Why study sociology or criminology? What’s required to earn a minor?
It’s all summarized in our Sociology Minor Map and Criminology Minor Map.
Declare the Sociology or Criminology Minor
Minor in Sociology
Course Number & Name | Credits |
|---|---|
SOC 204 - Introduction to Sociology -OR- SOC 207 - Social Inequality | 4 credits |
SOC 310 - Social Theory -OR- SOC 311 - Research Methods -OR- SOC 312 - Statistical Analysis* | 4 credits |
Sociology electives, any level | 8 credits |
Sociology electives, 300-level or above | 8 credits |
Total Credits | 24 credits |
*Can also be fulfilled with STAT 243Z, 425, 426, 461, or PSY 302. Students substituting SOC 312 with STAT 243z should be advised that they are still expected to complete 12 upper division credits.
- A minimum of 24 credits in undergraduate sociology courses
- Complete ONE of the following introductory courses:
- Complete ONE of the following disciplinary training courses:
- At least 12 of the 24 credits must be upper division.
- At least 12 credits must be taken at the University of Oregon; at least eight (8) of those credits must be upper division.
- No more than four (4) credits in courses numbered 401-406 may be applied to the minor.
- Courses used to satisfy minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C- or better.
- Students may choose from any other sociology courses to complete their 24 credit requirement.
- Up to eight (8) credits may overlap or "double dip" with the requirements of another major, minor, or certificate.
Minor in Criminology
Overview
Criminology students analyze how society defines criminal behavior, and consider the factors that lead to crime in order to successfully control it.
Courses address the role of systemic inequality, including the social and cultural factors contributing to criminal behavior. They also consider responses by the criminal justice system and other institutions to prevent and control crime, including the types of data and evidence used to identify crime patterns and apprehend perpetrators. Students minoring in criminology select courses from a variety of social scientific disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology, and indigenous, race, and ethnic studies. Coursework in criminology is not limited to the social sciences and also includes such subjects as law, journalism, and family and human services.
Fall 2024 Requirements
Course Number & NAME | Credits |
|---|---|
SOC 204 - Introduction to Sociology -OR- SOC 207 - Introduction to Sociology | 4 credits |
SOC 280 - Introduction to Criminology** | 4 credits |
SOC 380 - Introduction: Deviance, Control, and Crime | 4 credits |
Criminology electives, any level | 8 credits |
Criminology electives, 300-level or above | 16 credits |
Total Credits | 36 credits |
- A minimum of 36 credits in approved criminology courses
- Three (3) core courses (12 credits)
- Six (6) elective courses (24 credits)
- At least 16 of the 36 credits must be upper division level.
- At least 24 credits must be taken at the University of Oregon.
- Courses used to satisfy minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C- or better.
- Up to twelve (12) credits may overlap or "double dip" with the requirements of another major, minor, or certificate.
- The criminology minor is designed for students that are not majoring in General Social Sciences - Crime, Law, and Society. A GSS-CLS major will not be permitted to declare a minor in criminology.
Core Courses
Students must complete three (3) core courses for a total of 12 credits.
- Complete ONE introductory sociology course (4 credits):
- Complete BOTH remaining Core Courses (8 credits):
**SOC 280 was offered as the experimental class "SOC 199 Introduction to Criminology" in Spring 2024. If you completed this class with a C- or better, you should not register for SOC 280. SOC 199 can be moved to replace 280 on a student's Degree Guide if it is not doing so already.
Electives
Students must complete 24 elective credits from the courses below; 16 of those credits must be upper division.
Many of the courses below require a prerequisite or are partially restricted to majors in that subject. Criminology minors should not expect the department offering such a class or the Department of Sociology to waive a prerequisite or restrictions on the basis of their non-major status. Prerequisites for any class offered at the University of Oregon can be found in the UO Catalog, and links to individual pages for each criminology elective are listed below.
Up to four (4) credits of internship or practicum can be applied towards the minor.
Anthropology
- ANTH 176 - Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
- ANTH 366 - Human Osteology Laboratory
- ANTH 410 - Experimental Course, only "Law & Society" is approved
- ANTH 473 - Advanced Forensic Anthropology
Conflict and Dispute Resolution
- CRES 445 - Conflicts of Incarceration
Economics
- EC 330 - Urban & Regional Economic Issues
- EC 410 - Experimental Course, only "Inequality and Economic Mobility" is approved
Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies
- ES 101 - Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- ES 352 - Social Equity and Criminal Justice
- ES 450 - Race and Incarceration
Family and Human Services
- FHS 213 - Issues for Children and Families
- FHS 329 - Youth Psychopathology in Context
- FHS 483 - Prevention of Interpersonal Violence
Geography
Global Studies
History
- HIST 399 - Special Studies Course, only "Race, Police, and the American City" is approved
- HIST 471 - African American History since 1877
Journalism
Law
- LAW 102 - Introduction to Criminal Law
- LAW 103 - Introduction to Criminal Investigation
- LAW 301 - Youth and Social Change
- LAW 417 - The Death Penalty
Philosophy
- PHIL 344 - Introduction to Philosophy of Law
Planning, Public Policy, and Management
- PPPM 434 - Urban Geographic Information Systems
Political Science
- PS 106 - Power, Politics, and Inequality
- PS 206 - Ethics, Identity, and Society
- PS 275 - Legal Process
- PS 316 - Black Lives Matter and American Democracy
- PS 346 - Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation
- PS 347 - Political Power, Influence, and Control
- 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
Psychology
- PSY 306 - Social Psychology
- PSY 309 - Psychopathology
- PSY 383 - Psychoactive Drugs
- PSY 420 - Psychology and Law
- PSY 422 - Forensic Psychology (formerly PSY 410)
- PSY 472 - Psychology of Trauma
- PSY 480 - Development and Psychopathology
Sociology
- SOC 301 - American Society
- SOC 313 - Social Issues and Movements
- SOC 370 - Urban Sociology
- SOC 410 - Mass Incarceration (Fall 2024 ONLY)
- SOC 451 - Social Stratification
- SOC 455 - Issues in Sociology of Gender
- SOC 455 is a rotating topic course and repeatable up to three times for credit as long as the topics are different each time. Only the topics "Violence Against Women" and "Poverty, Race, and Gender in the US" count toward the criminology minor.
- SOC 459 - Surveillance and Social Control (Fall 2024 & Winter 2025 ONLY)
- SOC 459 Tech and Society is not an approved criminology class.
- SOC 465 - Political Sociology
- SOC 484 - Issues in Deviance, Control, and Crime
- SOC 484 is a rotating topic course and thus repeatable up to three times for credit as long as the topics are different each time. All SOC 484 topics count toward the criminology minor.
Special Education
- SPED 418 - Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline
- SPED 418 is a 3-credit class. Criminology minors who select this as one of their six electives are eligible to have a remaining credit waived.
Advising
For help planning your schedule, satisfying remaining degree requirements, and preparing for graduation, contact an advisor in Tykeson Hall.
How to Access Tykeson Advising
To declare the minor or update your degree to the Fall 2024 criminology curriculum, please contact the Undergraduate Coordinators in in the Department of Sociology at sociology@uoregon.edu or in PLC Hall 175.
Students seeking career coaching are encouraged to get in touch with the UO Career Center. Schedule an appointment or look up their hours here: Career Coaching at the University Career Center. To discuss academic and career goals or internships ideas, reach out to Professor Stephanie Wiley.
Pre-Fall 2024 Requirements
IMPORTANT: If you declared Criminology Minor prior to Fall 2024, your minor requirements are slightly different and listed below. Please reach out to the Department of Sociology at sociology@uoregon.edu if you would like to be updated to the new minor requirements.
The criminology minor requires:
- Four (4) core courses (16 credits)
- Five (5) elective courses (20 credits)
- 36 credits in total
- At least 16 credits must be at the upper-division level
- At least 24 credits must be taken at UO
- All courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better)
- No more than three (3) courses may count towards another major, minor, or certificate
- Courses taken for the criminology minor may count toward core education requirements
- The criminology minor is designed for students that are not majoring in General Social Sciences-Crime, Law, and Society. A GSS-CLS major will not be permitted to declare this minor in criminology.
Core Courses
Students must complete all four (4) core courses for a total of 16 credits.
- SOC 204 - Introduction to Sociology
- PS 106 - Power, Politics, and Inequality
- ANTH 176 - Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
- SOC 380 - Introduction: Deviance, Control, and Crime
Electives
Students must complete 20 elective credits from the courses below. Up to four (4) credits of internship or practicum can be applied towards the minor.
- ANTH 473 - Advanced Forensic Anthropology (must be taken in sequence with ANTH 176)
- CRES 445 - Conflicts of Incarceration
- ES 352 -Social Equity and Criminal Justice
- ES 450 - Race and Incarceration
- FHS 483 - Prevention of Interpersonal Violence
- GLBL 370 - International Human Rights
- PS 275 - Legal Process
- PS 375 -Race, Politics, and the Law
- PS 466 - Civil Rights in Post-Warren Era
- PS 485 - Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
- PPPM 418 - Introduction to Public Law
- PSY 309 - Psychopathology
- PSY 366 - Culture and Mental Health
- PSY 380 - Psychology and Gender
- SOC 370 - Urban Sociology
- SOC 484 - Issues in Deviance, Control, and Crime: [Topic] (topics vary, can be taken more than once)
Advising
Students seeking advising regarding the criminology minor should contact the Undergraduate Program Team in PLC 175, Professor Stephanie Wiley, or the academic and career advisors in Tykeson Hall.
Sociology Grading Standards
Last updated January 2014
A+
The student has completed exceptional work on all course requirements.
A
The student has completed excellent work on all course requirements.
B
The student has completed proficient work on all course requirements.
C
The student has completed proficient work on most, although not all, course requirements. The student can continue to the next course if this is a prerequisite.
D
The student has not completed proficient work on most course requirements and is at significant risk of failing the next course in related studies. The students should repeat the course if it is a prerequisite for another course. Courses receiving a grade of D-, D or D+ are not counted toward the required 48 credits in sociology classes.
F
The student’s work is unsatisfactory. Courses receiving a grade of F do not count toward the required 48 credits in sociology classes.