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Criminology Advisement Page |
The Criminology (CRM) Minor
Click here for a full catalog description of CRM courses including prerequisites.
You can see what courses are being offered this coming semester in
Criminology and Sociology and create a trial schedule of classes.The Criminology Minor has four primary objectives:
To provide students with an opportunity to minor in a field which broadens their understanding of the world, establishing a more informed citizenry concerning matters related to crime and justice . This includes, but is not limited to, how the system of justice developed, its current structure and functions, as well as the problems it faces.
To create "informed agents of change" who, as practitioners in the field or as lay citizens, will be able to make informed decisions concerning issues related to crime and society.
To aid students in preparing for a career in the field of criminal justice. This includes, but is not limited to, learning how the system of justice operates, the nature of constraints within which it must work, as well as terminology and concepts of the field.
To prepare students for graduate or other advanced study in the areas of crime and justice.
The Criminology (CRM) Minor is a program of study offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. If you are interested in declaring a CRM Minor, please see the secretary in the Sociology/Anthropology department office (Strong Hall Room 451) who will give you the appropriate paperwork and arrange for you to see a CRM advisor.
The CRM Minor is committed to a sociological examination of crime and justice practices while introducing students to basic criminal justice concepts, procedures, concepts, and contemporary issues. We not only want to prepare students for vocations in the field, but also are concerned with creating educated persons aware of social issues involved with crime and crime control. After successfully completing the CRM Minor you will have learned about the dimensions of crime and delinquency and should have a basic understanding of the ideas developed to explain this behavior. You will also know how accused and convicted persons are handled by the justice system. Included is the study of criminal law, policing, operation of the courts, as well as institutional and community-based corrections.
Requirements for the CRM Minor
People seeking both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees may minor in CRM. Click here for a full catalog description of CRM courses including prerequisites. You can see what courses are being offered this coming semester in Criminology and Sociology and create a trial schedule of classes.
The CRM Minor requires students to take a total of 21 hours as shown below. Course titles are linked to catalog descriptions of courses.
The Core (6 hours)
A. Take the following two courses:
Electives (15 hours)
B. Choose one of the following three courses:
- *CRM 350 - The Police in American Society (3)
- *CRM 360 - Criminal Courts in Society (3)
- *CRM 370 - Institutional and Community-Based Corrections (3)
C. Complete 12 additional hours in CRM courses below the 500 level. CRM 350, 360, and 370 will count toward this 12 hour requirement only if not taken to satisfy item B above.
- CRM 300 - Service Learning in Criminology (1)
- CRM 301 - Crime and the Media (1)
- CRM 302 - Reforming America's Prisons (1)
- CRM 303 - Capital Punishment (1)
- CRM 330 - Delinquency and the Juvenile Justice System (3)
- CRM 340 - Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice (3)
- CRM 350 - The Police in American Society (3)
- CRM 360 - Criminal Courts in Society (3)
- CRM 370 - Institutional and Community-Based Corrections (3)
- CRM 396 - Directed Readings in Criminology (1 – 3)
- CRM 397 - Special Topics in Criminology (1 – 3)
- CRM 410 - Crime, Justice, and Gender (3)
- CRM 415 - Crime, Class, Race, and Justice (3)
- CRM 420 - Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (3)
- CRM 430 - Victimless Crime (3)
- CRM 480 - The Gang Phenomenon (3)
- CRM 497 - Special Issues in Criminology (3)
- CRM 502 - Analyzing Crime Data" (3)
How Long does it Take to Complete the CRM Minor?
Most people find the CRM Minor can be completed in a relatively short period of time. The exact length of time depends on the number of required courses taken each semester. A CRM Minor is advised to take CRM 210 before any other CRM course. After CRM 210 you are free to take courses for the CRM Minor in any order desired, more than one course may be taken at the same time.
The Benefits of Having a CRM Minor
At the entry-level, few jobs in criminal justice require a criminal justice major. In fact, many employers in the field of criminal justice like potential employees to have a well-rounded education. Employers are looking for people who have a fundamental understanding of human behavior and social organization to bring an expanded perspective to the work being done.
Most people entering the field of criminal justice find the agency they join provides a program of technical training to teach essential skills and procedures. Employers want to teach certain techniques the way they want recruits to learn them. We find employers often resent others providing this training; again, they are looking for the broadly educated person.
Finally, a student majoring outside criminal justice has a major to fall back on if he or she finds work in the criminal justice field undesirable. In many ways, a minor in CRM is "just enough." It provides an understanding of the vocabulary and concepts of the field ensuring employers that the you have an interest in crime and society.
CRM-Relevant Majors and Minors
Your major depends on what type of career you have in mind. Many of our students major or minor in sociology, or major or minor in psychology because these fields provide insight to human thought, behavior, and organization. Other students major in political science emphasizing governmental structure and process. Communications and Recreation majors also fit nicely with various types of work in criminal justice fields. If you are certain you want to work in the criminal justice system, yet unsure of what area to choose for a major, consult a CRM faculty member, your academic advisor, or the Department Head (417-836-5640).