Rutger’s faculty includes sociologists, anthropologists, and criminologists, all are committed to research and teaching as well to community service and public policy.

The Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice offers major programs in criminal justice and sociology and minor programs in anthropology, criminal justice, and sociology. Despite their difference in emphasis, the sociology and criminal justice programs have sufficient overlap to merit a single set of learning objectives, with relatively minor variation in terms of some specific areas. 

All students in the major programs shall:

• Acquire a basic understanding of key concepts and propositions in classical and contemporary theories, and be able to apply these theoretical ideas to specific content areas and to evaluate theoretical hypothesis with empirical data.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the logic of sociological analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, and mastery of a range of basic research skills.
• Be able to apply an understanding of social and cultural processes to such issues as diversity, conflict and inequality, deviance, and global social change.
• Possess a broad knowledge of social systems and institutions and be able to analyze them in terms of the concepts, methods and processes noted above. (Note: Criminal Justice students will focus primarily on the criminal justice system and its relationship to the rest of society.)
• Demonstrate critical thinking, information and technological literacy, and discipline-specific appropriate reading, writing and presentation skills.