Criminology is the sociological study of crime and the criminal justice system. At IWU, the Sociology-Criminology major and the Criminology minor provide a unique interdisciplinary framework, grounded in the social sciences but also engaging the natural sciences and humanities. Our Sociology-Criminology students develop:

• knowledge about the workings of the criminal justice system;
• an understanding of inequality with regard to the law;
• the skills needed to study and analyze crime. 

The Sociology-Criminology major and the Criminology minor complement the studies of students who are interested in a future working in criminal justice, advocacy, law, politics, or research.

Classes focus on a variety of topics including policing, eyewitness testimony, jury behavior, crime scene analysis, and inequality within the criminal justice system. Students study current, ongoing legal cases in the Bloomington-Normal area and speak with people involved in the criminal justice system.

Major Sequence in Sociology-Criminology

Criminology course list for Spring 2025

Students pursuing a major in Sociology-Criminology will complete the following required courses:

1. SOC 201: Social Problems (AV)
2. SOC 225: Research Methods (W)
3. PSYC 227 or ECON 227 or ENST 200 (FR)
4. SOC 290: History of Social Thought (IT, W)
5. PSYC 359: Crime and the Justice System (W)
6. SOC 328: Criminology (CSI)
7. SOC 490: Senior Seminar in Sociology (W)

Pick FOUR (4) courses from at least TWO (2) categories, and at least TWO (2) must be at the 300-level:

1. Courts and Institutions:
   BUS 349: Seminar in Business: Trial Class
   CHEM 120: Forensic Chemistry (PSL)
   PSCI 105: Civil Liberties and Social Justice (AV)
   PSCI/SOC 395: Action Research Seminar
   SOC 240: Social Work (AV)
   SOC 311: Marriage and Families (CHC, U)
   
   
2. Inequalities and Identities:
   PSYC 251: Abnormal Psychology (LSI)
   SOC 222: Sex and Gender in Society (CSI, U)
   SOC 230: Race & Racism (CSI, U)
   SOC 345: Intersectionality (IT, U)
   SOC 380: Sex and Sexualities (CHC, U)
   
   
3. Laws and Values:
   BUS 355: Business Law (W)
   ENGL 133: Crime and Punishment (LIT)
   PHIL 105: Rights and Wrongs (AV)
   PHIL 205: What is Law (AV, W)
   PHIL 305: Philosophy of Law (AV)
   PSCI 303: International Law and Organizations
   SOC 280: Deviance (AV)

*Special topics and internships may be included with the permission of the chair.

Minor Sequence in Criminology

Students pursuing a minor in Criminology will complete a total of six courses: four core courses taken by all students, and two electives that focus on students' specific area of interest. 

The required courses for the Criminology minor include:

1. SOC 328: Criminology (CSI)
2. PSYC 359: Crime and the Justice System: A Social Psychology Perspective (W)
3. CHEM 120: Forensic Chemistry (PSL)
4. A methods class, selecting one from the following:
   SOC 225: Methods of Social Research 
   PSYCH 227: Statistics
   ENST 200: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (FR)
5. Two electives from the following list of courses:
   BUS 349: Seminar in Management - Trial Class 
   PHIL 205: What is Law? (AV, W)
   PHIL 305: Philosophy of Law (AV)
   PSYCH 251: Abnormal Psychology (LSI)
   PSCI 105: Civil Liberties and Social Justice (AV)
   SOC 201: Social Problems (AV)
   SOC 230: Race and Racism (CSI, U)
   SOC 345: Intersectionality (IT, U)
   SOC 270/370 (by permission of the chair): Special Topics 

Faculty