Department of Social Sciences

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Billy M. Turner, Head
Faculty: Armstrong, Baril, Bernard, Bulhof, Butkus, Campbell, Clark, Coleman-Lee, Furman, Gibbons, Haque, Indurthy, Rainey, Sirgo, Thompson, Turner, Weeber, Whelan

Purpose

The Department of Social Sciences is organized to offer curricula in Criminal Justice, Paralegal Studies, Political Science, and Sociology and to provide service courses in the social science fields for other departments in the University. Students interested in majoring in Family and Child Studies should see this option within the Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Students interested in majoring in Geography or Philosophy should see these options within the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies degree.

The objectives of the department are:

1. To offer every student an opportunity to broaden knowledge and increase understanding of the past and present of mankind’s governmental and social endeavor, including studies in anthropology, geography, and philosophy.
2. To provide students with a solid liberal arts course of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science or Sociology or a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and to prepare students for careers or for further graduate study in these areas.
3. To provide specialized study leading to an Associate of Arts in Paralegal Studies.
4. To offer minors in Criminal Justice, Family and Child Studies, Paralegal Studies, Political Science, and Sociology for students who wish to acquaint themselves with these disciplines.
5. To provide a graduate level program leading to a Master of Science in Criminal Justice ; for information on this program, see the Graduate Degree section below.

Graduation Requirements

A student in the Department of Social Sciences must meet all graduation requirements listed in the section titled “Graduation Requirements” found in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

The Department will not accept activity courses for elective credit in any of its curricula with the exception of band, vocal, or instrumental courses in which a student may apply up to a total of six (6) credit hours.

Core Requirements: Candidates for any degree offered by the Department of Social Sciences must earn a grade of “C” or higher in all courses credited toward the major.

Minors

The Department of Social Sciences offers minors in Criminal Justice; Family and Child Studies; Geography; Paralegal Studies; Terrorism, Preparedness, and Security; Political Science; Philosophy; and Sociology.

Graduate Degree

The Department of Social Sciences offers a program leading to a degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice  with a concentration in Justice Administration. This program offers broad training in the filed of criminal justice writ large with a focus upon police, court and correctional administration. The program is 100% online.

Specific and detailed information concerning requirements for this graduate degree in the Department of Social Sciences may be obtained by directing inquiries to the Head of the Department of Social Sciences or the Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program.

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