DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, CRIMINOLOGY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY
Sociology is the study of society, social relationships, and the patterns of behavior that shape human interactions. It explores how social institutions like family, education, government, and religion influence individuals and groups, helping us understand issues such as inequality, culture, identity, and social change. Majoring or minoring in sociology is a great choice for college students because it develops critical thinking, research skills, and cultural awareness—tools that are highly valuable in a wide range of careers including social work, law, public policy, education, and business. It also encourages a deeper understanding of complex social issues, preparing students to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the broader world.
Criminology, a field born from sociology, is the scientific study of crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. It examines the causes and consequences of crime, the effectiveness of laws and law enforcement, and the social impact of criminal activity. Majoring or minoring in criminology is a strong choice for students interested in law, psychology, or public service, as it offers valuable insights into human behavior, justice, and social order. It also opens doors to careers in law enforcement, corrections, legal studies, forensic science, and policymaking, making it both a practical and socially meaningful field of study.
Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present, focusing on our cultural, social, biological, and linguistic deonlyvelopment. It explores everything from ancient civilizations and human evolution to modern-day cultural practices and beliefs around the world. By examining how people live, think, and interact across time and space, anthropology offers a deep understanding of human diversity and commonality. Our anthropology minor is a great choice for those who are curious about the world and interested in global perspectives, as it builds critical thinking, research, and cross-cultural communication skills. These tools are valuable in careers such as international development, education, public health, archaeology, museum work, and beyond.
Contact us
Loren Wilbers
Department Chair and Associate Professor
262-472-1407
Laurentide Hall 2110
Nicole Romero
Department Assistant
262-472-1133
Laurentide Hall 2112
UW-Whitewater offers students a wide variety of scholarships, both through the university, individual colleges, and departments. The Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology has a number of scholarships and awards geared specifically toward our students, including:
- Hadley G. Klug Memorial Scholarship
- Michael T. Remer Sr Criminology Scholarship
- Dean Goza Sociology Scholarship
- Chuck and Martha Heinrich Scholarship
- The J.T. von Trebra Outstanding Senior Award
- The Patricia Searles Outstanding Junior Award
More information about these and other scholarships is available through the scholarship portal.
The Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology supports a number of student clubs and organizations, including the Criminal Justice Organization and UWW Empower.
Student Interests and Presentations
With the department including Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology, the research that students are involved in is quite diverse! Check out what students are studying and how many of them got involved by utilizing the grants and fellowships provided by the Undergraduate Research Program here at UW-Whitewater. See website for a list of all grant and fellowship opportunities and deadlines. Students have presented their research at local, regional, and national conferences.
Alumni Graduate Studies
Several students graduating from our department have gone on to get their Master's and Ph.D. degrees in graduate schools. Undergraduate research is a great jumping off point for graduate education.
Some students have trouble finding a job and FALSELY think the solution is to keep going to school. They think that graduate school is just a continuation of their undergraduate education and will magically result in a good job. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Graduate and professional schools vary greatly. There are master's and doctorate degrees in many fields (Criminology, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.) and professional schools (Public Health, Law). Getting accepted and the intensity of the program vary widely. Some (e.g., master's degree in local university) are not too competitive but others are extremely difficult to enter and very expensive ($40-50,000 per year tuition). Do not think that going to graduate school as just an extra year or two of your undergraduate education.
Getting into a top graduate or professional school is very competitive. Top graduate or professional schools get dozens more applicants with GPA's over 3.8 than they can accept. A high GPA may get your "foot in the door" but you need more to be competitive. You also need high scores on the GRE (Graduate Record Exam), LSAT or similar standardized test, several very good letters of reference from professors who really know you, and some experience doing an undergraduate research project. A low GPA (i.e., defined as about 3.0 overall) means you might be able to get into a small, low-prestige graduate program. Just remember, the better the graduate program, the harder it is to get in, but the better the chances of you being able to land a good job afterwards.
A graduate or professional degree is not a job guarantee. Some people with master's degrees, law degrees and PhD's have trouble finding jobs. There are PhDs driving taxis because they did not go to a top graduate school, do extremely well in graduate school, and master the professional academic way of life. While there are unemployed people with master's dgrees and PhDs, but not as many as unemployed people with bachelor's degrees. Adding more degrees is not a simple solution to starting a good career, it is only one part of the puzzle.
Know what you want to do. Graduate and professional schools seek bright and highly motivated people who have a good sense of their direction in life. Directionless people rarely succeed and they tend to "wash out" and leave graduate school without a degree. If you are going to graduate school "because there was nothing better to do" the odds of success are low. You need a clear vision, a plan, very strong work ethic, and a passion to learn if you are to succeed.
Do your research and be prepared to relocate. The state of Wisconsin has two PhD programs in Sociology, and one (UW-Milwaukee) is small and only a few years old. The other PhD program is at UW-Madison. It is usually rated in the top 5 - in the world. It accepts top students from anywhere and gives no preference to students from Wisconsin. While there are about 200 PhD programs in a field like Sociology (far fewer in Criminology or Anthropology), they vary a lot by prestige, specialization, how graduate students are treated, etc. Some graduate schools fund almost no incoming students, others give 90% of their accepted students financial aid or related job on campus.You should write to multiple graduate schools to get information, visit the graduate schools to talk with faculty and students, and ask your professors or people in the career that is your goal as part of the process of deciding where to go.
Be ready for the long haul and intense work. A master's or law degree involves 2-3 years of intense work. PhD programs typically require 5-8 years full-time beyond the bachelor's degree. In more prestigious, stronger programs the work load can be intense. A beginning graduate-level course might require 3-4 times of the work/effort as an upper-level course at the undergraduate level on the same topic. There are a lot of essay tests and research papers, with few if any multiple choice tests. The PhD is a research degree, so you better enjoy doing research if your goal is the PhD. Self-confidence, organization, and good writing and speaking skills are important for success in graduate school as in most areas of professional life.
Start early. Most graduate schools award scholarships, fellowships, teaching assistants, etc. only to early applicants. Most graduate schools only accept students in fall, and they often have deadlines in January. This means you need to start the process of applying about a year in advance of your date of entry. Ideally, you need to start thinking seriously about graduate school by your junior year of college if you plan to begin a graduate program, law school or similar program the fall after graduation.
You can download and print off this information here [PDF]
Internships
The Department has a very active internship program that has been in operation for over three decades. Interested students can be placed in internships in a variety of occupational settings. The internships, which are taken by a majority of majors, enable students to gain valuable employment experience and learn to apply classroom knowledge to solving real-world social problems.
Internship Opportunities
Business Management and Marketing - The Department has some limited internship opportunities in the business management/marketing field. In the past we have placed students with the City of Whitewater, Generac, Verlo Mattress, etc.
Investigation (non-law enforcement) - The Department has internship placement opportunities for students interested in non-law enforcement investigation careers. In the past we have placed students with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Wisconsin Office of the Public Defender, and other private security companies.
Juveniles - The Department has internship placement opportunities for students interested in working with juveniles both involved and not involved in the corrections system. In the past we have placed students with the Milwaukee County Juvenile Services, Rock County Juvenile Diversion Program, Rock County Juvenile Probation, Walworth County Restorative Justice Program, Mentoring Positives, Opportunities Incorporated, Boys and Girls Club and YMCA.
Adult Probation/Parole - The Department has internship placement opportunities for students in adult probation/parole careers. In the past we have placed students with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (Probation/Parole Services) across Wisconsin and State of Illinois.
Human Resource Management - The Department has some limited internship opportunities in the human resources field. In the past we have placed students with the City of Whitewater, Beloit, Community Action, as well as other private human resource firms.
Law Enforcement (local, state, and federal) - Investigation (non-law enforcement) - The Department has internship placement opportunities for students interested in law enforcement careers. In the past we have placed students with numerous Wisconsin cities, as well as County Sheriff's Offices, and some limited Federal agencies (i.e., U.S. Marshal's Service).
Paralegal - The Department has some limited internship opportunities in the paralegal field. In the past we have placed students with the Rock County Circuit Court, Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services, Wisconsin Office of the Public Defender and private law firms.
Public Health - The Department has some limited internship opportunities in public health. In the past we have placed students with the Huntington Place, Stoughton Hospital, Community Action.
Interested in an Internship?
INTERNSHIPS (SOC 493)
Students are given permission to register for SOC 493 in WINS after they have been placed in an internship.
Students are encouraged (but not required) to find their own internship opportunities and then follow the below process to discuss those opportunities with the internship coordinator.
Internship Placement Process
- Determine Eligibility and Semester
- Use Sign-up Sheet to Schedule Meeting with Internship Coordinator
- Determine Internship Interests Prior to Meeting
1. Determine Eligibility and the Semester You Wish to Intern
Determine the semester you will be eligible (at least 85 credits) and would like to do an internship. Internships can be completed in the fall, spring, or summer.
2. Use Sign-Up Sheet to Schedule a Meeting with the Internship Coordinator
You do not need to email the internship coordinator. Instead, simply sign up to meet with the coordinator during one of the designated internship meeting times for the semester you would like to intern.
A sign-up sheet to meet with the internship coordinator is emailed to all majors and posted on this website on the following dates each semester.
Sign-up Sheet for Meetings to Discuss:
FALL SEMESTER internships: April 15
SPRING SEMESTER internships: September 10
SUMMER SESSION internships: February 1
Either watch for the email with the link to the sign-up sheet or return to this site to access the sign-up sheet to schedule a meeting with the coordinator for the semester you would like an internship.
3. Determine Your Internship Interests Prior to Meeting with Coordinator
Prior to your meeting with the internship coordinator, you should have some idea of your interests. If you do not have a specific career in mind, identify content covered in your courses that you found interesting so that you and the coordinator can define your interests and identify related internship opportunities.
If you have already identified an internship opportunity, you will use this meeting to discuss whether that opportunity will satisfy the requirements for your major.
Students must have completed 85 credits of university coursework, including some coursework related to their internship, and have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher. Internships are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Yes, the following are internship deadlines:
I want a Fall internship-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Must meet with Internship Coordinator on or before April 30
I want a Spring internship-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Must meet with Internship Coordinator on or before October 16
I want a Summer internship-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Must meet with Internship Coordinator on or before February 12
Yes and No. While a student can initiate a preliminary discussion with a proposed agency, the Internship Coordinator must work out all the details, review, and approve of an internship placement. You must meet with the coordinator even if you have made some initial contacts and have ideas about a possible placement.
Students may use up to 6 internship credits towards their major, and an additional 6 credits toward the 120 credits needed for graduation. Typically, students receive 3 credits for every 10 hours per week of internship work, with most students working 20 hours per week.
Yes, students must register for SOC 493 credits during their internship. Students must receive permission from the department to register for SOC 493. Internship credits are taken on a pass/fail basis.
Most commutes to agencies are between 20-45 minutes.
Yes, you will be enrolled in an online course while completing your internship. As an intern, your primary job is completing your weekly internship hours and doing a good job at your placement site. For the class component of your internship, you will keep a weekly log documenting your activities as an intern, write two reflection papers about their experiences as an intern, create a LinkedIn account, and meet twice with the internship coordinator during the semester.
Explore our academic programs
Anthropology
MinorDelve into the studies of many different societies and cultures' foundations and development through an Anthropology minor. Take courses in archeology, geography, humanities, social sciences (religious, gender, racial, and ethnic studies,) history, and much more to give yourself a better understanding of the diverse peoples who make up our world.
Applied Research
Certificate (Undergraduate)The Applied Research certificate is designed to teach undergraduate students how to properly answer a question for a client, such as a university unit, non-profit organization, or government agency. With this certificate, students will be able to present their research findings to a client.
Behavioral Health and Society
Certificate (Undergraduate)Study the effects of social pressures and structures on people's behavior and mental health by courses on many sociology-related subjects, such as human behavior in a social environment, psychology, drug usage and addiction, culture and healthcare, criminology, and more.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Certificate (Undergraduate)The Corporate Social Responsibility certificate is designed to inform students of proper behavior to practice in the workplace. This will better prepare students to become professional leaders in business.
Criminology
Major/Emphasis, MinorStudy crime, the mindset of criminals, and the many societal factors that influence them. In our Criminology program, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the American criminal justice system and investigate the correlations between crime and society's reactions to it. Courses include the sociology of crime, forensic science, crime investigation, health and safety, and more.
Disability Studies
Certificate (Undergraduate)The Disability Studies certificate will allow students to expand their knowledge and experience with people with disabilities.
Family, Health and Disability Studies
MinorThrough a minor in family, health, and disabilities studies, students will engage in courses in the social and behavioral sciences that will enhance their understanding of the interrelationship between family and health issues. Get ready for a job or graduate study in medical-health support, human services, and community service fields locally and globally.
Forensics Science
Certificate (Undergraduate)The Forensics Science certification will allow students to cultivate leadership skills in the application of science to the legal system, gain professional competencies developed through course work that includes presentations to moot court settings, and lab work.
Sociology
Major/Emphasis, MinorIn sociology, you will gain a better understanding of the development, structure, and functioning of societies, while focusing on society, patterns of social interaction, human social behavior, the aspects of culture that correspond to everyday life and the reasons behind them.
What does my contribution directly support?
Student scholarships
Undergraduate research
Hands-on learning
Guest lectures
How much money can make an impact?
Donate now to support the Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology at UW-Whitewater
If you're interested in starting a scholarship or making a pledge, please contact the UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc at 262-472-1105 or through email at foundation@uww.edu.