Why Study Sociology, Crimininology, and Justice?

A degree in sociology, criminology, and justice studies offers a broad liberal arts education, fostering skills in critical thinking, writing, and communication that are highly valued by both employers and graduate programs. This degree will also prepare you to understand social structures, change, and the dynamics of interpersonal and intergroup relationships in both small groups and the global context.

Studying sociology gives you a comprehensive understanding of the world.

What Is Sociology?

According to the American Sociological Association:

“Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious traditions; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture.”

Learn more about sociology from our own students and professors.

Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

After Graduation

You’ll be prepared for work in public sector positions with health, social service, criminal justice and corrections agencies, and private sector positions in human resources, research, public relations, and more.
Graduates from the program work in law enforcement in Fairfax County, local federal probation, and the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office; for nonprofit organizations including Triangle Family Services; and in corporate America, including JPMorgan Chase.
Others have earned advanced degrees from Northwestern University, Purdue, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, and N.C. State while some graduates have attended law school at City University of New York, Elon, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Wake Forest.

Quotable

“The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden.
Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist

“Whatever sociology may be, it is the result of constantly asking the question, what is the meaning of this?”
^{– C. Wright Mills, American sociologist}

“Social facts, like houses, are made by human beings. The study of their origins, functions, and improvements is an important part of human progress.”
^{Charlotte Perkins Gilman, sociologist and feminist thinker}

Famous Sociology Majors

Michelle Obama: The former First Lady earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Princeton University, with a focus on community dynamics and racial disparities.

Alumni Success Stories

March 22, 2023

Sociology Alum Returns to Fight Guilford’s Opioid Crisis

We were delighted that sociology alum Amanda Clark ’14, ’18 was featured for her work as Guilford County Public Health’s first …

January 25, 2022

UNCG Sociology Alumna Ashley Adams (MA 2021)

Ashley Adams is a 2021 graduate of the UNCG Sociology Sociology master’s degree program with a formal concentration in Crimino…

Mission & Values

Department Mission

UNCG Sociology serves undergraduate and graduate students, the College & University, the academy, and our communities through teaching, scholarship, mentorship, outreach, and active citizenship. We put sociology to work to solve problems, educate students and the public, raise critical questions, and create freer intellectual spaces. Grounded in an appreciation of the complexity, variety, and necessity of sociological inquiry, we are teacher-scholars driven to advance the promise of sociology at every level and in every context.

Department Values

Inclusion and openness: We welcome and respect differences in identity, social status, perspective, and lived experience.

Intellectual curiosity: We use sociological inquiry to empower students to think critically and to cultivate a healthy respect for empirical evidence.

Community Engagement & Service: We value putting sociology to work as a tool to make positive social change.

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