The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice offers undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, as well as minors in Sociology, Criminal Justice and Social Work.

Sociology

The mission of the sociology program is to develop in our students the unique insight of the science of the sociological imagination. Majors and minors will have the opportunity to explore the ways social forces shape individual lives, social interactions, and opportunity. To this end, students will be actively engaged in the systematic study of social behavior and social interaction, social structures, and the changing nature of society.

For those who are driven by a curiosity to explain social phenomena, the Elmhurst Sociology curriculum offers students a variety of courses to develop their sociological imagination. Core courses will introduce students to the foundations of sociological theory and train them in the science of sociological analysis. Upper level courses empower students to study society in order to understand its basic structure and processes—basic sociology—or to provide practical solutions to the problems faced by societies, organizations, groups and individual— applied sociology.

Majors and minors in sociology develop a number of skills valuable to sociological analysis, which can be utilized in a variety of post-graduate interests. These include analytical and problem-solving skills, data analysis, and policy assessment. These skills have empowered our students to pursue their interests in social service, government, law, medicine, or for graduate study to become a professor, researcher, or applied sociologist.

Students may pursue a major in sociology or a minor in sociology or social work. The sociology major and social work minor is recommended for sociology majors interested in careers in community organizing and social services, including social work. A minor in sociology is valuable for students majoring in a variety of fields, including business, criminal justice, education, intercultural studies, nursing, political science, psychology, religious studies and urban studies. A minor in social work is useful for students with an interest in the social work application of social science theories and for those intending to do graduate study in social work.

Criminal Justice

The mission of the criminal justice program is to provide a social scientific approach to the criminal justice system within the context of a liberal arts curriculum. Students learn about the nature and causes of crime and the structures and processes by which society responds to criminal behavior, including law enforcement, the courts, correctional system, and criminal law. Majors and minors have the opportunity to study criminal justice, as well as, related fields, such as sociology and political science.

Students may pursue a major or minor in criminal justice. The major prepares students for entry-level positions in both the criminal justice system and social service sector, including law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, as well as for advanced study in graduate and professional schools in criminal justice, criminology and criminal law. The criminal justice minor is for students whose career goals require an understanding of criminal behavior and the criminal justice system.

Departmental Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department will be able to do the following after graduation:

• Identify and apply sociological or criminological theories/ philosophies to critically evaluate and understand social phenomena

• Use scientific principles to evaluate social phenomena and communicate the findings

• Identify and analyze the inequity of the social structure to better develop solutions with the goal of informing ethical policy and/or practice