Welcome to the School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology Department

Are you a “people watcher” and curious about human behavior? If you enjoy finding out how and why people do the things they do, you will enjoy sociology.

Sociologists theorize and use systematic observations and analysis to study people interacting in social groups, to make their behavior understandable. Sociologists also change the world and make a difference through sociological practice.

The Department of School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology offers students a broad liberal arts education and encourages them to think critically about the social world. We provide excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers, in areas such as (but not limited to) human services, counseling, administration and planning, probation and corrections, community organizing, teaching, and research. The department also prepares students for graduate studies in sociology, social work, and other fields, and professional studies such as law school.

We welcome you to explore what our department has to offer!

News

U-SOAR Students to Present Original Research During Aug. 19 Research Symposium

The 52 students selected for the 2026 Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) will present their original research projects during the U-SOAR Research Symposium on August 19 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Sutton Hall’s Blue Room.

IUP Justice Research Fellowship Students Present Research to Indiana County Officials

Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s 2025–26 Justice Research Fellows—Lauren Connor, Reia Sanchez, Kelly Szolek, and Jackson White—presented their original research to Indiana County officials at the Indiana County Courthouse on April 29.

Center for Rural PA Releases Research on Crime Trends in Rural and Urban Counties

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has recently released, Analysis of Pennsylvania Crime Trends: An Updated Rural/Urban Comparison, a new research report examining crime trends across Pennsylvania’s rural and urban counties from 2013 through 2023

IUP Receives $1.3 Million for Crimson Hawk Bridge Program to Serve Students With Intellectual Disabilities

Indiana University of Pennsylvania has received $1.34 million from the US Department of Education to develop the Crimson Hawks Bridge, a multi-year program to help individuals with intellectual disabilities gain skills, experience, and credentials to live independently and successfully transition to the workforce.

IUP Student Presents U-SOAR Research to Sociology Class

Eric Crawford, an IUP psychology major and sociology minor who has completed two years of research through IUP’s Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program, was invited to present his U-SOAR research to an upper-level sociology class.