SUNY Polytechnic Institute
SUNY Polytechnic Institute, New York’s premier public polytechnic, provides an innovative and affordable higher education for students interested in science, engineering, technology, business, healthcare, and other liberal arts offerings for a well-rounded approach to experiential learning. Our commitment to a hands-on education situates students with both the academic structure customary of undergraduate study and unique opportunities for training and cutting-edge research, ultimately providing learners an unmatched education targeted for success in our fast-changing world. SUNY Poly students enjoy public school tuition with benefits that many small, private institutions boast, including small class sizes, individualized learning experiences, and a tight-knit community.
The Program
Sociology is the study of society, social behavior, and the ways in which individuals, groups, and institutions interact and influence each other. It examines the structure of social relationships, cultural norms, and societal institutions, and how these shape human behavior and social dynamics. Sociologists explore a wide range of topics including social institutions social inequity, social change, social interaction, and international relations with an ultimate goal of understanding how societies function, how social order is maintained, and how individuals and groups contribute to and are affected by their social environments. By studying patterns of social behavior, sociologists aim to address social issues and contribute to solutions for problems like inequality, discrimination, crime, and poverty. In short, sociology provides a way to understand the complexities of human society and the forces that shape individual and collective experiences.
Students in SUNY Poly’s sociology program work collaboratively with professors on research and writing projects or try out career paths through an internship or practicum. In these ways, students use intellectual ideas in a practical setting and from meaningful connections between classroom learning and the real world.
SUNY Poly offers two specializations within the sociology curriculum:
• Crimonology
• Social Services
Student Involvement
Alpha Kappa Delta
Since SUNY Poly chartered its local chapter in 1996, Alpha Kappa Delta, the National Honor Society in Sociology, has been recognizing outstanding academic achievement and promotes active student involvement in the field of sociology. SUNY Poly students are eligible to join the local Alpha Kappa Delta chapter when they achieve junior standing, a cumulative GPA of 3.0, a GPA of 3.3 for sociology courses, and successfully complete four sociology courses.
Our Campus
Psychology and Sociology Club
Membership in the Psychology and Sociology Club is open to all interested students. The club sponsors lectures and discussions on current topics in psychology, sociology, graduate school, and relevant employment. Throughout its history, the club has raised thousands of dollars for location charities and is frequently voted as SUNY Poly’s ‘Academic Club of the Year.’
Jae Fish ’23 BA in Sociology
Alumni Spotlight
“I chose to study sociology because I wanted to work in policy. I thought studying sociology would give me a new perspective on how different policies can affect different groups of people. My courses and my professors at SUNY Poly definitely prepared me for life after graduation. Many of my professors even helped me through the process of finding my graduate program (public adninstration and policy) or introduced me to community members that offered me internships.”
Located in Utica, NY, on hundreds of wooded and landscaped acres, SUNY Poly’s campus is a beautiful living and learning environment. Students live in our modern, spacious residential complexes, including the new Hilltop Hall, SUNY’s first zero-net carbon residence hall, and enjoy an expanding array of student-focused facilities that include our state-ofthe-art Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing, Student Center, and Wildcat Field House. Life on campus is enriched by a wide variety of events and activities, including the Wildcats’ championshipwinning intercollegiate athletics program, our Wildcat Esports team, and a weekly agenda of intramurals, concerts, comedians, and more. Students can join one of the dozens of clubs and organizations or start one with a group of friends who share an interest.
