and providing students with the professional training necessary for success in applied settings is also a basic department responsibility.
The Department of Sociology and Criminology seeks to increase knowledge of human society from a global perspective and to enhance understanding of the various multicultural segments of American society.