Criminology and Criminal Justice
Minor
Understanding Crime, Justice, and Society: A Powerful Addition to Any Major
A minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice equips students with a deep understanding of crime, law, and justice systems—knowledge that is valuable across countless fields. Students gain critical thinking skills, analytical abilities, and a nuanced perspective on human behavior by exploring the complexities of crime, societal responses, and legal institutions. This minor not only enhances career prospects but also cultivates informed, engaged citizens capable of making impactful decisions in their communities and professions.
No matter your career aspirations, a minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice provides the tools to understand the structures that shape society, develop critical problem-solving skills, and enhance ethical decision-making. Whether you’re pursuing business, science, law, or the arts, this minor equips you with the interdisciplinary perspective needed to navigate and impact the modern world.
How the Criminology and Criminal Justice Minor Differs from the Major:
- Breadth vs. Depth:
- Minor: Offers a broad overview of criminology and criminal justice, providing foundational knowledge without the in-depth specialization required for the major. It’s designed to complement and enhance a primary field of study by offering critical insights into crime, law, and justice systems.
- Major: Provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study with a deeper exploration into criminal behavior, justice systems, and legal frameworks. It includes advanced theoretical perspectives, extensive research opportunities, and experiential learning requirements like internships.
- Interdisciplinary Enhancement:
- Minor: Focuses on integrating criminology concepts into other fields such as Business, Psychology, Political Science, Communication, and more, making students more versatile and informed in their primary career paths.
- Major: Develops specialized expertise needed to excel directly within the criminal justice field, preparing students for careers in law enforcement, corrections, legal studies, and policy analysis.
- Flexibility and Customization:
- Minor: Provides flexibility for students to choose select courses that best complement their major, allowing them to tailor their education to specific interests, such as white-collar crime for Business majors or forensic science for Chemistry majors.
- Major: Requires a structured curriculum with mandatory courses that ensure a thorough and cohesive understanding of crime and justice, including internships and immersive field experiences.
- Practical Experience Requirement:
- Minor: Does not require an internship but encourages students to apply criminological insights to their major field, enhancing their analytical and ethical reasoning skills.
- Major: Mandates hands-on field experience through internships, service learning, and programs like the Inside-Out Prison Exchange, ensuring direct exposure to criminal justice operations.
- Career Versatility vs. Specialization:
- Minor: Enhances career versatility by equipping students with crime and justice literacy applicable across various fields (e.g., business ethics, legal translation, forensic science, public relations).
- Major: Specializes students for specific roles within the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, corrections, legal advocacy, and criminological research.
The minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice provides a strategic advantage by broadening students’ perspectives on crime and society, enhancing critical thinking, and fostering ethical decision-making—skills that are highly valued in today’s job market, regardless of the primary field of study.