Minor in Psychology of Crime & Justice
The interdisciplinary minor in psychology of crime and justice gives Loyola students a competitive advantage when applying for entry-level positions in law enforcement, criminal corrections, probation/parole or vocational rehabilitation. Students interested in pursuing graduate or professional training in forensic psychology, law, or criminology also can benefit from the minor.
Employment is growing in all areas of law enforcement and corrections, and it is expected to increase faster than average for all other occupations for several years. In response, the Departments of Psychology and Criminal Justice have designed a sequence of study that provides students with the academic and experiential backgrounds they will need to pursue a career or professional study in criminology.
Minor Requirements
Students must complete six courses for the minor, including:
- PSYC 372. Psychology and Law
- CRMJ 322. Criminal Courts & Procedures I
The additional four courses must be chosen from the following list:
- PSYC 275. Social Psychology
- PSYC 331. Abnormal Psychology
- PSYC 375. Psychology of Addictions
- CRMJ 131. The Criminal Justice System
- CRMJ 300. Principles of Criminal Behavior
- CRMJ 335. Corrections in America
Psychology majors must take four criminal justice and two psychology courses in total. Criminal justice majors must complete 4 psychology and 2 criminal justice courses in total. These courses must be taken in addition to the courses required for the major in psychology or criminal justice.
Students who are neither psychology nor criminal justice majors must take three criminal justice and three psychology courses in total. They also must complete PSYC 101 (Introductory Psychology), which is a pre-requisite for all other psychology courses and can be used to fulfill a social science requirement in the Core Curriculum.
Psychology and criminal justice courses taken for the minor cannot also be used to fulfill requirements for the minor in psychology or the minor in criminal justice.
Capstone Courses
We strongly recommend that psychology and criminal justice majors completing the minor do an internship, field work or research project focused on the psychology of crime and justice by participating in one of the capstone experiences which include a practicum experience:
- CRMJ 390. Field Practicum
- PSYC 392. Internship in Applied Psychology
Or, a supervised research project:
- PSYC 399. Special Studies in Psychology
- CRMJ 396. Independent Study
Or, an honors thesis:
- PSYCH 370. Honors Research
These courses will count toward the psychology or criminal justice major, but not the minor in psychology of crime and justice.
Career Opportunities
The minor in psychology or crime and justice gives students an advantage when applying for jobs in the following careers, as described by the Occupational Outlook Handbook:
- Correctional Officers
- Paralegals. See also National Association of Legal Assistants
- Police, Detectives and Special Agents
- Private Detectives and Investigators
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors
Declaring the Minor
To declare this minor, complete a "Declaration of Minor" card available in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office. For more information about the minor, or for advising in the minor, contact Dr. John Edwards at: 773.508.3025, or e-mail: jedward@luc.edu.
