Sociology: Additional Information

The Department of Sociology and Social Work, in cooperation with the Department of Middle and High School Education, offers students the opportunity to prepare for teaching at the secondary level. For information on the certification requirements, consult the Department of Middle & High School Education.

The Sociology Department has a chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociology honor society.

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Sociology: Advisement

We strongly encourage all sociology majors to speak with a sociology faculty member about course selection and requirements at least once a semester. Ideally, this should be done prior to registration (when lines are usually long). Although the Department will seek to guide you, it is your responsibility to ensure that you understand and fulfill the requirements for graduation.

Please make sure that the Department has your current contact information (address, telephone and email). This can be given to any faculty member or to Miriam Medina in the sociology office, located in Carman Hall, Rm. B65.

Any member of the sociology faculty can offer advice about course selection, graduate school or career opportunities. However, Prof. Bonastia is the major advisor, and he or Prof. Moran should be consulted if you have a complicated situation or are unsure about transfer credits.

If you are considering graduate school, you should consult with Prof. Waring as early as possible, ideally no later than spring of your junior year. However, even freshmen and sophomores considering this option should seek advice about course selection.

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Sociology: Facilities

CARMAN HALL 220, 327 AND 329 - "THE LABS"

The Department is very fortunate to have its own computer labs. Equipped with 30 personal computers, a projector, a scanner, a printer and laptops, the labs are home to the research sequence courses. Several other courses including Population Problems and American Demography make extensive use of the lab. There is at least a computer unit in all of our classes so students will become more familiar with, comfortable with, and knowledgeable about computer applications. This is especially important to those considering careers in sociology or education, as well as those going on to graduate school in any field.

CARMAN HALL B63 - THE MICHAEL J. DUFFY MEMORIAL LIBRARY/LOUNGE

Named for an extremely popular and dedicated member of the sociology faculty who died suddenly in 2000, this room serves as a meeting place, lending library and research center. It contains an extensive collection of sociology and social work journals, textbooks and research monographs which may be used in the room or borrowed. The room is equipped with personal computers which provide students with a chance to type papers and assignments, do on-line research or check e-mail. It is also a convenient place in which students can socialize or meet for study groups.

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Sociology: Awards and Honors

The Sociology Program is pleased to recognize outstanding student achievement in a number of ways, ranging from scholarships and awards to honors at graduation and membership in the national sociological honor society. A faculty committee chooses recipients of scholarships and prizes after a review of the academic records of sociology majors. Those chosen by the Committee will be informed in writing by the Department Chair.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND PRIZES

The Michael J. Duffy Memorial Scholarship
Newly endowed by the family, colleagues and friends of a long-time and beloved member of the sociology faculty, this scholarship will provide tuition assistance to an academically qualified upper-division sociology major. The first award was made in 2005.

The Louise Chazin Prize
This $500 prize, named in honor of a late community leader, is awarded annually to a senior majoring in Sociology or Social Work who has demonstrated an interest in gerontology. Students receiving the award usually have done research on the elderly or worked in a senior citizen center or nursing home.

The Michael J. Duffy Memorial Prize
Dr. Duffy’s family, friends, colleagues and students created this $100 prize in 2000 as part of an on-going memorial to him. The prize is presented to an outstanding sociology major graduate and is listed in the College's graduation program.

The Sociology Award
Created by the department faculty, this award recognizes academic excellence in Sociology as demonstrated by a student’s departmental average. It consists of a student membership in the American Sociological Association and a subscription to one of its journals. The award is made annually to a graduating senior and is listed in the College's graduation program.

HONORS

Showcased Publications
A number of our undergraduate majors have authored or co-authored articles or book chapters. Since Spring 2003 these have been displayed in a showcase immediately adjacent to Carman Hall B63.

Department Honors at Graduation
In order to graduate with departmental honors, a major must have attained a 3.5 average in Sociology and a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in the College. In addition, the student must have completed SOC 481 (Advanced Tutorial) or SOC 347 (Methods of Data Collection and Analysis) and must have been recommended by the instructor. Only students who have completed 60 of their credits at Lehman are eligible to graduate with departmental honors.

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Sociology: Honor Society

Alpha Kappa Delta

In 1970, Lehman's Department of Sociology and Social Work established a Chapter (Mu of New York State) of Alpha Kappa Delta, the national sociological honor society. To be eligible for initiation, students must have completed a minimum of 18 credits in Sociology, at least half of which were taken at Lehman. They must have attained a departmental average of 3.3 and a College grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.

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Sociology: Graduate School: Is it for you?

If you like sociology and have a grade point average of 3.0 or better, you should consider a graduate program in sociology. Even with a lower GPA, you may be eligible if your recent grades have been strong, especially in sociology. There are a huge variety of graduate programs in New York City and nationwide. Periodically the Department sponsors meetings to discuss graduate school options. These will be announced in classes, on the departmental bulletin boards and in the Sociology Club Newsletter.

Sociology graduate programs mainly prepare students to be researchers and scholars. There are many job opportunities for people with advanced degrees because private companies and public agencies are constantly doing different kinds of social research, from marketing, needs assessment, and program evaluation to political polling and so much more. In addition, those with doctoral degrees may pursue careers as college faculty.

What should you do if you are interested?

Start off by talking to your professors and doing some research on your own. Look for programs that have areas of specialization that interest you. The Web is a great place to start. Our Department's Web page has links to all of the graduate programs in the area and to a listing of all graduate programs nationwide. Spend some time exploring. There is a copy of the American Sociological Association's Guide to Graduate Departments (along with other graduate school materials) in the Duffy lounge. The bulletin board next to Carman Hall, Rm B60 has other useful information.

If you are not a senior, now is the time to plan your course work to put your application in the best possible light. For example, it is wise to take statistics and to complete the research methods sequence as early as possible. Also, start keeping track of your papers so that you will have a good writing sample to submit. There are also a number of programs within CUNY that help to prepare students to apply to graduate school including the Ascend/McNair Program. Project 1000 is a national program that helps minority students apply to doctoral programs.

When to apply?

Although some programs (especially at the M.A. level) have rolling admissions, if you want to have the best chance of admission and to receive the most financial assistance, you need to apply for admission in the fall, prior to the September in which you would like to start your graduate work. Most Ph.D. programs require a completed application, including Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, around January 1st.

What else do you need to do to apply?

Most programs encourage you to print their application forms from the Web and some want you to apply on line. Sign up for the GREs. Think of which professors to ask for letters of recommendation and ask them several weeks before the deadline. The same letter will be used over again, so don’t wait until you decide on all of the schools you will apply to before asking for the letter.

Many students worry about the GREs, but don't let anxiety about them keep you from applying. GREs are just one factor in a program's admission decision-making. However, it is worth studying for the test. The Lehman library's "Electronic Resources" includes the "Learn A Test" program that has GRE preparation. This is totally free and definitely worth working on. You can also sign up for a commercial test prep course or the less expensive courses offered at the CUNY Graduate Center. You can buy a study guide at most bookstores. The Web site of the Educational Testing Service also has a lot of useful study material.

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Sociology: Online Resources

General Links

Information Sources

Professional Associations

Local Graduate Programs

Graduate School Resources

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Undergraduate Social Work Program: Mission, Goals, & Objectives

Mission Statement

The mission of the baccalaureate social work program at Lehman College, City University of New York, is to educate students to become ethical and competent entry-level social workers for practice in the urban environment. Through the implementation of a generalist social work curriculum built on a liberal arts foundation, the program prepares students to provide direct services and advocate for policies advancing social and economic justice. Guided by the ethical imperative of respect for human rights and diversity, the program, within a climate of inclusion, prepares graduates to integrate the knowledge, values, and skills of the social work program for competent, entry-level practice.

The mission of the program is consistent with the mission of the college, which includes offering "New York City and regional residents a liberal arts education and preparation for careers and advanced study." The program is committed to preparing graduates for entry-level generalist social work practice and for advanced study in social work, while simultaneously addressing the needs of urban social service agencies for social workers, particularly in the Bronx and surrounding areas.

Program Goals Derived from Mission

The following goals, which reflect the needs of the students, agencies, and populations of the Bronx and its surrounding communities, are derived from the mission of our program and are in accordance with the Purposes of Social Work Education, as stated in the Council on Social Work Education's Education Policy:

1. Provide students with a generalist practice curriculum grounded in the profession's history, purposes, and philosophy. This curriculum will enable them to:

  • integrate and utilize the knowledge, values and skills of the social work profession essential for ethical, competent, and effective practice with diverse individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in the urban environment; and
  • advocate for policies, services, programs, and allocation of resources that promote individual and social well-being consistent with social work values; understand and apply policy practice skills to advance social and economic justice as well as alleviate injustices such as poverty, discrimination and oppression; and understand the relevant social and political dynamics at the local, national, and global levels.

2. Educate students for practice without discrimination and with respect and dignity as they promote the well-being and enhance the functioning of urban populations, with special attention to persons' age, economic status, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender identity, health, mental health, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and spirituality; and issues related to abuse, immigration, incarceration, language barriers, substance abuse, and violence.

3. Provide curricula that is built on the liberal arts and incorporates and reflects teaching practices based on current research and new technologies to enhance learning.

4. Promote and support students, faculty, and practitioners in utilizing research to develop social work knowledge and to improve the effectiveness of social work practice, policies, and programs.

Program Objectives Derived from Goals done

The Lehman College baccalaureate social work program prepares students for generalist social work practice in the urban environment. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and contains a coherent integrated professional foundation in social work. The program provides content leading to the acquisition of knowledge, values, and development of skills that will enable them to:

1. Apply the knowledge, skills and values of the generalist social work perspective with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

2. Engage in the process of developing self-awareness with regard to personal values; develop, demonstrate, and promote the values of the profession; and analyze ethical dilemmas and the ways in which these may affect practice, services, and clients.

3. Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly.

4. Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations and communities.

5. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice.

6. Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to client's age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, immigration, health, economic status, geographical location, and physical environment.

7. Understand the historical development of social welfare and the social work profession, and their current structures and issues.

8. Analyze the impact of social welfare policies on systems of all sizes and formulate and influence social policies.

9. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.

10. Evaluate research studies and apply findings to practice, and with supervision, evaluate their own practice interventions.

11. Develop communication skills and apply them differentially to communicate effectively with diverse client populations and members of agency, organizational, and other community systems.

12. Use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.

13. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems, and under supervision, seek necessary organizational change.

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Undergraduate Social Work Program: Admission Requirements for Undergraduate Students

Students already registered at Lehman College and transfer students who have been accepted to the College, may submit an application for admission to the Social Work program after completing the following requirements, or during the semester in which they are completing these requirements:

  • 48 college credits
  • Introduction to Social Work course
  • A course in Foundations of Sociology or Introduction to Sociology
  • Minimum cumulative index of 2.7 (transfer students with a lower index may apply after completing 12 credits at Lehman with a 2.7 index)

Students may complete the requirements of 100- and 200-level courses at another college if the credits are transferable. All transfer students must include college transcripts with their applications; student copies are acceptable.

There is no deadline for applications.

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Master of Social Work Program: Mission, Goals & Objectives

Mission of the M.S.W. Program

The mission of the MSW program at Lehman College, City University of New York, which is the only graduate social work program in the borough of the Bronx, is to educate students to become ethical and competent graduate level social workers for practice in the urban environment. Through the implementation of an advanced integrated practice curriculum, built on a liberal arts foundation, the program prepares students for leadership in urban communities as they provide direct services, provide agency administration and supervision, and promote policies advancing social and economic justice. Guided by the ethical imperative of respect for human rights and diversity, the program prepares graduates to utilize research, develop services, and formulate policies that promote social well-being by strengthening opportunities, resources, and capacities of urban populations.

The mission of the program is consistent with the mission of the college, which includes offering "New York City and regional residents a liberal arts education and preparation for careers and advanced study." The program is committed to address the need for graduate social workers in social service agencies, particularly in the Bronx, and to educate MSW students to meet the social service needs of urban populations.

Goals of the M.S.W. Program

The following goals are derived from the mission of our program, and reflect the purposes of the Council on Social Work Education's Education Policy: Purposes of Social Work Education:

1. Provide students with an advanced integrated practice curriculum grounded in the profession's history, purposes, and philosophy. This curriculum will enable them to:

  • integrate and utilize the knowledge, values and skills of the social work profession essential for ethical, competent, and effective practice with diverse individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in the urban environment;
  • assume leadership positions in the assessment, development, planning and implementation of service delivery systems in the context of urban social service institutions;
  • become leaders in promoting policies, services, programs, and allocation of resources that alleviate injustices such as poverty, discrimination and oppression through advocacy and political action for social and economic justice, with an understanding of the relevant social and political dynamics at the local, national, and global levels;

2. Educate students for practice with a respect for others as they promote the well-being and enhance the functioning of urban populations, with special attention to clients' age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation;

3. Provide curricula that, building on a liberal arts base, incorporates and reflects teaching practices based on current research and an interdisciplinary knowledge base that utilizes current technologies to enhance learning;

4. Promote and support students, faculty, and practitioners in conducting research and in the communication of their findings to develop social work knowledge and to improve the effectiveness of social work practice, policies, and programs.

M.S.W. Program Objectives

The Lehman College MSW program prepares students for advanced integrated social work practice in the urban environment, and particularly in the Bronx. The program provides content leading to the acquisition of knowledge, values, and development of skills, including the following:

1. Integration of content related to professional values and principles of ethical decision-making.

2. Integration of content that promotes understanding, affirmation, and respect for people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

3. Understanding the needs of populations-at-risk, particularly those in our Bronx community; implementation of strategies to combat discrimination, oppression, and injustices affecting populations in the Bronx; and promotion of social and economic justice.

4. Understanding the reciprocal relationships between human behavior and social environments, including biological, sociological, cultural, psychological, and spiritual theories and knowledge of human development across the life span.

5. Heightening awareness of the impact of social welfare policies on client systems and communities and the connections between social welfare policies and social work practice; understanding, analyzing, and changing social welfare policies.

6. Understanding practice content and development of skills needed to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, particularly in the Bronx.

7. Understanding content and developing skills needed to work as supervisors and administrators in private and public urban-based agencies and organizations.

8. Understanding, designing, evaluating, and applying research knowledge to social work practice, particularly in relation to social, economic, and health problems of the Bronx and similar urban areas; evaluation of students' own effectiveness and that of their agencies.

9. Utilizing fieldwork and the fieldwork seminar to demonstrate the development of professional competence and reinforce students' identification with the purposes, values, and ethics of the profession; utilize supervision to move toward a higher degree of autonomy.

10. Enhancing and applying critical thinking skills in all aspects of professional practice.

11. Developing and enhancing leadership abilities for work in urban communities, particularly in the Bronx and similar areas.

Foundation Year Objectives

The foundation year curriculum provides students with a body of knowledge, values, and skills that will enable them to:

1. Apply the knowledge, skills and values of the generalist social work perspective with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

2. Engage in the process of developing self-awareness with regard to personal values; develop, demonstrate, and promote the values of the profession; and analyze ethical dilemmas and the ways in which these may affect practice, services, and clients.

3. Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly.

4. Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations and communities.

5. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice.

6. Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to client's age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, immigration, health, economic status, geographical location, and physical environment.

7. Understand the historical development of social welfare and the social work profession, and their current structures and issues.

8. Analyze the impact of social welfare policies on systems of all sizes and formulate and influence social policies.

9. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.

10. Evaluate research studies and apply findings to practice, and with supervision, evaluate their own practice interventions.

11. Develop communication skills and apply them differentially to communicate effectively with diverse client populations and members of agency, organizational, and other community systems.

12. Use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.

13. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems, and under supervision, seek necessary organizational change.

Concentration Year Objectives

The concentration year curriculum builds on the foundation year curriculum to provide students with a body of knowledge, values, and skills to function as advanced practitioners in the urban environment. The concentration year curriculum will enable students to:

1. Function with a high degree of autonomy and proficiency as advanced practitioners who apply the knowledge, skills and values of the integrated social work perspective with systems of all sizes in the urban environment.

2. Refine and advance the development of self-awareness with regard to personal values; further develop, demonstrate, and promote the values of the profession; and analyze and evaluate ethical dilemmas and the ways in which these may affect practice, services, and clients in ways that are highly differentiated, discriminating, and self-critical.

3. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of advanced integrated social work practice.

4. Function as advanced practitioners without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to client's age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, immigration, health, economic status, geographical location, and physical environment.

5. Integrate knowledge of the historical development of social welfare and the social work profession into professional practice in the urban environment.

6. Synthesize and apply a broad range of clinical, organizational, and leadership skills to empower systems of all sizes to recognize and oppose the mechanisms of oppression and discrimination affecting urban populations, and engage systems in the process of systemic change.

7. Function as policy practitioners promoting social and economic justice.

8. Utilize research and apply findings based on empirical evidence to advance and refine the quality of their practice and that of the larger social work profession.

9. Develop communication skills necessary for advanced integrated social work practice.

10. Utilize supervision and consultation to develop greater autonomy in agency-based practice.

11. Function with the proficiency necessary for leadership positions in urban social work agencies and organizations, including supervision and administration.

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Updated: 2/2/2006