Kimberly
A. Vogt, Ph.D.,
Professor of Sociology
Department of Sociology and Archaeology
435A Wimberly Hall
608-785-8458
Advising, Career and Graduate
School Information
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Advising
I encourage all of my student advisees and students who are interested
in careers or graduate school in the areas of criminal
justice and sociology to come in and visit with me. It is most helpful if
you make an appointment by emailing me to schedule an appointment. It is very important for you to maximize your success in your academic
career by getting to know your advisor and other faculty that you have
for class. Establish student-faculty relationships as early on in your
academic career as possible. As faculty get to know you personally it
becomes much easier for them to write accurate and in-depth letters of
recommendation or give telephone references for internships, jobs, and
graduate school.
Make use of the many
advising
tools and resources available on campus. The department of Sociology
(and therefore Sociology Majors) fall under the College
of Liberal Studies, located in 235 Morris Hall (783-8113). The
CLS Advising office can assist you when you have questions or concerns
that cannot be answered by your advisor (e.g., transfer credits). In addition,
you should make an appointment second semester junior year or very early
the first semester of your senior year for a graduation audit (credit check).
I also encourage you to make use of the
UW-L Academic Advising Center
(AAC) and Career
Services to assist in advising you on possible majors, minors and
career paths.
Students are personally responsible
for their academic progress toward graduation. One of the best ways to
avoid confusion is to become VERY FAMILIAR with the undergraduate
catalog , your Advisement Report in WINGS, and academic and non-academic
campus policies (Eagle
Eye).
Careers
I encourage you to work as early
as possible in your academic career with both the
UW-L
Academic Advising Center, and UW-L
Career Services. Both the Academic Advising Center and Career Services
have a wide variety of services that are available to you in your exploration
and preparation for your future after leaving UW-L. There are many different
career paths that are suitable for students with a major or minor in sociology
or a minor in criminal justice. One of the best ways to explore a career is to
take an internship. The American Sociological Association's
website provides good materials on careers and advising for sociology majors-
ASA.
Students have gone on to have careers in social services, human services,
law enforcement, business and government. There are a variety of books
on careers for majors and minors in sociology and criminal justice. The UW-L
Library has some and many can be found online.
Career Related Websites
American Sociological
Association
Criminal
Justice Minor Webpage- Links to Careers
Graduate/Professional
School
I encourage all students who wish
to advance in their careers to explore the possibility of going to graduate
school. Discuss your interests with faculty members in various departments.
Ask them about their experiences in graduate school and whether or not
they think you would make a good candidate for graduate study. For students
interested in pursuing graduate study, I encourage you to seriously consider
following the course suggestions listed below. The course suggestions relate
to my experiences with students who have gone on to graduate study as well
as my contacts with colleagues who teach at institutions that offer graduate
programs in sociology, criminology, and criminal justice.
Take both contemporary and early
sociological theory. You will need the background in both in graduate school.
Take Soc 416 and 405 (Qualitative and
Quantitative Senior Research Seminars) if possible. In thes courses you will gain experience designing your own research project.
If you qualify, pursue the Honors
in Sociology program (SOC 410).
In your junior year, work with
a faculty member to design an independent research project and apply for
a UW-L Undergraduate Research Grant.
Become as computer literate as
possible. Become proficient at using SPSS, MS Word and Excel.
I strongly suggest that you take as many of the free mini courses
that are offered through Information Technology Services as you have time to pursue.
Take as many statistics and probability
courses as you can. Success in most graduate programs requires that you
take advanced statistics and research methods. Investing time now, in both
on and off- campus courses in statistics will greatly assist you in graduate
school. I would also encourage you to take calculus. Calculus is the backbone
behind many statistical techniques that you will have to understand, so
the calculus background will put you way ahead!
Challenge yourself- take courses that
push your comfort level and might not be your first choice. Broadening your
sociology or criminology background will provide a stronger
base for graduate school than if you have concentrated in just one area.
Consider completing two years
of college level foreign language. Many graduate programs in sociology
at the Ph.D. level require foreign language proficiency.
Link to ASA
webpage discussion of Graduate School
Link to American Society of
Criminology Web page with partial list of Crim/CJ grad schools
Link
to Gradschools.com
Letters of Recommendation
Many students ask faculty members for letters of recommendation for
work, internships, or graduate school. If you would like a recommendation
from a faculty member, you should first make an appointment to sit down
with the professor and discuss whether or not they know you well enough
to write a recommendation, and whether or not that recommendation would
be favorable. When asking me for a recommendation, I require that you do
the following:
-
Make an appointment to meet with me to discuss whether or not I know you
well enough to write a recommendation letter. I ask that you be prepared
to discuss why you want the recommendation and how it relates to your future
goals.
-
Leave enough time for me to write the recommendation before the due date,
3-4 weeks is best, but 1 week is the absolute minimum.
-
Bring with you to the meeting, or give to me within a day or two of our
meeting if I agree to write a letter: 1) resume with current contact
information such as a phone number or email address; 2) cover letter draft
or a description of your goals related to the recommendation; 3) a list
of all the courses that you have taken with me and the grade you received
in each course; 4) any forms or other materials that are needed to send
with the recommendation letter; 5) where to send the letter(s) and the absolute
deadline.
Email me at:
kvogt"at"uwlax.edu
Last Modified
05/10/2013