Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Family Sciences

Mission Statement

As followers of Christ, our mission is to nurture servant scholars who critically and empirically evaluate social systems, cultural patterns, and basic human needs to constructively engage as agents of hope with individuals, families, and communities.

Purposes

To provide students with understanding of social environments and patterns of human behavior.
To help students understand themselves and others in the context of local, national and global societies through the comparison of societies and cultures.
To prepare students to work with many populations and issues in a variety of settings in the United States and elsewhere in the world.
To provide students with the tools for study and analysis of the structure and functioning of social groups, social institutions, and societies.
To provide students with an understanding of the multiple factors that influence the development and quality of life of individuals, families, and communities throughout the lifespan.
To provide students with the ability to identify appropriate resources to use in application for problem solving.
To provide students with the ability to analyze research data or original published works and use critical thinking skills for evaluating products, research, or theories.
To provide students with the ability to examine the value of societal diversity and ethical treatment of others as a result of their Christian faith.
To provide professional education for employment in the criminal justice systems and generalist social work practice, child development, adolescent development, and the foundation for post-graduate study.

Tradition of Excellence

A major in Child and Adolescent Development prepares the graduate with an optimal interactive environment to study and learn about the ways children grow and form relationships on a physical, emotional, social, and intellectual scale. Combining real-world coursework with professional preparedness enables the graduate to confidently step into a graduate program or a career serving children and families.
A major in Sociology is foundational for the understanding of human society and social behavior. The graduate in Sociology is equipped for many ministry, corporate, and human service positions, in addition to being prepared for post-graduate study in Sociology, which can lead to positions in higher education, research, business, government, and law.
A concentration in Criminal Justice builds upon the core Sociology curriculum and prepares the graduate for positions in all components of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, courts, and corrections. The graduate is prepared for postgraduate study in Criminal Justice, Sociology, law, and other fields.
A major in Social Work prepares the graduate for entry into professional social work in a generalist practice. The Social Work graduate is prepared for post-graduate work in the profession.
A minor in Child Development as a complement to other disciplines.
A minor in Criminal Justice as a complement to other disciplines.
A minor in Sociology as a complement to other disciplines.

Career Opportunities

The Department of Sociology, Social Work and Family Sciences prepares students to be effective leaders in the work force.

Students are prepared for careers in business, industry, public and private agencies, schools, institutions that provide goods, services, education, and information to individuals, families, and communities.

A number of students were hired while still in internships, and many graduates have secured professional employment during or shortly after completion of their undergraduate study. Popular careers students enter include research design, public relations, human services, probation and criminal justice, social work, social welfare, counseling, health care administration, teachers, school administrators, social service agents, family/adult educators, community service agents, and healthcare specialists and many other rewarding fields.

Many graduates continue their education at the post-graduate level in Sociology, Social Work, Child Life, Child Development, Family Studies, Public Health, Psychology, Education, and law. Students have entered schools such as the University of California-Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Colorado, Duke University, University of Southern California, San Diego State University, Loma Linda University, and the California Western School of Law.

Faculty

Kellye Carroll, Ed.D.
Gwynedd Mercy University

Susan DeCristofaro Rogers, A.B.D.
Academic Director-Early Childhood Learning Center
Northcentral University

Alfonso Esquer, M.S.W.
Program Director, Criminal Justice
University of Southern California

M.H. Fields, III., Esq.
Arizona Summit Law School

James Gates, Ph.D.
University of Florida

Colleen Jensen Cook, A.S.W., M.S.W.
Boise State University

Kevin Modesto, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Cruz

Daphney Wadley, M.A.
Program Director, Accelerated Undergraduate Child Development
Azusa Pacific University

Academic Catalog 2025-2026