Sociology Department

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Professor: Jacob Heller, Gilda Zwerman
Associate Professors: Lee Blackstone, Jillian Crocker, Peter Ikeler, Laura Limonic, Chair, Diana Papademas, Ryoko Yamamoto
Assistant Professors: Keisha Goode, Curtis Holland, Rachel Kalish
Lecturer: Richard Cimino

Mission Statement

The Sociology Department provides students with a liberal arts education based on a sociological understanding of human behavior, culture, and society through scientific inquiry. Our majors in Sociology and Criminology provide a foundation for intellectual development, civic responsibility, global awareness, and the pursuance of social justice in a diverse society. The Department empowers students with an opportunity to conduct original research and encourages them to assess social issues critically. The Sociology Department’s faculty are committed to preparing students from every background for graduate degree programs, as well as for careers in teaching, social work, law, research-oriented positions, and a variety of other professional endeavors. The Department of Sociology offers two majors in Sociology, which lead to either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree, and a major in Criminology, which leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree. The Department serves all students interested in acquiring sociological knowledge. Most courses are open to both majors and non-majors. The sociological perspective offers students an opportunity to develop and refine their ‘sociological imagination’, through which the dynamics, principles, and patterns that govern human interaction and social structure are critically understood. At Old Westbury, students will learn the substantive knowledge, theories and methods of the discipline. Students exposed to sociology or criminology in this way will be enabled to analyze and interpret complex patterns in quantitative and qualitative data, thereby increasing and clarifying their understanding of social life.

Evening Students

The Department offers a full-time major for day and evening students. Students who plan to earn a B.A. or B.S. degree in Sociology or Criminology by attending only evening classes should expect to spend three or more additional years.

Transfer Students

The Sociology Department permits the application of transfer credits toward the major with these limitations:

1. Introductory Sociology may be transferred.
2. Up to two additional courses may be transferred toward the requirements of the major, one of which may be a foundation course if passed with a grade of C- or better at an accredited four-year college or university.
   • a.they may be drawn from the courses approved in articulation agreements with other colleges;
   • b.they may be drawn from courses taken at other colleges, provided they have been reviewed and approved by a Sociology faculty member.

Requests for exceptions will be considered in accordance with established department policies and procedures.

Programs

• Sociology, B.A.

• Criminology, B.S.
• Sociology, B.S.

• Social Work, Minor

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