The sociology master’s program at UNC Greensboro has been ranked among the top 45 in the nation (no. 38) and the best such program with a criminology focus by Intelligent.com.
Sociology is a discipline that investigates how cultural and institutional systems shape the world. Criminology is the study of criminal and deviant behavior and the formal and informal strategies for controlling crime.
“We are unique in that most master’s programs offering criminology as a concentration area are increasingly aligned with criminal justice departments, not sociology departments. Indeed, we see crime as a social problem and criminal justice as a social institution,” said Dr. David Kauzlarich, head of UNCG’s Department of Sociology. “Students in our program study crime and justice as sociological phenomena, not as isolated issues that can be separated from the understanding of social structure and culture.”
Another distinguishing feature of UNCG’s criminology concentration is its faculty, who are leading experts in areas such as feminist criminology, African American/Black criminology, peacemaking criminology, and crimes of the powerful.
“We’re staffed by well-known and lauded critical criminologists who see inequality, identity, and power as chief features of crime and justice,” said Kauzlarich.
As a whole, UNCG’s sociology faculty are also prolific – receiving a #1 ranking in books published among institutional peers, according to Academic Analytics.
Sociology is a popular discipline at UNCG. Its undergraduate degree consistently ranks among the top ten most popular majors.
At both the undergraduate and graduate level, sociology coursework focuses on providing students with a strong foundation in research methods, data analysis, and theory. Graduates pursue a variety of careers in social service, criminal justice, victim services, and health care. Others choose to pursue PhDs, conducting research and teaching at the college level.
To learn more about UNCG’s sociology department, visit https://soc.uncg.edu/
