Criminology Concentration
The “Criminology Concentration” in Sociology allows students to explore the social sciences while preparing them for a career in a field related to criminal justice. Shepherd graduates who have completed the criminal justice concentration have found employment as law enforcement officers, lawyers, courtroom personnel, correctional officers and administrators, parole and probation officers, and other related occupations. Some graduates go on to pursue graduate studies in criminal justice or attend law school.
For this concentration, students learn about social institutions, organizations, and agencies that interact with criminal offenders (the police, courts, and correctional facilities) and how social forces and human social behavior are linked to the construction and maintenance of legal systems. The concentration also provides an excellent introduction to social science methods and criminological theory, which prepare students for objective and critical assessments and of the use and misuse of the legal system within a stratified, multicultural society.
Students completing the Criminology Concentration must take the following courses: Social Problems (SOCI 205), Social Theory (SOCI 322), Social Research Methods (SOCI 323), Ethnic Relations (SOCI 403) or Social Stratification (SOCI 321), Quantitative Analysis and Data Management (SOCI 324) or Statistics for the Social Sciences (PSYC 250), and Senior Thesis (SOCI 420). Courses required in criminal justice include Introduction to Criminal Justice (CRIM 200) and Criminology (SOCI 402).