Department of Sociology
What is the Criminology minor?
A: The minor is an interdisciplinary curriculum for students interested in criminal justice, law and offender rehabilitation. Students take a range of courses providing theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to work in the criminal justice system. These courses expose students to current sociological, psychological and legal issues in the study of crime and criminal justice. The minor program is administered by the Sociology Department.
What is the minor good for?
A: The minor indicates that the recipient has taken a set of courses providing both a Liberal Arts and a practical perspective on crime and criminal justice issues. It is certainly something to put on one's resume and to mention to prospective employers in criminal justice and related fields.
What courses do I need to get the minor?
A: A total of eight courses are needed and you must earn a 'C' or better for a course to count toward the minor.
Six courses are required:
01:202:201 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
01:830:101 Introduction to Psychology (3)
01:830:340 Abnormal Psychology (3)
01:920:101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
01:920:222 Criminology (3)
01:920:306 Race Relations (3)
One elective course must be taken from the following:
01:920:304 Sociology of Deviant Behavior (3)
01:920:307 Sociology of Mental Illness (3)
01:920:349 Law and Society (3)
One additional three credit elective course offered by the Criminal Justice Program (01:202) must be taken.
I transferred in some of the courses. Do they still count toward the minor?
A: If those courses have been accepted as equivalent to Rutgers courses meeting criminology minor requirements, they may be applied toward the criminology minor.
Can I count the same course for both the minor and my Psychology or Sociology major/minor?
A: Yes.
Can I substitute any courses for minor requirements?
A: There are a limited number of courses that have been pre-approved as substitutes for minor requirements.
For Law and Society (01:920:349) you may substitute:
Political Science 340 - Law and Society
Philosophy 344 - Philosophy and the Law
For Race Relations (01:920:306) you may substitute:
Psychology 376 - Psychology and African Americans
Philosophy 258 - Philosophy and the Black Experience
African American Studies 203 - Black Experience in America
For Sociology of Mental Illness you may substitute:
Public Health 416 - Mental Illness Policy
Where do I sign up for the Criminology minor?
A: You declare the Criminology Minor as you would any other minor by completing a form at an academic advising center.
I cannot register for a Criminal Justice course for my Criminology minor, what should I do?
A: You must request a SPN from CJ, in order to register for any Criminal Justice (202) course, whether it is open or closed. The only exception is Introduction to Criminal Justice (01:202:201). You do not need an SPN to register for this course as long as it is open. (If it is closed, you will need to apply for a SPN.) As a Criminology minor, please be sure to include more than one option. There is no guarantee that you will be granted an SPN if you only select one course. There is a SPN portal where you can request SPNs. This portal will open twice for each semester. Please visit CJ SPNS for more information.
You haven't answered my questions about the Criminology minor here. How do I get more information?
A: Questions about the Criminology Minor can be answered via e-mail at
Can I do an internship in sociology?
A: Technically, no. The department does not keep a list of internships that we can place students into for academic credit. If you already have an internship and wish to get sociology credit for it, you need to arrange to do an independent study with a full-time faculty member in the department. The content of any independent study could certainly be centered around an existing internship, but we will not give credit for just the internship itself. Furthermore, we strongly encourage you to contact the Rutgers Internship and Coop Program (RICP) for advice and direction.
Periodically we offer a course with a service learning component, in conjunction with the Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships (CESEP) program at Rutgers. Historically, this partnering has most commonly happened in courses with a practical orientation and/or some pronounced attention to institutions that provide social services, such as schools, daycare facilities, nursing homes, and criminal justice-related organizations. Feel free to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information.
What is an independent study course?
A: Traditionally, independent studies are designed to allow for further study beyond topics in our regular curriculum. This could be either to go into more detail about a topic you encountered in one of your sociology courses or to explore something that we don't regularly teach at the undergraduate level. In certain rare cases, independent study may be used to get academic credit for an existing internship.
An independent study course must be done under the supervision of a full-time member of the sociology faculty. We currently offer only 3-credit independent study courses, so expect the workload of a regular 400-level course, or more. Independent study is not an opportunity to satisfy program requirements the easy way. In fact, independent study typically only works well when the student and faculty member set forth clear expectations of the work involved, establish and adhere to a regular meeting schedule (preferably weekly), and set a deadline for completion of written work.
What are the requirements for an independent study?
A: For sociology majors, you must be of junior or senior status and have completed at least four sociology courses. Two of your previous sociology courses must have been among our core 300-level courses for the major (311, 312, 313, 314). For independent study, you must have a GPA in sociology of 3.0 or better and a B in the prerequisites courses.
For non-sociology majors, eligibility is decided on a case-by-case basis, but similar standards apply. B or better work in previous courses is generally expected.
How do I arrange for an independent study?
A: It is up to the student to arrange for an independent study with a sociology instructor. Almost always we require that the instructor have the title of Assistant Professor or higher. Talking to instructors you've previously had a course from is your best bet. Have some idea of what you'd like to do before approaching the instructor to ask about independent study. If the individual agrees to work with you on an independent study course, you'll need to get written approval from the Undergraduate Director. Click here for an independent study application.
I'm going to be one credit short of what I need to complete my degree. Does the Sociology Department offer any one-credit independent studies that I could take?
A: Unfortunately not. If you know you are going to fall a credit or two short, there are several options for you in the Sociology curriculum. You will need to take a 3 credit course to finish the major or minor. This would give you a 20 credit minor rather than a 19 credit minor. If you are a Sociology major, you could take a fourth core course (311 through 314) as an elective giving you a 37 credit major rather than a 36 credit one. If these options do not work for you, set up an appointment with the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies to see if other strategies are possible.
Why are my attempts at registering not working?
A: Unfortunately, the most likely answer is because the course is full. If you are sure there are still seats in the class, then do you have the necessary prerequisites for the class?
In Sociology, any course numbered 300 to 314 requires Introduction to Sociology (920:101) as a prerequisite. For courses numbered 315 to 399, you need any one of Research Methods (920:311), Statistics in Sociology (920:312), Development of Theory (920:313) or Contemporary Theory (920:314). For a 400-level Sociology course, the prerequisite is any two of the 311-314 group.
I have the prerequisites for a course, but still can't get in. What is the problem?
A: Do you have the right index number? Check again to make sure. A lot of problems arise from simply trying to use an incorrect index number.
I took the prerequisite course(s) at another school and the computer does not recognize them. How do I register for courses?
A: Contact the department for a Prerequisite Override. This won't guarantee you'll get into the course you'd like, but it will tell the computer that you've met the prerequisite for a course. Make sure you send evidence that you've had the prerequisite course(s). A transcript will do fine for that purpose.
It says in the catalog that other lower-level Sociology courses can be used as a substitute for the Introduction to Sociology prerequisite. Is this true?
A: Yes. But it is up to the instructor of the particular course to accept other courses as meeting the prerequisite. Contact the instructor for permission to use other courses to meet a prerequisite and send an email to the department administrator for a prerequisite override.
Does the department give out special permission?
A: It is department policy that special permission can only be given by the instructor of the course. Special permission numbers are therefore not available in the main department office.
I haven't taken the prerequisite for a class that I need, how can I obtain a prerequisite override?
A: Per our department policy, all prerequisite overrides must be approved by the instructor of that class you are interested in taking. Once the instructor has approved the override, please forward the approved override request to the
What are the requirements for a minor in Sociology?
A: A minor in Sociology consists of six courses totaling 19 credits. At least 10 of the 19 credits must be at the 300 or 400 level. Only courses in which you earn a 'C' or better may be counted toward the minor.
Two courses are required, Introduction to Sociology (920:101) and any one of Research Methods (920:311), Computer Analysis (920:312), Development of Theory (920:313) or Contemporary Theory (920:314).
Of the four elective courses, at least two of them must be at the 300 or 400 level.
No more than 6 credits at the 100 level may be applied to the Sociology minor.
How can I keep track of my progress toward completing a sociology minor?
A: Try using this checklist as a worksheet.
How do I find an advisor?
A: Questions about the minor can be answered via
Can I transfer in any courses from other institutions toward the Sociology minor?
A: Yes, but no more than three. At least three of the courses counting toward the minor must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick. The required Research or Theory course must also be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
What if I took a course at my previous institution that I feel could be counted towards my major?
A: Please
How do I obtain a prerequisite override?
A: Prerequisites must be approved by the instructor of the course. Once you have the approval from the instructor, please forward to our
What if I am having difficulties getting into a course from another department for my minor?
A: Please reach out to that specific department, if you need a prerequisite override or need a SPN for a course other than a Sociology (920) course.
I cannot register for a Criminal Justice course for my Criminology minor, what should I do?
A: You must request a SPN from CJ, in order to register for any Criminal Justice (202) course, whether it is open or closed. The only exception is Introduction to Criminal Justice (01:202:201). You do not need an SPN to register for this course as long as it is open. (If it is closed, you will need to apply for a SPN.) As a Criminology minor, please be sure to include more than one option. There is no guarantee that you will be granted an SPN if you only select one course. There is a SPN portal where you can request SPNs. This portal will open twice for each semester. Please visit CJ SPNS for more information.
What are the requirements for a major in Sociology?
A: The Sociology major consists of 11 courses totaling 36 credits. Only courses in which you earn a 'C' or better count toward the major. Five of those courses are required: Introduction to Sociology (920:101), Six Great Reads (920:215), Introduction to Social Research, (920:311), Computer Analysis of Social Science Data (920:312), and Social Theory (920:316).
That leaves you six elective courses. One of these 3 must be a 300-level course or higher. Three more of these elective courses can be at any level. As you plan your elective courses remember that 300 and 400 level Sociology courses have prerequisites that must be completed before you can enroll in those courses.
What courses do I need to declare a major in Sociology?
A: You can declare a major with a C or better in just Introduction to Sociology (920:101) and one of the other required courses listed above.
How do I find an advisor?
A: Questions about the major can be answered via
How do I find out what courses I need to complete my major?
A: You may find it helpful to use this checklist as a worksheet and contact the department via
Can I transfer in any courses from other institutions toward the Sociology major?
A: Yes, but no more than five. At least six of the courses counting toward the major must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick. With the exception of Introduction to Sociology all of the other required courses should be taken in New Brunswick.
What if I took a course at my previous institution that I feel could be counted towards my major?
A: Please
How do I obtain a prerequisite override?
A: Prerequisites must be approved by the instructor of the course. Once you have the approval from the instructor, please forward to our
Undergraduate Program
Graduate Program
Research
