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What major is right for me?
Choosing a major is a highly individualized endeavor. The Department cannot choose a major for you, but you might find the information on this page helpful.
I am interested in law school. What major is best for me?
Law schools tend to be interested in well rounded students who have performed well in their courses. The Department strongly recommends that students maintain a 3.0 or better GPA in their major. It is more important for you to be in a major you find interesting and in which you do well. For this reason, any liberal arts major will be an ideal choice.
The Criminal Justice major is NOT recommended for students who intend to go to law school. If you find the Criminal Justice courses interesting, the Department recommends the Sociology (Liberal Arts) major. All Criminal Justice courses that are taught by the Sociology Department count toward the Sociology Major as well.
I am interested in graduate school. What should I do?
Admission to graduate school is frequently quite competitive. Try to find more than one program that suits your needs, looking at a range of different schools. Try to have a "safe school" if possible. Keep your grades up, and apply early. Although most graduate programs and law schools will have a technical deadline of late January or February, some operate on a rolling admissions process, which means that they may have already filled their opening by the deadline. Apply by finals week of the fall semester if you can, and make sure your GRE scores are on their way by New Year's Day.
I want to do an internship. Want should I do?
Internships are required by some programs and available to all. If you are specifically looking for a human services internship, you can either take SOCL 210 with Prof. Frohman during the fall and then enroll in her section of SOCL 397 in the spring. She will help you find a placement. Or, contact Prof. Mills prior to the beginning of the semester in which you would like to enroll in an human services internship and she will help you find a placement. Criminal Justice interns should contact Prof. Olsen prior to the beginning of the semester in which you wish to intern. If you plan on finding an internship on your own, either in the local area or somewhere else, you should contact one of the above professors and ask if they will supervise it from campus or any member of the Full Time Faculty. If you are interning in a setting that is not Criminal Justice or Human Services related, you should talk with your faulty advisor prior to the semester in which you would like to intern.
The most important thing with your internship is to start the process early. Internships can be tricky to put together, and waiting until the beginning of the semester in which you wish to intern can result in failure to find an internship. Contact the appropriate faculty during the previous semester.
College policy dictates that the paperwork for the internship must be complete prior to enrolling in the course (SOCL 397). This means that you should start the process early: even if you find an internship right at the beginning of a new semester, late paperwork could incur additional fees.
I am a Human Services or Criminal Justice major. Can I have the internship (SOCL 397) requirement waived?
Depending on the circumstances, yes. If you have at least 120 hours of volunteer or paid work experience in the appropriate work environment, you may request a waiver by sending a letter to the Department Chair at the below address:
Alexander R. Thomas, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Sociology
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, N. Y. 13820
You should also have a letter from your supervisor indicating your terms of employment, work capacity, and official duties sent to the same address. If an internship was conducted for college credit at another institution, check to see if the credits can be transferred. The necessary criteria is: substantial professional responsibilities, minimum 120 hours of work experience, and conducted under the supervision of an accredited college or university. An internship conducted at a high school cannot transfer or be used to waive the internship requirement in department programs.
I feel that I have been graded unfairly. How can I appeal my grades?
You may appeal a grade by a Sociology Department faculty member if you feel that the standards by which you have been graded are biased or unclear. To appeal, you should send a letter of a appeal to the Department Chair outlining the circumstances and reasons for the appeal. You should enclose copies of any relevant materials, such as syllabi, papers, etc. You are responsible for retaining copies of these same materials for your own records. The Department Chair will appoint a committee of at least three (3) neutral faculty members to investigate your appeal. You may or may not be contacted for additional information or documentation at that time. Upon reaching a conclusion, a letter will be mailed to you by the Department Chair informing you of the committee's conclusions. To start this process, you should send the appeals packet to:
Alexander R. Thomas, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Sociology
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, N. Y. 13820
I lost an appeal sent to the Sociology Department. Can I appeal further?
Yes. You may contact the Dean of the Division of Behavioral & Applied Science, Dr. Walter Wagor.
