Sociology Minors and Certificate
Sociology explores the relationships between individuals, communities, institutions, and social systems. Whether you want to better understand crime and justice, environmental challenges, social inequality or human behavior, a Sociology minor or certificate can complement your major while strengthening your skills in research, critical thinking, communication, and analysis. These programs allow you to explore issues that shape everyday life while developing tools that are valuable across a wide range of careers and fields of study.
General Sociology Minor
The General Sociology Minor is designed for students who want to better understand how societies function and how social forces shape individual experiences, communities, and institutions. Through the study of topics such as race and racism, gender, social movements, culture, inequality, work, and environmental issues, you will learn to analyze the complex relationships between people and the social world around them.
Open to students from any major, the minor provides a broad foundation in sociological thinking while allowing flexibility to explore topics that align with your interests. Along the way, you will strengthen your skills in critical thinking, research, communication, and evidence-based analysis. Whether you are interested in public service, law, education, business, health, or community engagement, a Sociology minor can help you better understand the social dynamics that influence contemporary life.
Criminology & Criminal Justice Minor
The Criminology and Criminal Justice minor examines how societies define, understand, and respond to crime, deviance, and justice. Through the study of topics such as policing, punishment, victimization, law, inequality, and social control, you will explore the social forces that influence criminal behavior, legal systems, and public responses to crime.
Open to students from any major, the minor explores crime and justice through a sociological lens. You will investigate how laws, policies, institutions, and systems of power influence experiences of crime, punishment, victimization, accountability, and social change. The program develops valuable skills in research, analysis, critical thinking, and communication while providing insight into issues that affect communities locally and globally.
Environmental Sociology Minor
The Environmental Sociology minor explores the relationships among people, communities, social institutions, and the natural world. You will examine how societies shape environmental conditions—and how environmental change affects communities, economies, policies, and everyday life. Coursework addresses topics such as climate change, food systems, natural resources, environmental justice, water, disasters, and sustainability.
Open to students from any major, the minor is especially valuable for those interested in environmental studies, natural resources, agriculture, public policy, sustainability, or community development. By combining social and environmental perspectives, you will gain a deeper understanding of how environmental challenges emerge, who is affected by them, and how societies can respond. The minor also strengthens your abilities in research, critical analysis, problem solving, and communication.
Certificate in Applied Social Research
The Certificate in Applied Social Research is designed for students who want to strengthen their ability to investigate complex social issues using evidence-based research methods. Through hands-on experience with research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, you will learn how social scientists gather information, evaluate evidence, and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
Open to students from a wide range of majors, the certificate develops practical skills that can be applied across industries and professions. Whether you are interested in public policy, nonprofit organizations, community development, business, education, health, environmental work, or graduate study, the ability to understand and use research is increasingly valuable. As you complete the certificate, you will build your capacity to ask meaningful questions, analyze information critically, and translate data into insights that support informed decision-making and real-world problem solving.
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