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Sociology and Criminology & Law

Minors

Sociology Minor

The Sociology minor (available beginning Summer B 2015) offers diverse and multi-faceted coursework in the broad categories of health, illness and aging; marriage, families and gender; criminology and deviance; inequality, poverty and stratification; social psychology; and race and ethnic studies. Students learn about the most pressing social problems in these areas, as well as how these issues are experienced and perceived by different social groups. The communication and analytical skills developed by our students, as well as their sensitivity to and appreciation for diversity in many aspects of social relationships, give our minors a competitive edge in today’s global marketplace and information society.

The sociology minor requires a minimum of 15 semester hours of sociology coursework, as described below. All courses applied toward the 15 credits must be from courses completed under the SY prefix. This applies to “cross-listed” courses as well. Please see the undergraduate catalog for details: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGLAS/SOC_UMN/ (Residential) or https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGLAS/SOC_UMN_UFO/ (UFO)

The 15 minimum sociology credits must include:

  • SYG2000 (3 credits)
  • One Sociology elective course at the 2000 level or above (minimum 3 credits)
  • Three Sociology elective courses (minimum 9 credits) at the 3000 level or above

A grade of “C” or better is required for sociology courses to be credited toward the minor (a grade of “C-“ will not fulfill sociology requirements).

Courses taken S/U (pass/fail) will not be counted towards the minor.

Credits earned in SYA4911 and/or SYA4905 will not be counted towards the minor.

Sociology of Social Justice and Policy Minor

Students pursuing an SJP minor explore the impact of systemic racism in the criminal justice and legal systems; the consequences of unequal access to health care on physical and mental well-being; the impact of environmental hazards on the health and economic opportunities of vulnerable and marginalized populations; the causes and consequences of disparities in access to equal and quality public education; and the dynamics of structural and organizational impediments to enacting change.  The SJP minor introduces students to social justice scholars across the campus community, expanding networking and mentoring opportunities, exposing students to diverse ideas, methods, and theories in the area of social justice, and teaching fundamental skills and competencies for careers related to policy-making, advocacy, and research dedicated to social justice issues.

The SJP minor requires a minimum of 15 semester hours, as described below. Of these, 9 credits of coursework must be exclusive to the minor and cannot count toward major(s) or other minors, 5 courses must be at the 3000 level or higher (with a minimum of 3 credits each), and a minimum of 9 credits (3 courses) must be from Sociology courses (i.e., courses that begin with the prefix SY). Please see the undergraduate catalog for details: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGLAS/SJP_UMN/

The 15 minimum SJP credits must include:

  • SYO 4530 Social Inequality (3 credits)
  • Category A elective: Social Identities and Social Justice (3 credits)
  • Category B electives: Social Institutions and Social Justice; 1 of the 2 must be SY (6-7 credits)
  • Category C elective: Methodology, Internship or Research Practicum 1 (3 credits) 1

A comprehensive list of category electives can be found here2

A grade of “C” or better is required for sociology courses to be credited toward the minor (a grade of “C-“ will not fulfill sociology requirements).

Courses taken S/U (pass/fail) will not be counted towards the minor.

Environmental Justice and Policy Minor

Students pursuing an EJP minor explore the impact of environmental hazards on the health and economic opportunities of vulnerable and marginalized populations; the mechanisms by which environmental conflicts are managed at the local, state, national and global levels; the real-world implications of issues such as climate change, food security, public health and hazard exposure; the spatial dimensions of environmental inequalities and how they are experienced; the strategies and tactics of social movement organizations seeking environmental justice; and how environmental justice is addressed in public policies. The EJP minor introduces students to environmental scholars across the campus community, expanding networking and mentoring opportunities, exposing students to diverse ideas, methods, and theories in the area of environmental justice, and teaching fundamental skills and competencies for careers related to policy making and research in the environmental sphere.

The EJP minor requires a minimum of 15 semester hours, as described below. Of these, 9 credits of coursework must be exclusive to the minor and cannot count toward major(s) or other minors, 3 courses must be at the 3000 level or higher (with a minimum of 3 credits each), and a minimum of 9 credits (3 courses) must be from Sociology courses (i.e., courses that begin with the prefix SY). Please see the undergraduate catalog for details: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGLAS/EJP_UMN/

The 15 minimum EJP credits must include:

  • SYG 2010 Social Problems (3 credits)
  • Select one:
    SYA 4930 Special Study: Environmental Change and Justice (3 credits)
    or
    SYA 4930 Special Study: Environmental Racism (3 credits)
  • Category A elective (3 credits)
  • Category B elective (3 credits)
  • Additional SY elective from Category A or Category B (3 credits) 1 

A comprehensive list of category electives can be found here2

A grade of “C” or better is required for sociology courses to be credited toward the minor (a grade of “C-“ will not fulfill sociology requirements).

Courses taken S/U (pass/fail) will not be counted towards the minor.

 

1 No more than three credits of independent study (SYA 4905), research (SYA 4911) or internship (SYA 4941) may count toward the minor.

With the approval of the Sociology Undergraduate Coordinator, students may petition to have other, relevant classes approved as substitutes within each category of electives within the minor.  Such courses could include department special topics offerings with numbers like 3930 or 4930.