Minor in Criminology, Law, and Deviance

The Department of Sociology offers the Minor in Criminology, Law, and Deviance starting in Fall 2023.

This Minor provides undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to learn a sociological perspective on criminal, delinquent, and deviant behaviors; aggression and violence; forms of punishment; systems of social control; workings of the criminal legal system, and the process and consequences of victimization.

The Minor in Criminology, Law, and Deviance is designed for students who wish to benefit from the expertise of Sociology faculty by acquiring an in-depth understanding of the types, origins, causes, and explanations for a variety of current relevant challenges, their impact on society and individuals, as well as solutions to these issues.

Students pursuing this Minor gain specialized knowledge as well as skills in the areas of criminology, law, and deviance, which can serve as a solid foundation for further graduate studies in various fields (e.g., sociology, law, criminology, criminal justice, public policy, and social work) and/or make students more competitive to current and future employers in related careers and occupations.

Requirements for the Criminology, Law, and Deviance Minor

The Criminology, Law, and Deviance Minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours:

• 9 of the required 18 credit hours must be taken in residence at the University of Houston.
• A minimum of 2.0 GPA is required for this minor.
• In order to declare a minor, students must contact Mr. Landis Odoms, Undergraduate Studies Advisor, Department of Sociology (email: lodoms@uh.edu, phone: 713-743-3947, office: Room 467, Philip G. Hoffman Hall).
  
  

Courses for the Criminology, Law, and Deviance Minor

• Required course (3 credit hours):

- SOC 3313 Criminology

• 5 additional advanced (i.e., 3000/4000 level) Sociology courses (15 credit hours). At least 12 of these advanced credit hours (i.e., 4 courses) must come from the following list:

-  SOC 3311 Sociology of Law

-  SOC 3312 Sociology of Deviance

-  SOC 3314 Juvenile Delinquency

-  SOC 3335 Sociology of Punishment

-  SOC 3336 Aggression & Violence in Society

-  SOC 3337 Women and Crime

-  SOC 3338 Punishment in the U.S.

-  SOC 3382 Sociology of Drug Use & Recovery