Sociology is the study of social life, inequality, and social change. It helps us understand how relationships, institutions, cultures, and power structures shape our lives, from everyday interactions to global systems. In our sociology program, you’ll learn to question taken-for-granted assumptions and apply diverse theories and research methods to address urgent issues such as climate change and environmental justice, social inequalities, criminalization and social control, cultural change, as well as the production and social impacts of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence.

Similarly, our approach to criminology emphasizes the social, political, and institutional forces that shape how societies define, respond to, and manage “crime” and related social issues. Our curriculum is rooted in sociological approaches to understanding power, deviance, justice, and social control, while also drawing on perspectives from fields like law and public policy, political science, gender studies, and psychology. In our criminology program, you’ll explore how issues such as policing and incarceration, surveillance, violence, inequality, criminal networks, migration, housing, and mental health intersect with broader systems of privilege, marginalization, and resistance, and connect to larger questions of policy and social justice.

Studying sociology and/or criminology provides you with critical thinking skills, hands-on research experience, and a deeper understanding of the social forces that shape our world. In our undergraduate programs, you’ll apply sociological and criminological theories to real-world data, and develop practical skills in qualitative, quantitative, and computational research methods. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in our department’s long-standing tradition of community-engaged and applied research in Newfoundland & Labrador and the broader North Atlantic.

It’s best to starting planning your degree early. We recommend reaching out to the Undergraduate Coordinators for Sociology and Criminology for questions about course selection and undergraduate program requirements, and to the HSS Academic Advisors and Office of the Registrar for more general questions about your degree.