Criminology Minor

Who defines crime and criminal behavior? Why do people commit crimes? What does society do, and what can society do better to prevent and respond to crime? The criminology minor gives students the tools to analyze how society defines, regulates and tries to prevent crime, as well as considering social issues and structures that may cause people to break laws. The minor program in criminology allows students to pair their majors with an exploration of issues of crime and the criminal justice system.

The criminology minor affords students the opportunity to analyze how society defines, regulates and seeks to prevent criminal behavior as well as considering what factors lead people to commit crimes.

Courses address the role of systemic inequality and state violence in relation to crime. Students select courses from multiple social scientific disciplines including sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology and indigenous, race and ethnic studies to gain an understanding of the nature of crime, including the social and cultural factors contributing to criminal behavior and institutional efforts to prevent it. They also gain skills in analyzing evidence as well as identifying, apprehending and rehabilitating perpetrators.

Criminology Minor Requirements

Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C- or better.

Required Core Courses:12
SOC 204
Introduction to Sociology
or SOC 207
 Social Inequality
SOC 280
Introduction to Criminology
SOC 380
Deviance, Social Control, and Crime
Electives: 124
ANTH 176
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 473
Advanced Forensic Anthropology 2
ANTH 366
Human Osteology Laboratory 3
ANTH 410
Experimental Course: [Topic] (Law & Society; Undergoing UOCC review)
CRES 445
Conflicts of Incarceration
EC 330
Urban and Regional Economic Problems 4
EC 410
Experimental Course: [Topic] (Inequality & Economic Mobility; Economics of Crime) 5
ES 101
Introduction to Ethnic Studies
ES 450
Race and Incarceration
FHS 213
Issues for Children and Families
FHS 329
Youth Psychopathology in Context 6
FHS 483
Prevention of Interpersonal Violence
GEOG 481
GIScience I
GEOG 482
GIScience II 7
GLBL 360
International Cooperation and Conflict
GLBL 370
International Human Rights
HIST 399
Special Studies: [Topic] (Race, Police, and the American City)
HIST 471
African American History since 1877: [Topic] (Race and Law in US History)
JCOM 302
Communication Law 8
JCOM 303
Media Ethics 8
LAW 102
Introduction to Criminal Law
LAW 103
Introduction to Criminal Investigation
LAW 301
Youth and Social Change
LAW 417
The Death Penalty
PHIL 344
Introduction to Philosophy of Law
PPPM 434
Urban Geographic Information Systems
PS 106
Power, Politics, and Inequality
PS 206
Ethics, Identity, and Power
PS 316
Black Lives Matter and American Democracy
PS 275
Legal Process An Introduction to the American Judiciary
PS 346
Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation
PS 368
Gender in the Law
PS 375
Race, Politics, and the Law
PS 472
Matters of Life and Death
PS 485
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
PSY 306
Social Psychology 9
PSY 309
Psychopathology 9
PSY 383
Psychoactive Drugs
PSY 420
Psychology and Law 10
PSY 422
Forensic Psychology
PSY 472
Psychology of Trauma 10
PSY 478
Social Development 11
PSY 480
Development and Psychopathology 12
SOC 301
American Society
SOC 313
Social Issues and Movements
SOC 370
Urban Sociology
SOC 451
Social Stratification 13
SOC 455
Issues in Sociology of Gender: [Topic] (Violence against Women; Poverty, Race, & Gender in the US) 14
SOC 465
Political Sociology
SOC 484
Issues in Deviance, Control, and Crime: [Topic] 14
SPED 418
Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline
Total Credits36
1

Up to 4 credits of internship or practicum can be applied towards the minor.

2

Prereq: ANTH 176 with a grade of B– or better or ANTH 366 with a C– or better.

3

Prereq: one from ANTH 170, ANTH 176, ANTH 270, HPHY 321

4

Prereq: EC 201

5

Prereq: EC 311; EC 313; one from EC 320, EC 423.

6

Prereq: FHS 215.

7

Prereq: GEOG 481

8

Enrollment requires at least sophomore standing. Prereq: J201 or JCOM 201, C- or better.

9

Prereq: PSY 202.

10

Prereq: PSY 303

11

Prereq: PSY 303; one course from PSY 306, PSY 307, PSY 308.

12

Prereq: PSY 303; one course from PSY 308, PSY 309.

13

Prereq: SOC 310, SOC 311, SOC 312.

14

Repeatable twice when topic changes for maximum of 8 credits.

Additional Requirements

  • At least 20 credits must be at the upper-division level

Residency Requirements

  • At least 24 minor credits must be taken at UO.