Loyola University Chicago

Psychology of Crime & Justice Minor

Minor Requirements

The interdisciplinary minor allows students to focus on the classes that are most relevant to the field of psychology and law.  The constellation of classes will deepen and complement their chosen professional practice with justice-involved persons or with legal and/or mental health systems or their advanced graduate or professional degrees.  

The minor requires the completion of 18 credit hours.  

All students must complete two required 300-level:

  • PSYC 372 Psychology and Law
  • Choose either:  CJC 345 Social Justice & Crime OR CJC 346 Mental Illness & Crime

The nature and number of required compared to elective courses vary by your major field of study.  Students majoring in Psychology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, and all other majors have slightly different requirements to allow a broader exploration of knowledge outside of their major and to balance  depend upon your major.  See the subsection for specific majors.

We strongly recommend that psychology and criminal justice and criminology 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:

  • CJC 390 Field Practicum
  • PSYC 390 Internship in Psychology (prerequisites: PSYC 304 and PSYC 306)

Or, a supervised research project:

  • PSYC 397 Independent Research (prerequisites: PSYC 306; senior psychology major; department and instructor permission
  • CJC 396 Independent Study

Or, an honors thesis:

  • PSYCH 370 Honors Research (requires admission to PSYC Honors program & PSYC 369 as a prerequisite)

These courses will count toward the psychology or criminal justice and criminology major, but not the minor in the psychology of crime and justice.