About Us
Besides the growing number of students focusing on one of SAC's programs, thousands of EMU undergraduate students sign up for SAC classes every year to earn credits for the university's undergraduate general education program.
SAC's undergraduate programs provide a solid liberal arts educational background. With a combination of larger introductory courses, small upper-level seminars, internships and other hands-on learning experiences, our undergraduate majors become well prepared for a professional career in the private sector, government, and non-profit organizations. Our students also find themselves ready to apply to graduate schools across the country for further studies in sociology, anthropology and criminology, or for professional training in law, medicine, business, education and social work. Students with a graduate degree from SAC are well suited for professional careers demanding a broad understanding of social issues in combination with expertise in qualitative as well as quantitative research methods. Some of SAC's graduate students subsequently pursue Ph.D. programs.
Our full-time tenure-line faculty all have Ph.D.s and are active researchers in their field. Many of SAC's faculty have excellent records of obtaining internal and external funding for their research and of involving undergraduate and graduate students in their research endeavors.
Statement on Diversity
As a department within EMU’s College of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology is committed to a diverse, affirming, and inclusive campus community. As sociologists, anthropologists, and criminologists, we study the various ways in which society and culture contribute to the oppression and marginalization of various groups of people, but we also recognize our own fields have been complicit in perpetuating the very issues we study. Our department commits to moving our fields to become more transformative justice oriented.
In order to accomplish this goal, and support all of our students as they endeavor to complete their degree, develop critical thinking skills, and find their role in the world after graduation, we aim to achieve a culture of belonging at all levels of interaction, including between students and faculty and staff, in the classroom, and in online communications. With the aim of developing this culture, we strive to build an inclusive environment that supports students, instructors, and staff from historically oppressed communities including, but not limited to, race and ethnicity, country of origin, class, caste, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, and the intersection of these identities. This includes:
- Developing programs that allow students to understand and respect different cultures and backgrounds;
- Combating white supremacy, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, anti-Islamic hate, and other forms of oppression wherever we find it (including within our department, college, and campus); and
- Using our professional expertise to positively impact the community and expand justice-based approaches in Washtenaw County and Southeast Michigan.
Specifically, we commit to the following goals:
- Increasing the number of topical courses (e.g., women, crime, and justice; social
stratification; US racial and cultural minorities); - Continuing to argue for a new hire focused on racial justice; and
- Expanding our recruitment and retention efforts to ensure our diverse student body feels welcome in our department and has the support they need to successfully graduate in a
timely manner.
- Increasing the number of topical courses (e.g., women, crime, and justice; social
While our commitment to social justice is steadfast, we recognize that these efforts must be ongoing and evolve with the needs of our students, instructors, and staff. We also acknowledge that our efforts will not be perfect and welcome feedback.