What is sociology?

Sociology is "the study of our behavior as social beings, covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes" (ASA 2016).  The field of sociology includes criminology, which is the scientific study of crime and criminals, and which is a specialty area for many of our faculty.

Sociology at WPU

The Sociology Department at William Paterson houses two undergraduate majors: Sociology and Criminology & Criminal Justice. Within the sociology major, we have a concentration designed for students interested in a social work career. Students can also minor in sociology or in criminology.

We also administer a Master's program in Applied Sociology. You can watch a webinar about it here.  Qualified students can earn a BA in Sociology and an MA in Applied Sociology in just five years by enrolling in our BA/MA Accelerated Degree Program.

Our Department is home to the regional professional association for the northeast, the Eastern Sociological Society.

For news about our department, check out the Spring 2017 issue of Dialogue, our department newsletter.  See past issues of Dialogue here.