Program Description
Graduate Offerings
Sociology as a discipline focuses on the study of group life. Sociologists theorize about, research and critically analyze social institutions such as family, religion, law, the economy, healthcare, and education. Sociologists pay particular attention to social inequalities that may be present in a society. Social characteristics of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation and age are often salient dimensions of inequality, and affect how social life is structured and experienced by people inhabiting different placement in a stratified social world.
Faculty members in Sociology at WNMU emphasize the importance of our students’ development of a “sociological imagination,” a critical and creative way of approaching the study of social life. The completion of a Graduate concentration in Sociology will serve our graduates well in any field of employment they decide to pursue. The Sociology program offers courses in substantive areas that help students acquire sociological perspectives, develop their research skills and engage their sociological imaginations.
Currently, students can pursue an online Graduate Concentration in Sociology through the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS). The Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies is a unique degree program that allows students to study in multiple disciplines and see the interconnectedness of those disciplines. Students are required to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in either two or three fields of study. Students work closely with a faculty advisor in each field of study. Courses are delivered asynchronously online.
An Online Graduate Certificate in Sociology is underway and will be an offering soon. Stay tuned for more details.
Meet our Sociology Faculty
Meet Dr. Dara Naphan Kingery
Dr. Dara Naphan-Kingery has been an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Western New Mexico University since Fall 2019. She graduated with her PhD in Interdisciplinary Social Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2016, and was a postdoctoral researcher at Vanderbilt University 2017-2019. She teaches face-to-face and hybrid classes to accommodate distance learners. Sociology of education is her major area of research, specifically diversity in STEM. Refer to Dara-Naphan-Kingerys-CV for additional information.
Meet Dr. Andreea Nica
Dr. Andreea Nica is a sociologist in the Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies since Fall 2019. Dr. Nica received her Ph.D. in Sociology with specializations in society and mental health. Her recent research publications have been published in high impact journals across health, religion, methods, and social psychology. Dr. Nica’s current research project on emotional intimacy and social communities received the WNMU Faculty Research Award. She teaches a range of online courses at WNMU and integrates new teaching technologies to enhance online student learning and engagement. Refer to Dr. Nica’s CV for additional information.
Graduate Course Descriptions
Graduate Courses
Download a copy of our list of course offerings.
Graduate Course Rotations
Course Rotations
Download a copy of our course rotations for 2020 and after.
Contact Us
Dr. Dara Naphan Kingery
Phone: (575) 538- 6824
Email: Dara.Naphan-Kingery@wnmu.edu
Office: Global Resource Center Rm#203
Dr. Andreea Nica
Email: Andreea.Nica@wnmu.edu
Zoom appointments available: Arrange via email.