The New York Times Magazine Ranks Salem College No. 2 in the Nation for Economic Diversity
September 12, 2023
WINSTON-SALEM, NC (SEPTEMBER 12, 2023)—In its Education Issue, The New York Times Magazine ranked Salem College No.
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Sociology
Sociology
Sociology provides students with the opportunity to study an unlimited number of subjects in society including crime, social & criminal justice, family, race and ethnicity, gender, class, natural and man-made disasters, music, social inequality, housing and communities, immigration, globalization, education, social movements, history, social control, and social causes to individual behavior. Upon completion of the majors offered in Salem’s Sociology Program, students leave with the abilities to investigate social problems from a historical and scientific lens, conduct academic research on social issues, explain causes behind human behavior, and present their ideas in a professional and scholarly environment. The program at Salem offers courses towards two majors: Sociology or Sociology with a concentration in Criminology. Students who choose to specialize in Criminology will learn the traditional criminal justice ideas taught in a vocational criminal justice degree, as well as the causes behind criminal behavior, society’s responses to crime, and strategies for reducing crime.
Program Faculty
Tiffany Zhang
Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology
Overview
Sociology is the study of human behavior in society. The “sociological imagination,” which is a term for understanding the effects of social forces on individuals and groups, enables students to better understand the effects of race, gender, social class, and social institutions in contemporary society. Majors earn a general understanding of the complexities of today’s society and its social problems through basic research and statistical skills, preparing them for graduate study in sociology or for careers dealing with people and social institutions.
Your Program
Courses in sociology give you the background and analytical skills needed to understand social institutions and social change. The sociology major requires courses in sociological theory, critical analysis, research methods, and statistics. Two core electives are selected from among courses dealing with gender, race, and stratification in preparation for the Senior Seminar. Other electives include such courses as Urban Sociology, Aging, Criminology, Community Social Service Systems and Methods, and the Sociology of Mass Media. Special Topics courses, such as Globalization and Women and Reproduction, are offered regularly to provide you with the opportunity to take classes that are not a regular part of the curriculum. If you have a GPA of 3.5 or higher you may earn Departmental Honors by completing two honors independent study courses in which an individual research project is designed and carried out.
Your Experience
As a sociology major, you seek an understanding of your world and its processes. You will be part of a department that includes both traditional-age students and continuing studies students. Our majors are also diverse in terms of race and national origin. You may choose to combine this major with a minor or second major in a related field such as communication, psychology, teacher preparation, not-for-profit management, or business. Our classes are scheduled both during the day and in the evening, enabling employed adults to complete the major entirely in evening.
Your Faculty
Faculty members in the Sociology Department are committed to the academic excellence of the program and to the success of their students. Small classes and faculty accessibility are key components of an enhanced educational experience.
Your Results
With a degree in sociology, you will be able to join other Salem students who have gone on to graduate schools. Some of the schools attended by recent graduates include Syracuse University, George Washington University, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Sociology majors have pursued graduate degrees in sociology, social work, counseling, education, law, public policy/public administration, and allied health fields.
Many sociology graduates go directly into human service positions; into teaching (in combination with Salem’s teacher preparation program); or into positions in business or health services. Some examples from recent graduates are: project manager for Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; public affairs officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS; attorney for Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina; house manager for Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem; and director of admissions, Salem Academy.
Major/Minor
Sociology Major (BA)
The major in sociology requires a minimum of ten courses, or 30 semester hours. Fifteen semester hours must be taken at Salem, including SOCI 380, the senior capstone course.
Required core courses:
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology (3 hrs)
SOCI 201. Sociological Theory (3 hrs)
SOCI 210. Sociology Research Methods (3 hrs)
SOCI 215. Social Statistics (3 hrs)
SOCI 380. Senior Seminar in Sociology (3 hrs)
Select five additional elective courses from:
Any SOCI course (3 hrs min.)
CRST 150. Deviance (3 hrs)
CRST 160. Juvenile Delinquency (3 hrs)
MATH 242. Nonparametric Statistical Methods (3 hrs)
Sociology with a concentration in Criminology (BA)
The Sociology major with the concentration in Criminology requires eleven courses (33 hours, minimum): an eight-course core and three major electives. Five of the eleven courses (15 of the 33 semester hours), including CRST 380, must be taken at Salem.
Required core courses (24 semester hours):
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology (3 hrs)
CRST 100. Criminology/SOCI 270. Criminology (3 hrs)
CRST 110. Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 hrs)
CRST 150. Deviance (3 hrs)
SOCI 201. Sociological Theory (3 hrs)
SOCI 210. Sociology Research Methods (3 hrs)
PSYC 201. Social Statistics (3 hrs)
SOCI 380. Senior Seminar in Sociology (3 hrs)
Concentration Elective Options; Choose three (9 semester hours required):
CRST 160. Juvenile Delinquency (3 hrs)
CRST 170. Crime and Punishment (3 hrs)
CRST 200. Independent Study in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
CRST 220. Special Topics in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
CRST 270. Internship in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
CRST 280. Criminal Law (3 hrs)
CRST 285. Criminal Procedure (3 hrs)
CRST 290. Honors Independent Study in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
Sociology Minor
The minor in sociology requires the completion of six courses:
Required Core Courses:
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology (3 hrs)
SOCI 201. Sociological Theory (3 hrs)
SOCI 210. Sociology Research Methods (3 hrs)
Three additional SOCI electives (excluding SOCI 275), or CRST 150, or CRST 160 (9 hrs min.)
At least nine semester hours toward the minor must be taken at Salem.
Internships
Wake Forest University/Baptist Medical Center
S.C.A.N. (Stop Child Abuse Now)
The Children’s Home
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public School System
Florida School of Traditional Midwifery
Winston-Salem Police Department
Juvenile Justice Council
Guardian ad Litem Program
Winston-Salem Urban League
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice
Winston-Salem Institute for Dismantling Racism
Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition
The Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina
Ronald McDonald House
C.H.A.N.G.E.
The Family Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, State of South Carolina
Success Stories
Our sociology faculty are a brilliant group of folks with diverse interests and specialties. These research areas range from social inequalities related to race, class, and gender, to the study of midwifery and cultures of motherhood, to the relationships between gender and the pursuit of cosmetic surgery. Students, too, are engaged in vibrant dialogue and research. I had the pleasure of interning at a not-for-profit organization in Washington, DC, as an outreach coordinator and attorney’s aide. If you envision yourself pursuing a passion for non-profit work, community organizing, social work, advocacy, teaching, public health (and so many more), you should definitely consider exploring sociology.
Elis Herman
Class Year: 2014
Major: Sociology
Career: Teaching environmental and social justice to teenagers in California
Sociology is the study of human behavior in society. The “sociological imagination,” which is a term for understanding the effects of social forces on individuals and groups, enables students to better understand the effects of race, gender, social class, and social institutions in contemporary society. Majors earn a general understanding of the complexities of today’s society and its social problems through basic research and statistical skills, preparing them for graduate study in sociology or for careers dealing with people and social institutions.
Your Program
Courses in sociology give you the background and analytical skills needed to understand social institutions and social change. The sociology major requires courses in sociological theory, critical analysis, research methods, and statistics. Two core electives are selected from among courses dealing with gender, race, and stratification in preparation for the Senior Seminar. Other electives include such courses as Urban Sociology, Aging, Criminology, Community Social Service Systems and Methods, and the Sociology of Mass Media. Special Topics courses, such as Globalization and Women and Reproduction, are offered regularly to provide you with the opportunity to take classes that are not a regular part of the curriculum. If you have a GPA of 3.5 or higher you may earn Departmental Honors by completing two honors independent study courses in which an individual research project is designed and carried out.
Your Experience
As a sociology major, you seek an understanding of your world and its processes. You will be part of a department that includes both traditional-age students and continuing studies students. Our majors are also diverse in terms of race and national origin. You may choose to combine this major with a minor or second major in a related field such as communication, psychology, teacher preparation, not-for-profit management, or business. Our classes are scheduled both during the day and in the evening, enabling employed adults to complete the major entirely in evening.
Your Faculty
Faculty members in the Sociology Department are committed to the academic excellence of the program and to the success of their students. Small classes and faculty accessibility are key components of an enhanced educational experience.
Your Results
With a degree in sociology, you will be able to join other Salem students who have gone on to graduate schools. Some of the schools attended by recent graduates include Syracuse University, George Washington University, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Sociology majors have pursued graduate degrees in sociology, social work, counseling, education, law, public policy/public administration, and allied health fields.
Many sociology graduates go directly into human service positions; into teaching (in combination with Salem’s teacher preparation program); or into positions in business or health services. Some examples from recent graduates are: project manager for Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; public affairs officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS; attorney for Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina; house manager for Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem; and director of admissions, Salem Academy.
Sociology Major (BA)
The major in sociology requires a minimum of ten courses, or 30 semester hours. Fifteen semester hours must be taken at Salem, including SOCI 380, the senior capstone course.
Required core courses:
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology (3 hrs)
SOCI 201. Sociological Theory (3 hrs)
SOCI 210. Sociology Research Methods (3 hrs)
SOCI 215. Social Statistics (3 hrs)
SOCI 380. Senior Seminar in Sociology (3 hrs)
Select five additional elective courses from:
Any SOCI course (3 hrs min.)
CRST 150. Deviance (3 hrs)
CRST 160. Juvenile Delinquency (3 hrs)
MATH 242. Nonparametric Statistical Methods (3 hrs)
Sociology with a concentration in Criminology (BA)
The Sociology major with the concentration in Criminology requires eleven courses (33 hours, minimum): an eight-course core and three major electives. Five of the eleven courses (15 of the 33 semester hours), including CRST 380, must be taken at Salem.
Required core courses (24 semester hours):
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology (3 hrs)
CRST 100. Criminology/SOCI 270. Criminology (3 hrs)
CRST 110. Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 hrs)
CRST 150. Deviance (3 hrs)
SOCI 201. Sociological Theory (3 hrs)
SOCI 210. Sociology Research Methods (3 hrs)
PSYC 201. Social Statistics (3 hrs)
SOCI 380. Senior Seminar in Sociology (3 hrs)
Concentration Elective Options; Choose three (9 semester hours required):
CRST 160. Juvenile Delinquency (3 hrs)
CRST 170. Crime and Punishment (3 hrs)
CRST 200. Independent Study in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
CRST 220. Special Topics in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
CRST 270. Internship in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
CRST 280. Criminal Law (3 hrs)
CRST 285. Criminal Procedure (3 hrs)
CRST 290. Honors Independent Study in Criminal Studies (3 hrs min.)
Sociology Minor
The minor in sociology requires the completion of six courses:
Required Core Courses:
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology (3 hrs)
SOCI 201. Sociological Theory (3 hrs)
SOCI 210. Sociology Research Methods (3 hrs)
Three additional SOCI electives (excluding SOCI 275), or CRST 150, or CRST 160 (9 hrs min.)
At least nine semester hours toward the minor must be taken at Salem.
Our sociology faculty are a brilliant group of folks with diverse interests and specialties. These research areas range from social inequalities related to race, class, and gender, to the study of midwifery and cultures of motherhood, to the relationships between gender and the pursuit of cosmetic surgery. Students, too, are engaged in vibrant dialogue and research. I had the pleasure of interning at a not-for-profit organization in Washington, DC, as an outreach coordinator and attorney’s aide. If you envision yourself pursuing a passion for non-profit work, community organizing, social work, advocacy, teaching, public health (and so many more), you should definitely consider exploring sociology.
Elis Herman
Class Year: 2014
Major: Sociology
Career: Teaching environmental and social justice to teenagers in California
Wake Forest University/Baptist Medical Center
S.C.A.N. (Stop Child Abuse Now)
The Children’s Home
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public School System
Florida School of Traditional Midwifery
Winston-Salem Police Department
Juvenile Justice Council
Guardian ad Litem Program
Winston-Salem Urban League
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice
Winston-Salem Institute for Dismantling Racism
Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition
The Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina
Ronald McDonald House
C.H.A.N.G.E.
The Family Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, State of South Carolina
See our Academic Catalog for all of our course offerings.