The Criminal Justice and Sociology Department at Western New England College recently implemented dramatic enhancements that reflect the changing needs of society and of our students. The Criminal Justice program provides an excellent foundation for career paths that include law enforcement, corrections, probation, and court administration. The curriculum includes courses in criminology, which is the intersection of Sociology and Psychology with Criminal Justice. In this regard the department is academically very strong.
The Sociology program has also continued to develop new areas of study. We now offer courses that deal with issues of immediate relevance to students, such as Sociology of the Media; Comparative Societies, an upper level course that introduces students to the complex process of understanding and navigating cultures other than our own; and Introduction to the Mayan World, that engages students directly in exploration in Mexico. We have also developed close ties with the Department of Education at the College. It is very gratifying to see the number of sociology majors who now go on to careers in teaching and educational administration. This is an excellent use of sociology!
The Sociology program continues to maintain a close partnership with Criminal Justice. Here, too, the department has witnessed a considerable transformation. Students show a growing interest not only in addressing matters of enforcement but also in studying the underlying causes of criminal deviance. We now offer more courses that address such issues as domestic violence, juvenile violence, and the community and family origins of many of the justice issues our society faces. Our faculty continues to be drawn from those who have many years of experience in the field, and the Criminal Justice program remains among the most popular offered by the College at the undergraduate level. Furthermore, it has developed a national reputation for excellence in its field.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers the following major programs of study. Click on the name below to see the details of the program.
The Faculty
Click here for a list of the department faculty.
