Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice
Location: 55 Maes Building, Phone: (409) 880-8538
Chair: Dr. Stuart Wright
Degree Program Coordinators:
Dr. Michael Sullivan, Director of Social Work Program, (409) 880-8552
Dr. Eric Boson, Director of Criminal Justice Program, (409) 880-8541
Dr. Chiung-Fang Chang, Director of Sociology Program, (409) 880-7621
Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice is a multidisciplinary department, consisting of four academic programs: sociology, anthropology, social work, and criminal justice. Each has its own unique mission. The common general mission of the four programs is to provide high-quality education through baccalaureate programs in sociology, social work, and criminal justice, a master’s in criminal justice, and a minor in anthropology. All programs emphasize excellence in instruction, research and scholarship, professional development, university and community service, and the preparation of students for graduate and/or professional education. For additional information about the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice, visit our website: /arts-sciences/sociology-social-work-criminal-justice/
Departmental Academic Policies
- A grade of “C” or higher for each course in the major field (including transfer courses) is required for graduation.
- Each student’s use of English is subject to review up to and including the semester in which he or she is scheduled to graduate. Any faculty member who identifies a departmental major having poor English skills will notify the student and the department chair in writing. The department chair will then review writing samples and consult with the Director of Writing for the Department of English. Based on the recommendations of the Director of Writing and the department chair, additional diagnostic procedures and course work may be required before the student is recommended for graduation.
- Students who wish to transfer into the department as sociology or criminal justice majors must have a minimum 2.00 grade point average. Social Work majors must have a 2.25 or better grade point average. All department majors must maintain a 2.00 or better G.P.A. to remain in their respective programs.
- The departmental academic probation and suspension policy is identical to that of the College of Arts and Sciences and is available from the office of the dean or department chair.
- Students who are majoring in this department and who are on academic probation or returning from academic suspension may not enroll in more than 12 semester hours (13-15 hours if a laboratory course and P.E. are taken) in any semester.
- All departmental majors (full-time and part-time) must have satisfied both the university’s and the College of Arts and Sciences’ requirements for English composition and mathematics before registering for 3000-and 4000-level courses offered by the department.
Pre-Law
As prospective candidates for admission to a school of law, students may pursue one of the bachelor’s degrees offered by the department. The degree plan may include any of the following courses as electives or a minor:
CRIJ 1306 Court System and Practices; CRIJ 1310 Fundamentals of Criminal Law (pending final approval); CRIJ 3300 Advanced Criminal Law; CRIJ 3310 Criminal Procedure and Evidence; CRIJ 3380 Correctional Law; CRIJ 4300 Legal Research, Brief Writing and Oral Advocacy; POLS 4370 — American Constitutional Law and Development; BULW 3310 Business Law; BULW 4340 — Advanced Legal Principles; SOCI 4300 -- Sociology of Law
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Science in Sociology -120 hrs
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology -120 hrs
Bachelor of Social Work -121 hrs
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice -120 hrs
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice -120 hrs
Minor in Criminal Justice -18 hrs; Minor in Anthropology -18 hrs; Minor in Social Work -18 hrs; Minor in Sociology -18 hrs
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Sociology
Program Director: Dr. Chiung-Fang Chang
Location: 53 Maes Building
Phone: (409) 880-7621
The mission of the Sociology program is to provide undergraduates with scientific knowledge of the structures, forms, and dynamics of human interaction within a broadly based liberal arts education. The program emphasizes the research methods used to acquire data, test hypotheses, conduct analyses, and evaluate information. In addition students are prepared to critically consider social problems such as crime, unemployment, violence, urban decay, poverty, discrimination, and social inequality. In our complex, technical and multicultural world, sociology equips students to understand the importance of empirical research from which to evaluate societal needs and inform public policy.
Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociology’s subject matter ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob, from crime to religion, from the division of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, from the sociology of religion to the sociology of education. Students majoring in sociology have established careers in such areas as law, business administration, health, politics, urban planning, city government, counseling and human resources, advertising and marketing, public relations and the media, criminal justice, education, and the nonprofit sector. Our program offers majors a solid foundation in sociological theory, research methods, data analysis skills, and sufficient knowledge in the fields of criminology, gender, culture, social movement, social psychology, marriage and family, and education, amongst others, that will provide students with training and skills for the workforce or advanced studies upon graduation. We also offer a minor in Sociology which allow students to take the courses that are most appropriate to coordinate with their major and career aspirations.
The program is committed to baccalaureate study which creates liberating educational experiences for each major. Under the personal and concerned guidance of faculty, students matriculate in one of two baccalaureate programs – the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). The Bachelor of Science degree is designed for students whose interests are more quantitative, while the Bachelor of Arts offers a traditional liberal arts education.
Bachelor of Science – Sociology Major
- General Core Requirements: 42 credit hours.
- MAth requirements: MATH 1314 or higher, plus a statistics course (PSYC 2317 or MATH 1342).
- Physical science requirements: 8 credit hours in lab sciences (4 credit each).
- Sociology Core Requirements: 36 credit hours to include:
- Three required core courses: SOCI 4380, 4385, and 4390 (9 hours)
- Two required sociology electives from SOCI 3306, 3310, 3365, and 4310 (6 hours)
- Sever sociology electives from SOCI 1306, 2301, 3311, 3315, 3326, 3330, 3340, 3355, 3375, 3380, 3390, 4300, 4301, 4320, 4330, 4340, 4345, 4350, and 4365 (21 hours)
- Departmental Requirements: 9 credit hours from ANTH, CRIJ, or SOWK.
- Minor Requirements: 18 credit hours, choose either:
- An approved minor of 18 credit hours, 9 of which must be at 3000- or 4000-level.
- 18 credit hours of electives from other fields combined, 9 of which must be at 3000- or 4000-level
- Other Electives: 13 credit hours.
- Sufficient approved electives of 13 credit hours to satisfy university minimum hour requirements for graduation, 6 of which must be at 3000- or 4000-level.
Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 120
First Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
ENGL 1301 | 3 | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
SOCI 1301 | 3 | COMM | 3 |
Lab Science | 4 | Lab Science | 4 |
LANG/PHIL/CULT | 3 | MATH 1301 | 3 |
HIST 1301 | 3 | ANTH | 3 |
TOTAL | 16 | 16 | |
Second Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
SOCI 1306 | 3 | POLS 2302 | 3 |
HIST 1302 | 3 | Creative Arts | 3 |
POLS 2301 | 3 | SOCI 2301 | 3 |
PSYC 2316/MATH 1342 | 3 | Minor | 3 |
Minor | 3 | Elective | 3 |
TOTAL | 15 | 15 | |
Third Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
SOCI 4380 | 3 | SOCI 4385 | 3 |
SOCI 3306/3310/3365/4310 | 3 | SOCI 3306/3310/3365/4310 | 3 |
SOWK | 3 | CRIJ | 3 |
Elective | 3 | Elective (advanced level) | 3 |
Minor | 3 | Minor (advanced level) | 3 |
TOTAL | 15 | 15 | |
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
SOCI 3326/3315/3340 | 3 | SOCI 4390 | 3 |
SOCI 3375/3380/3390 | 3 | SOCI 3311/4330/4365 | 3 |
SOCI 4340/4345/4350 | 3 | SOCI (advanced) | 3 |
Elective (advanced level) | 3 | Elective | 1 |
Minor (advanced level) | 3 | Minor (advanced level) | 3 |
TOTAL | 15 | 13 |
Bachelor of Arts – Sociology Major
The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Sociology will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements:
- General Core Requirements: 42 credit hours.
- Math requirement: MATH 1314 or higher, plus a statistic course (PSYC 2317 or MATH 1342).
- English Literature requirements: 3 credit hours.
- Sociology Core Requirements: 36 credit hours to include:
- Three required core courses: SOCI 4380, 4385, and 4390 (9 hours).
- Two required sociology electives from SOCI 3306, 3310, 3365, and 4310 (6 hours).
- Seven sociology electives from SOCI 1306, 2301, 3311, 3315, 3326, 3330, 3340, 3355, 3375, 3380, 3390, 4300, 4301, 4320, 4330, 4340, 4345, 4350, and 4365 (21 hours).
- Modern Language Requirements: completion of 12 credit hours in foreign language courses, including 2312 course.
- Minor Requirements: 18 credit hours. An approved minor of 18 credit hours, 9 f which must be at 3000- or 4000-level.
- Other Electives: 9 credit hours.
- Sufficient approved electives of 9 credit hours to satisfy university minimum hour requirements for graduation, 6 of which must be at 3000- or 4000-level.
Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 120
First Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
ENGL 1301 | 3 | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
SOCI 1301 | 3 | SOCI 1306 | 3 |
Foreign Lang 1311 | 3 | Lab Science | 3 |
PHIL 1370/2306 | 3 | MATH 1314 | 3 |
HIST 1301 | 3 | Foreign Lang 1312 | 3 |
TOTAL | 15 | 15 | |
Second Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
ENGL Lit | 3 | POLS 2302 | 3 |
HIST 1302 | 3 | SOCI 2301 | 3 |
POLS 2301 | 3 | PSYC 2317/MATH 1342 | 3 |
Foreign Lang 2311 | 3 | COMM | 3 |
Lab science | 3 | Foreign Lang 2312 | 3 |
TOTAL | 15 | 15-16 | |
Third Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
SOCI 4380 | 3 | SOCI 4385 | 3 |
SOCI 3306/3310/3365/4310 | 3 | SOCI 3306/3310/3365/4310 | 3 |
Creative Arts | 3 | SOCI 3326/3315/3340 | 3 |
Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
Minor | 3 | Minor | 3 |
TOTAL | 15 | 15 | |
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | Spring | ||
SOCI 3375/3380/3390 | 3 | SOCI 4390 | 3 |
SOCI 4340/4345/4350 | 3 | SOCI 3311/4330/4365 | 3 |
Minor | 6 | SOCI (advanced) | 3 |
Elective | 3 | Minor | 6 |
TOTAL | 13 | 15 | |
Minor in Sociology
Total of 18 hours required for the minor. Grade of “C” or higher required in all Sociology courses.
A minor in Sociology will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements:
- Two required core courses:
- Research Methods - SOCI 4380, PSYC 3420, CRIJ 4380, or SOWK 4380
- Social Theory - SOCI 4390
- Two lower level courses from SOCI 1301, 1306, and 2301
- Two upper level electives from SOCI 3306, 3310, 3311, 3315, 3326, 3330, 3355, 3365, 3375, 3380, 3390, 4300, 4310, 4330, 4340, 4345, 4350, and 4365.
Social Work
Program Director: Dr. Michael Sullivan.
Location: 56A Maes Building
Phone: (409) 880-8552
The ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ Social Work Program prepares graduates for generalist social work practice. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education which entitles the BSW graduate to apply for licensure as a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW). The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Social workers promote social justice and social change with, and on behalf of, individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities (National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics). The research/training interests of Lamar’s social work faculty include family violence, child welfare, multicultural practice, developmental disabilities, adolescent development and program evaluation.
Bachelor of Social Work
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), which prepares students for entry-level professional social work practice, will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements:
- General Education Core Curriculum: 42 credit hours. The lab science courses must be 4 credits each. Math requirement: MATH 1314 plus a statistics course (MATH 1342 or PSYC 2317).
- Major: 49 credit hours to include - SOWK 2361, 2371, 3300, 3310, 3320, 3330, 3340, 3350, 3360, 4321, 4324, 4380 plus four seminar selectives (SOWK 4320).
- Departmental Requirements: 12 credit hours - SOCI 1306 or higher, Criminal Justice, Anthropology, Approved Elective 3000 level or higher
- Field Practicum Prerequisites: Students must have completed: SOWK 2361, 2371, HBSE l, Practice l, and Special Topics Seminar (SOWK 4100-1 cr/hr) and must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Social & Economic Justice, Practice ll, HBSE ll, Practice lll. Field students must be a SOWK major in good standing with a GPA > 2.5 in Social Work Courses & overall GPA > 2.25 prior to placement, be interviewed & approved by the Field Director. Any exception must be approved by the student’s academic committee (Program Director and Advisor)
Minor in Social Work
Total of 18 hours are required for a minor in Social Work. Grade of “C” or above required in Social Work courses.
Required lower division classes - SOWK 2361, SOWK 2371 - plus any additional 12 upper-level hours in Social Work
Criminal Justice
Program Director: Eric Bronson
Location: 58 Maes Building
Phone: (409) 880-8541
The mission of the criminal justice program is to provide excellence in graduate and undergraduate instruction; research and scholarship; professional development; and university and community service. The program seeks to promote professionally and academically relevant curricula and programs and effective cooperative relationships with regional service agencies in order to prepare criminal justice practitioners at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Bachelor of Science – Criminal Justice Major
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements:
A. General Requirements: See Core Curriculum, Section 6.1. Math requirement: Math 1314 plus a statistics course.
B. Criminal Justice Core -36 semester hours including:
- 18 semester hours required: CRIJ 1301, CRIJ 1306, CRIJ 2313, CRIJ 2328, CRIJ 4321, and CRIJ 4311.
- Criminal Justice Electives (3 semester hours — any level)
- Advanced Criminal Justice Electives (12 semester hours)
C. Advanced Social/Behavioral Science Cognate Courses — 6 semester hours selected from ANTH, SOCI or SOWK.
D. Research and Analysis Courses — 9 semester hours.
- Research Methods: PSYC 3420, SOCI 4380 or SOWK 4380
- Criminology Elective: SOCI 3380 or CRIJ 3311
- Computer Science: COSC 1371
E. Criminal Justice Field Experience (3 semester hours): CRIJ 4340. If student has prior criminal justice field experience, the faculty advisor may substitute an additional CRIJ approved elective.
F. Minor or Approved Electives - 18 semester hours, 12 of which must be advanced.
G. Electives - Sufficient electives to complete the 120 hour degree requirement.
H. Completion of 45 semester hours of 3000 and 4000 level courses.
Bachelor of Arts – Criminal Justice Major
The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice will be awarded upon the completion of the following requirements:
A. General Requirements: Meet the university’s core curriculum requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree, which are described earlier in this catalog, and satisfy all departmental requirements
B. Departmental Requirements: Criminal Justice Core, Social Science Cognates and Research/Analysis requirements are the same as those listed for the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
C. Modern language: 12 hours
D. Minor/Advanced - at least 18 hours
E. Completion of 42 upper level semester hours.
Some minors may require more credit hours.
Minor in Criminal Justice
Total of 18 hours required for the minor. No grade less than “C”.
Three lower-division courses: CRIJ 1301 and two of the following courses - CRIJ 1306, CRIJ 1310, CRIJ 2313, CRIJ 2328
Plus any three (3) upper-division CRIJ.
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
The Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice is designed to prepare students for upper-level staff, administrative, management, treatment and planning positions in criminal/juvenile justice agencies. The program has an applied focus, teaching practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge. The program consists of 36 semester hours including the completion of an applied project. Those electing the optional thesis route may complete their degree requirements with 30 hours.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, or the equivalent. Students with undergraduate degrees in other fields but with substantial work experience in criminal/juvenile justice may be admitted with special approval. Those without substantial work experience and with undergraduate degrees in other fields may be admitted after taking specified undergraduate courses.
- Undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores according to the formula [GPA X 200] + [GRE V+Q] ≥ 1350.
- Proficiency in the use of personal computers, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases and Internet search engines.
- Satisfactory completion of at least one statistics course and one social science research course.
Applicants who do not meet all admission requirements may enter as Pre-Graduate, pending full admission. Under Pre-Graduate status, the student must make up all deficiencies and earn at least a “B” average. No more than six hours of graduate credit may be earned prior to full admission.
Degree Requirements
- Core Courses: 12 hours - CRIJ 5310 Criminal Justice System and Policy, CRIJ 5320 Theoretical Foundations of Crime Control, CRIJ 5330 Planning and Evaluation, CRIJ 5331 Quantitative Methods in Criminology, CRIJ 5340 Special Studies in Applied Criminology (this course may be repeated for credit as an elective when the area of study varies), CRIJ 5345 Criminal Justice Leadership
- Elective Courses: 9-15 hours
- Four courses chosen from different CRIJ 5340 topics and/or approved graduate courses in business, counseling, education, political science, public administration, psychology, or other fields related to the student’s needs and interests
- Professional Projects: 6 hours
- CRIJ 5601 Applied Project in Criminology I (6 hours)
- CRIJ 5390/5391 Thesis (6 hours)
Anthropology
Faculty Advisor: Carolyn S. Clanahan
Location: 54 Maes Building
Phone: (409) 880-8551
The mission of the Anthropology Program at ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ is to give the student a clearer understanding of the world in which he or she lives, and his or her place in it, and to advance higher learning through both research and instruction. The Anthropology curriculum offers classes focusing on life in a multicultural, global community. These classes cover the 4-Field approach to Anthropology: Physical Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology and Linguistic Anthropology. The minor in Anthropology offered at Lamar adds cultural depth to any major offered here, and prepares our students for graduate studies in Anthropology. Anthropology supports general education through the core curriculum, with ANTH 2346 Introduction to Anthropology and ANTH 2351 The Nature of Culture, and by satisfying social science requirements for the University Core Curriculum.
Interested students are encouraged to call or visit with the faculty advisor for more information.
Minor in Anthropology
Total of 18 hours required for the minor
Required Classes (this sequence recommended):
ANTH 2346 Introduction to Anthropology
ANTH 2351 The Nature of Culture
ANTH 2302 Archaeology OR ANTH 2372 Ethnic Heritage
And three upper level courses: ANTH 4340 (varied topics) or others