St. John's University
department of
sociology & Anthropology​
Sticky Notes Wall
Students' honest comments and feelings about the sociology, anthropology and criminology programs at SJU
My favorite aspect of the program was all of the research opportunities!
The classes presented new perspectives and ideas that I wasn't previously familiar with. Additionally, Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Byfield are two of the best professors that I've ever had the privilege of working with.
Learning how important it is to understand how societal factors impact people individually. I went on to complete a masters in social work and I use what I learned in my sociology degree every day. I now work at a school as a social worker. Understanding the micro, mezzo and macro sociological factors that impact my students lives has been extremely important.
I truly believe that this program has the potential to shape future leaders who will be able to tackle the most pressing social issues of our time, and it deserves to be sustained for the benefit of generations of students to come.
Learning proper and rigorous research methods, challenging writing assignments, hands on attention from Professors, and the community between the students.
This program provided perspective on the social satires of the world. This course allowed me to participate in the Inside-Out course. I also got a Riker’s Island summer internship. I am in a clinical psychology PhD program and I believe taking sociology courses help influence my learning and practice in psychology.
Overwhelming knowledge and experience of professors and leaders within the department.
The courses and instructors were very welcoming and helpful’ learned a lot in all my courses and learned information that i still use this present day.
Learning different interpretations of the real world. I learned about things I had always wondered about but couldn’t put into words. Really helped me find myself.
The curriculum was engaging and relevant to skills development for the workforce.
I thoroughly enjoyed the different teaching styles and perspectives of my professors. Most of my courses challenged my thinking and opened my mind to a different worldview. I left every class feeling more enthusiastic about the program and anticipating what I would take away from the next class.
The program prepared me for law school because it was academically challenging. It also taught me valuable lessons about the world and our society.
After taking a criminology course, we had to volunteer at a women's facility in Harlem. It allowed me to humanize the women and understand from their perspective some of the things that they were going through. I also really enjoyed meeting other folks in the department who were like minded and working on projects with them.
My favorite aspects of the program was getting to learn more about the ways society operates. As a grad student aspiring to become a political journalist, it is necessary to look into why people vote the way they do, an aspect that sociology helped guide my perspective.
The program opened my eyes and clarity in how to understand people and why they are the way they are or how they become the person they are today. Even a better understanding of myself.
The real life examples and genuine teaching method allowed me to strive on a daily basis in my career. The hearfelt care from our teachers pushed me to be a better person on and outside of campus.
The guidance I received from Dr. Villalon and other faculty members made all the difference during a time when I felt burnt out and uncertain. Their encouragement and commitment to students’ success are a defining feature of this program. This kind of personalized support and mentorship is invaluable and something that I believe should be preserved for future students.
I loved everything about the program. I participated as a BS/MA student and it was the perfect way to transition to my next stage of adulthood, while also working hard and being challenged academically to learn about the world both in theory and in practice. I left the program feeling more understanding of our society and more driven to make a change.
My favorite aspect of the program was all of the research opportunities!
I appreciated being able to use my undergraduate credits towards a Masters degree. The program challenged me to grow academically and to build deep connections with others in my cohort as well as my professors. I have very fond memories of often casually engaging in discussions of material we were reading with my peers outside of class.
One of my favorite aspects is the level of care and dedication that each professor treats their course and students with. I also liked that nearly all the classes included a research aspect, even if it was just a proposal and not an experiment. Furthermore, these graduate level courses allow us students to do dig deeper into research questions, try harder, and push ourselves to create more advanced work, which has been very rewarding.
I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about things I never knew were impacted by sociology. For example, I took an organized crime class and did not realize how social systems led to the rise of criminal organizations and their success. Both the undergraduate and graduate classes helped me understand the world better.
My favorite aspects about the program was the research techniques and how to follow IRB guidelines and to able to identify unethical research practices. In to research, was understanding the techniques that can be the most effective to generate study and study questions.
I was able to save a lot of time and money by doing the combined BA/MA program. It really helped me prepare for my PhD program that I'm attending now.
IDEAS | ACTION | JUSTICE
Issue #5
Spring 2025