Corrections

Sociology is excellent training for a career in law enforcement and corrections. Good criminal justice jobs can be obtained with a Texas A & M undergraduate degree in sociology. Alternatively the student can consider getting a masters degree in Criminal Justice. We offer the student preparing for a career in this area coursework with an explicit focus on law and criminology. There are also supplementary coursework in general social problems. There is organizational training to prepare for the administrative aspects of corrections. Because issues of race and ethnicity are very salient to the administration of justice, many law enforcement and corrections organizations prefer that their employees have formal coursework in race and diversity, coursework which we offer. Criminal justice employers also prefer candidates with practical experience. Our department offers extensive internship opportunities in the field of justice administration, both in the areas of law enforcement and corrections.

A student going into corrections needs to be familiar with the sociological literature on crime and social control. These courses provide excellent training in the social scientific literature on deviance and the institutional control of deviance.

SOCI 445: Sociology of Law
SOCI 304: Criminology
SOCI 327: Morality and Society
SOCI 411: Social Psychology

The future criminal justice professional needs to be aware of the larger social forces that can affect crime rates. The following courses provide coverage of this material:

SOCI 314: Social Problems
SOCI 315: The Marriage Institution
SOCI 207: Introduction to Gender and Society
SOCI 404: Sociology of the Community
SOCI 321: Urban Sociology
SOCI 407: Rural Sociology
SOCI 419: Social Class in Contemporary Society

The criminal justice professional needs much of the same training that a pre-business student requires. As the students' career advances, he or she will be expected to take a leadership role in shaping the policies and performance of the larger organization. Without an understanding of administrative and bureaucratic dynamics, the student's capacity to manage effectively will be diminished. The following courses provide training in formal organization and quantitative decision making:

SOCI 335: Sociology of Organizations
SOCI 322: Industrial Sociology
SOCI 220: Methods of Social Research
SOCI 420: Advanced Methods of Social Research

In an ideal world, the study of race and ethnicity would be irrelevant to the study of corrections. In actual corrections practice in the United States, race and ethnicity is a very salient issue, and its importance is not likely to diminish in the near future. The following coursework provides training in this area:

SOCI 317: Minority Groups
SOCI 323: Sociology of Black Americans
SOCI 403: Sociology of Mexican Americans
SOCI 337: International Migration

We strongly recommend that pre-criminal justice students obtain as much practical experience in law enforcement and corrections as they can while they are at Texas A&M. Internships provide an excellent opportunity to acquire such experience. Students should consider taking:

SOCI 484: Field Practicum

Students interested in pursuing a career in the criminal justice and/or corrections field may find the following courses helpful. In the case of Psychology it is necessary to be aware of the disorders one may be faced with. It is also necessary to consider the impacts of public policy as direct impacts will be felt at this level. Helpful courses include:

PSYC 306: Abnormal Psychology
POLS 307: The Texas Legislature
POLS 340: Introduction to Public Administration
POLS 440: Public Policies and Policymaking
POLS 442: Social Welfare Policy