The minor curriculum provides the following skills: 1) an understanding of how the criminal justice system influences and is influenced by other societal institutions; 2) a mastery of the theoretical frameworks instrumental in understanding the process of the criminal justice system; 3) an awareness of the intersection of race, gender, and class, and its relationship to criminal activity as well as different typologies of crime and their frequency; and 4) knowledge of various societal sanctions in relation to crime.

Students who decide to minor in Criminology will gain the following: 1) knowledge about specific fields within Criminology; 2) preparation for graduate school; and 3) critical thinking skills essential for success in a variety of occupations within the field which include, but are not limited to – policing, corrections, social work, legal secretary, and criminal investigator.

The minor, which will be housed in the Sociology department, may also draw interest from Political Science majors/minors, as some of the electives within the minor are Political Science classes.  The minor also exudes the mission of the college – the program will be interdisciplinary with a focus on critical thinking, writing, and the pillars will be central to the Criminology minor.  For example, Criminology minors will examine the relationship between civility and policing and community service and crime rates.

Minor Requirements: 18 hours (Five core courses plus one elective)

Required Courses: Students must make a “C” or better

• SOCI 1000 Introduction to Sociology
• SOCI 3307 Criminology
• SOCI 3400 Deviance and Criminology
• SOCI 3550 Drugs and Society
• SOCI 3850 Corrections and Society

Electives:

• SOCI 3200 Civil Society and Social Responsibility
• SOCI 3360 Globalization in the 21st Century
• SOCI 3500 Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Society
• SOCI 4200 Social Inequality & Stratification
• SOCI 4500 Internships

• POLS 1102 Introduction to Political Science
• POLS 3312 Public Administration and Public Policy
• POLS 3313 American Judicial Institutions
• POLS 3314 American Constitutional Law: Institutions
• POLS 3315 American Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights