Academic Accelerator - Bachelor of Arts - Sociology - Criminology

The Academic Accelerator Program (AAP) is a balanced first-year program for international students with strong English-language skills. It provides additional support to immersive classes taught in English.

As a student in the Academic Accelerator, individuals will receive:

Appropriate support for academic and English-speaking needs

A full year’s worth of college credits

Access to courses exclusively for international students

Assistance with English-language terms relevant to classes

A mix of classes with both international and U.S. students

Sociology is focused on the systematic understanding of social interaction, social organization, social institutions, and social change. Key themes in sociology include the relationship between the individual and society, the stability and evolution of society, the causes and effects of social inequality, and the social construction of human life. Understanding sociology aids in recognizing and explaining social patterns and observing how these patterns evolve over time and in various environments. Sociology also promotes critical thinking by uncovering the social structures and processes that influence different forms of human life.

The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program allows students to choose between a general sociology degree or a concentration in criminology.

Criminology is the study of crime’s nature and causes, crime patterns, and the social control of criminal behavior. It is an interdisciplinary field that examines the causes, manifestations, consequences, control, and prevention of criminal behavior at individual and societal levels. LSU sociologists primarily focus on community factors related to crime, but their research covers various topics. Research has been conducted on the impact of gentrification on different outcomes, community-based anti-crime efforts, post-disaster crime levels, southern culture of violence, segregation, immigration, and violence, among others. Research also delves into urban policing, including the policing of public housing communities, law enforcement attitudes post-Ferguson, predictive policing tactics, beliefs about sexual aggression in public drinking settings, and the normalization of such behaviors.