Department of Criminal Justice Studies & Sociology
About the Department
The department provides two programs of study leading to bachelor degrees: Criminal Justice Studies and Sociology. The courses taught by departmental faculty are also foundational to many of Westminster’s interdisciplinary majors, such as International Studies.
Sociology is the scientific study of human behavior as interpreted and experienced in groups. These groups range from face-to-face interactions to institutions, and include the family, religious communities, and health care to indigenous, developing and post-industrial societies embedded in globalization processes.
The Criminal Justice Studies major provides a sociology foundation with electives and an internship in various areas of criminology and criminal justice. Students learn about theories of the causes of crime, examine empirical data and understand and critically evaluate public opinion around, and the policies and institutions of, the criminal justice system.
Majors, Minors & Programs
Experiences & Opportunities
At Westminster, learning isn’t limited to the classroom. In each of our 50+ majors and pre-professional programs, your education will be enhanced by the purposeful combination of expert classroom instruction and hands-on learning opportunities. Internships, undergraduate research and studying abroad are just a few of the real experiences our students get that lead to real success after graduation.
Faculty & Academic Staff
Teachers, researchers, experts, mentors...our faculty members are all these things and more to their students. They trained in universities around the globe, but they chose to teach and conduct research at Westminster because of the focus on student development and success. Their dedication to mentoring and teaching is evident in our students’ success when it comes to graduation rates, post-graduation employment and graduate and professional school acceptance.
