It is such a tough question, and students frequently don't want to lock themselves into a program they later regret. One of the advantages of studying in Oneonta's Sociology Department is the ability to choose a major and later switch to one more or less specialized or flexible down the road. Are a Criminal Justice major who has decided that research or law school is more appealing? Switch to the Sociology major - it usually means only adding a course in statistics and Senior Seminar. Are you a Human Services student who finds advocacy of the elderly a rewarding career? The Gerontology Studies program is waiting for you!  At SUNY Oneonta, flexibility is our middle name!

When choosing a major, you should weigh the benefits of a specific, career-oriented program against those of a more general liberal arts degree.  A career-oriented program, such as Criminal Justice, will provide an education that is more suited to what you plan to do down the road.  This more narrow focus is appropriate if you know for sure what career you want down the road.  On the other hand, this narrow focus could also narrow your prospective opportunities in the future should you decide that you want to switch careers.  In terms of graduate study down the road, students should consider their interests: if you don't enjoy a major and, as a result, do not perform well, you might want a different major.  Remember, graduate schools want some promise of success in graduate school, and that means grades.  If you don't do well in one of our majors, you might be be better off in a major you find more rewarding.

The Sociology major has two tracks -- one more general and the other more specific.  The Liberal Arts track is a traditional Sociology major and is thus our most flexible.  It is designed for students who wish to explore the social world, and it fosters critical thinking, research and writing skills, and a broad-based ability to see the world through a variety of lenses.  This is, in reality, true of all the Sociology Department majors, but the Liberal Arts track particularly emphasizes these traits by making it easy to declare another major or minor.  Students in the liberal arts track have had particular success in double-majoring in such fields as Philosophy, Psychology, Political Science, Anthropology - anything else you might find interesting.  A number of students interested in careers in the criminal justice system but wishing to keep their options open have opted to major in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice.  For students interested in Law School, the Department recommends either this program or other liberal arts major (particularly Political Science) over the Criminal Justice major as the emphasis on critical thinking and writing is particularly applicable to the study and practice of law.

The other Sociology major track is the Human Services Pre-Professional track.  This track is best suited for students interested in working in the social welfare system and other human services occupations.  It is a strongly inter-disciplinary program that is designed to prepare students either for work in a human services agency or future study in a Masters of Social Work (MSW) program.  Students interested in working in a human services capacity within the criminal justice system -- as a prison counselor, for example -- might consider choosing this major and a minor in criminal justice.  If you are specifically interested in working with elderly populations, a minor in Gerontology Studies would be appropriate as well.  As their are more required credits in this program, it is more difficult (but not impossible) to dual major with another program.

The Criminal Justice major is a pre-professional program designed for students interested in future employment in the Criminal Justice system.  The program at Oneonta has a strongly "criminological" approach.  In other words, the Criminal Justice major at SUNY Oneonta is a liberal arts program that stresses the critical study and evaluation of crime and the criminal justice system itself.  It stresses criminological issues, and it's best suited for students seeking the benefits of a liberal arts education in application to the criminal justice system.  The program emphasizes the causes and consequences of crime, and as such is best suited for students who have interests in the study and/or investigation of criminal behavior.  Career options include those in the corrections system, law enforcement, and probation and parole.  The Department does not offer "skills" courses, such as firearms use or self-defense, and normally does not accept such courses from other schools as satisfying major requirements (although such credits will often count toward the degree requirement set by the college as electives).  Students interested in future study of law are encouraged to consider a liberal arts major, such as our Sociology major, the Political Science major, or any other liberal arts program with a strong critical thinking and writing emphasis.

The Gerontology Studies major is a highly interdisciplinary major oriented toward students interested in the study of aging.  The Gerontology Studies program is a highly individualized major that is focused on aging and the elderly, and is a good choice for those students looking to work with the elderly or who wish to pursue future graduate level work on the study on aging.  As the Department's smallest major, the Gerontology Studies program offers highly individualized attention and flexibility that comes with being in a small major.  While not as general as the Sociology major, students have the option of choosing between an internship or Senior Seminar, making this major as applied or as liberal arts oriented as one wishes.

Keep in mind that no matter the major you choose, it is most important that you are interested in what you are studying.  A liberal arts education, whether in be in a career-focused program such as the Criminal Justice or Human Services program or in the Liberal Arts Sociology track, should be a rewarding experience marked by personal growth and a more worldly outlook.  For the almost three-hundred Sociology Department majors, this is what we offer.  We would love to have you as a part of our growing Department, but we encourage you to explore other departments as well.