FALL 2025 Course List

SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology                                  

Introduces the fundamental concepts, principles, and methods of sociology, analyzes the influence of social and cultural factors upon human behavior and evaluates the effect of group processes, social classes, stratification, and basic institutions in contemporary society. Satisfies the General Education Social Contexts and Institutions requirement.

MWF   11am-11:50am           Murray Hall 106          Eichel

MW     3:30 pm-4:45 pm          DP Corbett 117           Haedicke

TTh      12:30 pm-1:45 pm        Boardman Hall 310     Sporer

TTh      2 pm- 3:1 pm               Williams Hall 211        Walton

Online Asynchronous             n/a                               Sporer                                    

CRJ 114: Survey of Criminal Justice         

 This course is designed to provide an overview of the justice process and the criminal justice system in general.  Concepts of crime, deviance and justice will be discussed. Individual rights in a democratic society will be explored. As will the legal definitions of various crimes. The law enforcement, judicial, juvenile justice and corrections subsystem will also be explored, and a number of reform proposals presented.

MWF 5 pm-5:50 pm               Murray Hall 106          Nolan

TTh      9:30am-10:45am        Murray Hall 106          Sporer

SOC 201: Social Inequality

Structural analysis of social inequality within American society and the global community. Emphasis on the causes, extent, and social consequences of inequality, especially those based on race, gender, social clas,s and the level of economic development.

MW 2 pm-3:15 pm Corbett 107                 Haedicke

CRJ 214: Intro to Criminology

This course examines the causes, extent, and nature of crime in American society. Emphasis given to the measurement of crime, the social patterning of criminal behavior, theories of criminal behavior, and the dynamics of types of crime.

M        9am-11:50am              Online Live                         Epinger

SOC 220: Sociology of Deviance               

The study of deviant behaviors, individuals and groups, with emphasis on social order, power and identity. Use of the sociological perspective to explore definitions of deviance, theories of deviance, processes by which individuals become labeled as deviant, the nature of deviant identities and societal consequences of constructions of deviance.

MWF   9am-9:50am               Stevens 375                Eichel

CRJ 220: Corrections

This course introduces students to the goals, purpose, and history of the corrections system within the United States.  Students will learn how the American correctional system became a hallmark for the punishment and management of offenders with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.  Students will also examine current issues that professionals in the field of corrections encounter, such as the management of inmates with mental health needs.  Examples of topics covered in this class include the establishment of community corrections, the societal impact of mass imprisonment, and the management of inmates with special needs.

TTh      5pm-6:15pm               Neville Hall 208           Nolan

SOC 240: Topics in Sociology: Family Systems that Harm & Pathways to Healing                                                                                       

This course explores harmful family dynamics, including abuse, scapegoating, and intergenerational trauma, and how family narratives often silence victims. We will examine these patterns across social groups and discuss strategies for breaking free, such as expressive arts and counseling. Readings from multiple disciplines will highlight how families can both harm and protect their members, using feminist, sociological, and clinical theories.

Online Asynchronous             n/a                               Okin

CRJ 290/SOC 290:  Research Foundations in Criminal Justice & Sociology

This course introduces students to essential techniques of research design in sociology and criminal justice, including identifying research puzzles, using theory in empirical research, selecting methodological approaches, reviewing scholarly literature, and engaging with research ethics. Students will survey the diversity of research approaches in sociology and criminal justice and will develop individualized research proposals.

TTh      2pm-3:15pm               Ferland Center 337     Haedicke       

SOC 311: Rural Sociology

This class examines key theories, concepts, and data relevant to the field of rural sociology. In this course, we will explore a range of sociological topics and how they are relevant to rural people and places, including social institutions, stereotypes, depictions of rural people/places in media, criminal justice, the economy and work, inequality/poverty, race, class, gender, and sexuality. Through this course, we will engage our sociological imaginations to understand the importance of space and place and how and why rural and urban places are similar and different from each other. In this class, through assignments that apply place-based frameworks, students will develop a sociological toolkit that enables them to critically examine and understand rural-urban dynamics as well as apply these insights to their own personal experiences of rural-urban differences.

TTh      12:30pm-1:45pm        Boudreau Hall 121      Walton

CRJ 314: Law & Society

Presents a sociological perspective on law and the legal system in the United States and other societies.  Topics include problems in defining law, sociological theories of the origins and consequences of law, international differences in modes of dispute resolution, the relation between law and social change, studies of the legal profession and legal discretion in the criminal justice system.

TTh      5pm-6:15pm               Online Live                  Nolan