Student Testimonial
My Sociology training enabled me to get a position that I really like soon after graduating. I work as an Administrative Assistant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects at the University of Michigan. My Sociology training helped me to develop the attention to detail, effective communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills that enable me to succeed in the detail oriented, team environment of my job. I’m so grateful for the amazing support, guidance, and opportunities that my Sociology professors provided me with!
Important Dates
Spring Session: January 12- May 2
Finals Week: April 27-30
Spring Semester Ends: May 2
Programs
Undergraduate programs
With an undergraduate degree in sociology, criminal justice, social psychology, or gender and women's studies you can branch out into a variety of career paths or go on to earn an advanced degree.
Graduate programs
Refine your theoretical and methodological knowledge and establish a career in academia, research, data analysis, or community services with our masters, accelerated masters and doctoral programs.
Opportunities
Internships
The Department of Sociology highly values our partnerships with social service and criminal justice agencies and organizations who provide valuable real-world internships and projects for our students. Internships are often available and many interns pursue careers in the justice system.
Study Abroad
Study Advanced Criminology in the Netherlands with Dr. Zoann Snyder during the Spring 2026 semester.
Cold Case Program
Cold Case Program
The Criminal Justice Studies Program has partnered with Michigan State Police to create the Cold Case Program. Under the direction of Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten, students help review and organize cold case files searching for new leads to help police with unsolved murders in southwest Michigan.
Student testimonial
My passion for sociology is what led me to clinical social work. My training in sociology is instrumental in understanding the systematic and structural roots of what impacts the welfare of the patients I work with. My lens is able to encompass more than just the medical model; I am able to see the person in the context of their socialization and environment. Studies in medical sociology have helped me take a critical lens to how healthcare as an institution has negatively impacted people of marginalized identities. The research skills training provided by the program has helped prepare me for research in a clinical setting. I love what I do, and I feel like I use my sociological imagination every day.
