The program in sociology provides the student with a broad grounding in the theories and research that describe and analyze the problems of individuals, families and communities in modern America—as well as explore potential solutions. Students take a broad range of sociology courses designed to acquaint them with the breadth of the discipline and help them become more effective members of the community. The degree enables students to pursue a career in the social services or continue their education in fields such as social work, teaching, criminal justice and public administration.
The program in social services integrates a traditional liberal arts education with the specialized training and field background that a student will find helpful in pursuit of a career in the social services. Each student’s education occurs both in the classroom and in community agencies. The program—both in the classroom and out—is designed to acquaint students with the nature of social problems, examine how organizations deal with these problems, learn about the people who are being served, and discuss the major policy choices available to society. Students are prepared to enter careers in the social service arena or to continue their education in fields such as social work, criminal justice and public administration.
The state-licensed program in gerontology prepares students to work for and with older Americans. The interdisciplinary curriculum provides background in such additional fields as sociology, psychology, anthropology, health administration, and biology, all of which are relevant to the study of aging. The integration of a liberal arts education and specialized training—of learning in the classroom and in the community—offers students a broad understanding of the aged in today’s society.
The program in criminal justice educates students in a wide range of issues on the social nature of crime and on the strategies and policies of social control. The interdisciplinary curriculum draws not only from criminal justice studies, but from sociology, psychology and legal studies as well. The integration of a liberal arts education and specialized training— of learning in the classroom and the community—offers students a solid background in criminal justice. Students are prepared to enter careers in a variety of law enforcement agencies or to continue their education in fields such as criminal justice, law, social work or public administration.
Each of these programs has at least one required internship in the community, in widely varying sites that include governmental agencies, health-related settings, public school systems, probation offices, women’s shelters, nursing homes, hospital emergency rooms, prisons, police departments, substance abuse facilities, senior centers, and community homes for the developmentally disabled, to name only a few. Career opportunities for graduates are just as varied, from community-based agencies of all kinds, to state departments for social service, to hospitals. Recent graduates have taken jobs in the Area Agency on Aging, the Connecticut Department of Children and Youth Services, the New Haven Planning Department, the Department of Elderly Services, Hospice, the Fund for the City of New York, and the Department of Mental Retardation.