JSU Sociology Program Registers
Most Sociology Majors in State
The JSU Sociology Program finished the Spring 2007 semester with the most undergraduate Sociology majors in the state of Alabama with 122. The program has more than doubled in size since the spring of 2001 when it had 49 majors. Auburn was second with 94 undergraduate majors in the Spring of 2007.

The following is an excerpt from the JSU Office of Institutional Research and Assessment's 2006-2007 Fact Book highlighting the Sociology Program.

Department of Social Work

THE BACCALAUREATE SOCIAL WORK (BSW) PROGRAM

• Was launched in 1988 and received initial accreditation by the national Council on Social Work Education in 1992, with retroactivity to 1988. Accreditation was reaffirmed in 1996. Accreditation was reaffirmed again in June 2004 which will be in effect until 2012.
  
  
• Currently has 916 BSW graduates as of September 2006.
  
  
• Has 213 students enrolled (the largest program in Alabama).
  
  
• Has 26 paid student internships for Field Instruction each year.
• Has 10 faculty members (with much practice experience) that teach.
  
  
• Is part of the Department of Sociology and Social Work.
  
  
• Has classes and offices on the third floor of Brewer Hall.
  
  
• A BSW degree is required to be licensed as a social worker.

SOCIAL WORK JOBS

It is expected, as a result of current surveys, that the job market for social workers will be picking up considerably through 2008. Employment for social workers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2010.

The elderly population is increasing rapidly, creating greater demand for health and social services. Social workers will also be needed to help the large baby-boom generation deal with depression and mental health concerns stemming from mid-life difficulties.

Continuing concern about crime, juvenile delinquency, and services for the mentally ill, the mentally retarded, the physically disabled, and AIDS patients will spur demand for social workers. Other areas with employment growth for social workers will include hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, home healthcare services, private social services, substance abuse rehabilitation, schools, public health, child welfare, and private practice.

Department of Sociology

THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE (B.A./B.S.) IN SOCIOLOGY

Sociology at JSU has a long and prosperous history. The first course in Sociology was in the 1930-1931 school year in the Department of History and Other Social Studies. The Department of Sociology was formed in the 1948-1949 school year.

In 1950, Dr. Theron Montgomery was the first Ph.D. in Sociology hired by the university. From the early 1950s, interest in Sociology grew with an increased interest in civil rights and political unrest in Alabama and throughout the United States. The first major was introduced in the 1971-1972 school year.

There are more than 170 students in the program. All of the faculty members have doctoral degrees and are nationally recognized. Current research of faculty include: emotion management, gender roles, religion, marital patterns, collective behavior, ethnocentrism, quality assurance of the criminal justice system, racial/ethnic identity, grieving, African music, and theory construction.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY?

A B.A./B.S. in Sociology is excellent preparation for future graduate work in Sociology in order to become a professor, researcher, or applied Sociologist.

The undergraduate degree provides a strong liberal arts preparation for entry level positions throughout the business, social service, and government worlds.

Sociology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administration--fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.

Many students choose Sociology because they see it as a broad liberal arts base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling.

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