Within Loyola's College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), each Social Sciences department offers academic major programs and academic minor programs.
Academic major programs in the Social Sciences include:
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminology & Justice
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
- Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
- Bachelor of Criminology & Justice (online program)
Academic minor programs in the Social Sciences include:
Criminology & Justice
The Department of Criminology & Justice offers a curriculum that emphasizes research skills and engages comprehensive and critical understanding of contemporary criminal justice issues. A list of Criminology & Justice faculty and staff can be viewed on the department website.
Academic Programs
Criminology & Justice offers two degree formats. Students in other major programs can pursue an academic minor in Criminology & Justice. The department also partners with the University Honors Program to deliver Honors versions of some programs. Available Criminology & Justice major programs for 2020-2021 include:
- Bachelor of Arts, Criminology & Justice major
- Bachelor of Criminology & Justice (online only)
- Criminology & Justice programs - University Honors curriculum
- Criminology & Justice minor
- Forensic Science minor
- Graduate programs in Criminology & Justice
Detailed curriculum for each program is listed below.
Criminology & Justice major (CRIM)
The Bachelor of Arts, Criminology & Justice major is a 120 semester credit hour academic program. Students will complete Loyola Core requirements, Criminology & Justice major requirements, adjunct courses in statistics, social sciences, and languages, and general electives. Completion of this academic program requires a 2.0 GPA in the major curriculum and a 2.0 GPA in the Loyola cumulative curriculum. All major courses must be completed in the Criminology & Justice department unless an exception is allowed by the department chair.
- Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Loyola Core: 39 crs
- Criminology & Justice major: 41 crs
- Adjunct - Languages: 6 crs
- Adjunct - Statistics & Social Sciences: 7 crs
- General Electives: 27 crs
- Loyola Core: Complete the full scope of the Loyola Core with 39 crs in Loyola Core requirement areas. Modifications include completing the 3 crs Social Science requirement in the major curriculum.
- Criminology & Justice major core courses: Complete 41 crs of major core courses. These courses include:
- Required Courses 19 crs:
- CRIM A105 Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems
- CRIM A110 or SOCI A251 Criminology (complete only one)
- CRIM A300 Research Methods
- CRIM A302 Research Methods Lab (1 cr)
- CRIM A425 Seminar - Major Works in Criminology
- CRIM A496 Capstone
- CRIM A497 Internship (4 crs)
- Criminological Analysis course (choose one from):
- CRIM A270 Murder, Mayhem, Media
- CRIM A275 Deviant Behavior
- CRIM A288 Crime and Disaster
- CRIM A320 Violent Offenders
- CRIM A335 Security and Crime Prevention
- CRIM A375 Organized Crime
- CRIM A378 Cybercrime, Technology, Social Change
- CRIM A382 Gangs & Criminal Networks
- CRIM A385 Seminar in Advanced Criminology
- CRIM A420 Serial Murder: Myths and Realities
- Law course (choose one from):
- CRIM A218 Criminal Procedure
- CRIM A220 Recent Supreme Court Decisions
- CRIM A313 Criminal Evidence
- CRIM A345 Seminar in Constitutional Law
- CRIM A405 Criminal Law
- CRIM A430 Legal Research & Writing
- Victimology/Victim Services course (choose one from):
- Administration of Justice (choose one from):
- Corrections (choose one from):
- Criminology & Justice major electives 6 crs. Select two CRIM courses in consultation with an advisor.
- Required Courses 19 crs:
- Adjunct courses - Statistics & Social Sciences: Criminology & Justice majors in the Bachelor of Arts program are required to complete 7 crs of adjunct credit, including:
- CRIM A260 Statistics in Criminal Justice
- CRIM A262 Statistics in Criminal Justice Lab (1 crs)
- Choose one 3 crs course from Psychology or Sociology in consultation with an advisor
- Adjunct courses - Language requirement: Criminology & Justice majors in the Bachelor of Arts program are required to complete 6 crs of language credit, up to the 201 level of proficiency. This requirement can be satisfied with courses in spoken languages like French or Spanish, or in classical languages like Greek or Latin. Students will complete a placement activity to begin the language sequence. Students who initially place into the 201 level of proficiency will have a modified language requirement of only 3 crs, with the additional 3 crs attributed to General Electives.
- General Electives: Criminology & Justice majors are required to complete 27 crs of general electives to complete the Bachelor of Arts program. Students can satisfy these requirements with any Loyola courses they are eligible to take which are not already required in the Loyola Core, Major, or Adjunct curriculums. For students pursuing a double major or an academic minor, the curriculum for those programs would be assigned from the credits required for General Electives.
- CRIM Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL). The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
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Bachelor of Criminology & Justice (BCJ)
The Bachelor of Criminology & Justice a 120 semester credit hour academic program with a curriculum designed for Loyola’s online programs specifically for adult students. BCJ students complete Loyola Core requirements, Criminology & Justice major requirements, adjunct courses in statistics, social sciences, and general electives. Completion of this academic program requires a 2.0 GPA in the major curriculum and a 2.0 GPA in the Loyola cumulative curriculum. All major courses must be completed in the Criminology & Justice department unless an exception is allowed by the department chair.
- Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Loyola Core: 39 crs
- Criminology & Justice major: 40 crs
- Adjunct - Statistics & Social Sciences: 7 crs
- General Electives: 34 crs
- Loyola Core: Complete the full scope of the Loyola Core with 39 crs in Loyola Core requirement areas. Modifications include completing the 3 crs Social Science requirement in the major curriculum.
- Criminology & Justice major core courses: Complete 40 crs of major core courses. These courses include:
- Required Courses 13 crs:
- CRIM A105 Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems
- CRIM A110 or SOCI A251 Criminology (complete only one)
- CRIM A300 Research Methods
- CRIM A302 Research Methods Lab (1 cr)
- CRIM A425 Seminar - Major Works in Criminology
- Criminological Analysis course (choose one from):
- CRIM A270 Murder, Mayhem, Media
- CRIM A275 Deviant Behavior
- CRIM A288 Crime and Disaster
- CRIM A320 Violent Offenders
- CRIM A335 Security and Crime Prevention
- CRIM A375 Organized Crime
- CRIM A378 Cybercrime, Technology, Social Change
- CRIM A382 Gangs and Criminal Networks
- CRIM A385 Seminar in Advanced Criminology
- CRIM A420 Serial Murder: Myths and Realities
- Law course (choose one from):
- CRIM A218 Criminal Procedure
- CRIM A220 Recent Supreme Court Decisions
- CRIM A313 Criminal Evidence
- CRIM A345 Seminar in Constitutional Law
- CRIM A405 Criminal Law
- CRIM A430 Legal Research & Writing
- Victimology/Victim Services course (choose one from):
- CRIM A280 Domestic Violence
- CRIM A285 Crisis Intervention
- CRIM A340 Environmental Criminology
- CRIM A410 Women and Crime
- CRIM X330 Violence and Human Rights
- Administration of Justice (choose one from):
- Corrections (choose one from):
- Criminology & Justice major electives 12 crs. Select four CRIM courses in consultation with an advisor.
- Required Courses 13 crs:
- Adjunct courses - Statistics & Social Sciences: Criminology & Justice majors in the Bachelor of Arts program are required to complete 7 crs of adjunct credit, including:
- CRIM A260 Statistics in Criminal Justice
- CRIM A262 Statistics in Criminal Justice Lab (1 crs)
- Choose one 3 crs course from Psychology or Sociology in consultation with an advisor
- General Electives: Criminology & Justice majors are required to complete 34 crs of general electives to complete the BCJ program. Students can satisfy these requirements with any Loyola courses they are eligible to take which are not already required in the Loyola Core, Major, or Adjunct curriculums. For students pursuing a double major or an academic minor, the curriculum for those programs would be assigned from the credits required for General Electives.
- BCJ Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL). The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
Back to Criminology & Justice programs
Criminology & Justice programs - University Honors Program
Participation in the University Honors Program is available to any eligible student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, Criminology & Justice major. Students who meet Honors Program admission requirements can complete their CRIM program with the Honors Curriculum taking the place of the Loyola Core and adding a required Honors Thesis to the overall program. Because of these changes, the Honors Curriculum impacts the number of credits required in the General Elective area. Completion of this academic program requires a 3.3 GPA in the major curriculum, any minor programs, and a student’s Loyola cumulative curriculum.
The following Degree Program Course Listings (DPCL) serve as helpful checklists of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor and the Honors Program Director to plan your schedule.
Criminology & Justice Minor Programs
Loyola students who are not already majors can add a Criminology & Justice minor to their curriculum. An academic minor curriculum requires credit hours taken as part of or in addition to the General Electives area of a student’s undergraduate program, but courses used to satisfy requirements in an academic major cannot also be used to satisfy requirements in a minor program. Successful completion of an academic minor requires a 2.0 GPA or higher for all courses.
The Criminology & Justice Department offers the following academic minor programs:
Criminology & Justice (CRIM) minor: Students complete 22 credit hours of coursework with a 2.0 GPA. Requirements include:
- CRIM A105 Intro to Criminal Justice Systems
- CRIM A110 or SOCI A215 Criminology (complete only one)
- CRIM A300 Research Methods - Criminology
- CRIM A302 Research Methods - Lab (1 cr)
- Criminology & Justice electives: Choose 12 crs (four courses) in consultation with an advisor.
- CRIM Minor Tracking Sheet: The tracking sheet serves as a helpful checklist of courses for the minor. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to help schedule your coursework.
Forensic Science (FRSC) minor: Students complete 21 credit hours of coursework with a 2.0 GPA. This minor is available to Criminology & Justice majors, but not in an online format. Requirements include:
- FRSC A100 Intro to Forensic Science
- FRSC A200 Criminalistics 1: Crime Scene
- FRSC A201 Criminalistics 2: Crime Lab
- FRSC A301 Criminalistics 3: Controlled Substances
- FRSC A498 Independent Research in Forensics
- FRSC Electives: take 6 crs (two courses) in consultation with an advisor.
- FRSC Minor Tracking Sheet: The tracking sheet serves as a helpful checklist of courses for the minor. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to help schedule your coursework.
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Economics
The College of Arts & Sciences works with faculty in the College of Business to offers a curriculum that presents students with a well-rounded liberal arts education upon which to apply the broad theories you’ll learn in economics classes to better understand the movement of money. Students can also complete an Economics Liberal Arts major with University Honors Program curriculum.
The Bachelor of Arts, Economics major (ECOA) is a 120 semester credit hour academic program. Students will complete Loyola Core requirements, major requirements, adjunct courses in languages, adjunct courses in the social sciences and business, and general electives. Completion of this academic program requires a 2.0 GPA in the major curriculum and a 2.0 GPA in the Loyola cumulative curriculum.
- Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Loyola Core: 39 crs
- Economics major: 33 crs
- Adjunct - Languages: 6 crs
- Adjunct - Business and Social Sciences: 21 crs
- General Electives: 21 crs
- Loyola Core: Complete the full scope of the Loyola Core with 39 crs in Loyola Core requirement areas. Modifications include completing the Social Science requirement as part of the major curriculum coursework.
- Economics major courses: Complete 33 crs of major core courses:
- ECON B200 Principles of Microeconomics
- ECON B201 Principles of Macroeconomics
- ECON B205 Intermediate Microeconomics
- ECON B206 Intermediate Macroeconomics
- ECON B305 International Economics
- Economics major electives: in consultation with an advisor, complete 18 crs of ECON courses at the 300-400 level.
- Majors must have a grade of "C" or better in ECON B200 & ECON B201 to enroll in 300-400 level ECON Courses
- Adjunct courses - Language requirement: Complete 6 crs of language credit, up to the 201 level of proficiency. This requirement can be satisfied with courses in spoken languages like French or Spanish, or in classical languages like Greek or Latin. Students will complete a placement activity to begin the language sequence. Students who initially place into the 201 level of proficiency will have a modified language requirement of only 3 crs, with the additional 3 crs attributed to General Electives.
- Adjunct courses - Business & Social Sciences courses: Complete the following 21 crs:
- ACCT B202 Financial Accounting
- BUAN B205 Business Statistics
- FIN B300 Financial Management
- POLS A230 History of Political Thought 1
- POLS A231 History of Political Thought 2
- Business or Social Sciences Adjunct Electives: in consultation with an advisor, select 6 crs of coursework from Accounting (ACCT), Finance (FIN), History (HIST), Mathematics (MATH), Philosophy (PHIL), Political Science (POLS), and Sociology (SOCI).
- General Electives: Economics majors complete 21 crs of general electives to complete the Bachelor of Arts program. Students can satisfy these requirements with any Loyola courses they are eligible to take which are not already required in the Loyola Core, Major, or Adjunct curriculum. For students pursuing a double major or an academic minor, the curriculum for those programs would be assigned from the credits required for General Electives.
- ECOA Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL). The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
Economics Liberal Arts major - University Honors Program
Participation in the University Honors Program is available to eligible students pursuing an Economics Liberal Arts major. Students who meet Honors Program admission requirements can complete their program with the Honors Curriculum taking the place of the Loyola Core and completing a project as their Honors Thesis. The Honors Curriculum also impacts the number of credits required in the General Elective area. Completion of this academic program requires a 3.3 GPA in the major curriculum, any minor programs, and a student’s Loyola cumulative curriculum.
The following Degree Program Course Listings (DPCL) serve as helpful checklists of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor and the Honors Program Director to plan your schedule.
Political Science
The Department of Political Science teaches how to analyze individual and group motivation and behavior, think through working systems and institutions, and conduct research into how systems and institutions work. A list of Political Science faculty and staff can be viewed on the department website.
Academic Programs
Students interested in Political Science can choose to major or minor in the discipline. The department also partners with the University Honors Program to deliver Honors versions of some programs. Available programs for 2020-2021 include:
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science major
- Political Science major - University Honors curriculum
- Political Science minor
Detailed curriculum for each program is listed below.
Political Science major (POLS)
The Bachelor of Arts, Political Science major is a 120 semester credit hour academic program. Students will complete Loyola Core requirements, major requirements, and general electives. Completion of this academic program requires a 2.0 GPA in the major curriculum and a 2.0 GPA in the Loyola cumulative curriculum. All major courses must be completed in the Political Science department unless an exception is allowed by the department chair.
- Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Loyola Core: 39 crs
- Political Science major: 36 crs
- General Electives: 45 crs
- Loyola Core: Complete the full scope of the Loyola Core with 39 crs in Loyola Core requirement areas. Modifications include completing the Social Science requirement as part of the major curriculum coursework.
- Political Science major courses: Complete 36 crs of major core courses. These courses include:
- POLS A100 Intro to American Government
- POLS A200 Comparative Government 1 (Fall)
- POLS A201 Comparative Government 2 (Spring)
- POLS A230 History of Political Thought 1 (Fall)
- POLS A231 History of Political Thought 2 (Spring)
- POLS A300 Constitutional Law 1 (Fall)
- POLS A301 Constitutional Law 2 (Spring)
- POLS A315 International Relations
- Choose either POLS A495 or POLS A480 Special Project: Capstone
- Major Electives: choose 9 crs (three courses) of POLS courses in consultation with an advisor; cannot be Loyola Core courses unless approved by the department chair
- General Electives: Political Science majors complete 45 crs of general electives to complete the Bachelor of Arts program. Students can satisfy these requirements with any Loyola courses they are eligible to take which are not already required in the Loyola Core, Major, or Adjunct curriculums. For students pursuing a double major or an academic minor, the curriculum for those programs would be assigned from the credits required for General Electives.
- POLS Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL). The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
Back to Political Science programs
Political Science major - University Honors Program
Participation in the University Honors Program is available to eligible students pursuing a Political Science major. Students who meet Honors Program admission requirements can complete their program with the Honors Curriculum taking the place of the Loyola Core and using the Political Science capstone project as their Honors Thesis. The Honors Curriculum also impacts the number of credits required in the General Elective area. Completion of this academic program requires a 3.3 GPA in the major curriculum, any minor programs, and a student’s Loyola cumulative curriculum.
The following Degree Program Course Listings (DPCL) serve as helpful checklists of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor and the Honors Program Director to plan your schedule.
Political Science Minor
Loyola students who are not already Political Science majors can add a Political Science minor to their curriculum. Curriculum for a Political Science minor requires 21 credit hours taken as part of or in addition to the General Electives area of a student’s undergraduate program, but courses used to satisfy requirements in an academic major cannot also be used to satisfy requirements in a minor program. Successful completion of an academic minor requires a 2.0 GPA or higher for all courses.
Requirements include:
- POLS A100 Intro to American Government
- Choose either POLS A200 Comparative Government 1 or POLS A201 Comparative Government 2
- Choose either POLS A230 History of Political Thought 1 or POLS A231 History of Political Thought 2
- POLS A315 International Relations
- Minor Electives: choose 9 crs (three courses) of POLS courses in consultation with an advisor; cannot be Loyola Core courses unless approved by the department chair
- Political Science Minor Tracking Sheet: The tracking sheet serves as a helpful checklist of courses for the minor. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to help schedule your coursework.
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Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers programs where students study people and their activities, their work, their games, relationships, behaviors, beliefs, organizations, and problems. A key focus of most courses is social justice and inequalities. A list of Sociology faculty and staff can be viewed on the department website.
Academic Programs
Students pursuing a major or a minor in Sociology The department also partners with the University Honors Program to deliver Honors versions of some programs. Available programs for 2020-2021 include:
Detailed curriculum for each program is listed below.
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology major (SOCI)
The Bachelor of Arts, Sociology major is a 120 semester credit hour academic program. Students will complete Loyola Core requirements, Sociology major requirements, adjunct courses in language, and general electives. Completion of this academic program requires a 2.0 GPA in the major curriculum and a 2.0 GPA in the Loyola cumulative curriculum. All major courses must be completed in the Sociology department unless an exception is allowed by the department chair.
- Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Loyola Core: 39 crs
- Sociology major: 36 crs
- Adjunct - Languages: 6 crs
- General Electives: 39 crs
- Loyola Core: Complete the full scope of the Loyola Core with 39 crs in Loyola Core requirement areas. Modifications include completing the Loyola Core Social Sciences requirement as part of the Sociology major.
- Sociology major core courses: Complete 36 crs of major core courses. These courses include:
- Either SOCI A100 Intro to Sociology or SOCI X232 Social Problems
- SOCI X241 Development of Social Thought (Fall)
- SOCI A335 Research Methods & Techniques (Fall)
- SOCI A338 Research Methods & Techniques Lab (1 cr)
- SOCI A336 Social Statistics (Spring)
- SOCI A339 Social Statistics Lab (1 cr)
- SOCI A345 Social Theory (Spring)
- SOCI A480 Senior Capstone
- SOCI A481 Research Project (1 cr)
- Sociology Major Electives: 15 credit hours (five courses) selected in consultation with your advisor. The Sociology program offers three specialty tracks within this area: Crime, Law, and Social Control; Social Justice and Inequalities; or Global Sociology.
- Adjunct courses - Language requirement: Complete 6 crs of language credit, up to the 201 level of proficiency. This requirement can be satisfied with courses in spoken languages like French or Spanish, or in classical languages like Greek or Latin. Students will complete a placement activity to begin the language sequence. Students who initially place into the 201 level of proficiency will have a modified language requirement of only 3 crs, with the additional 3 crs attributed to General Electives.
- General Electives: Sociology majors are required to complete 39 crs of general electives to complete the Bachelor of Arts program. Students can satisfy these requirements with any Loyola courses they are eligible to take which are not already required in the Loyola Core, Major, or Adjunct curriculums. For students pursuing a double major or an academic minor, the curriculum for those programs would be assigned from the credits required for General Electives.
- Sociology Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL). The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
Sociology major - University Honors Program
Students who meet University Honors Program admission requirements can complete their Sociology program with the Honors Curriculum taking the place of the Loyola Core and satisfying the Honors Thesis requirement with SOCI A480 Senior Capstone. The Honors Curriculum also impacts the number of credits required in the General Elective area. Completion of this academic program requires a 3.3 GPA in the major curriculum, any minor programs, and a student’s Loyola cumulative curriculum.
The following Degree Program Course Listings (DPCL) serve as helpful checklists of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor and the Honors Program Director to plan your schedule.
Sociology Minor Programs
Curriculum for Sociology minors require 22 credit hours taken as part of or in addition to the General Electives area of a student’s undergraduate program, but courses used to satisfy requirements in an academic major cannot also be used to satisfy requirements in a Sociology minor program. Successful completion of an academic minor requires a 2.0 GPA or higher for all courses. Requirements include:
- Either SOCI A100 Intro to Sociology or SOCI X232 Social Problems
- SOCI A335 Research Methods
- SOCI A338 Research Methods Lab (1 cr)
- Either SOCI X241 Development of Social Thought or SOCI A345 Sociological Theory
- Sociology minor electives: 12 credit hours (four courses) selected in consultation with your advisor
- Sociology Minor Tracking Sheet: The tracking sheet serves as a helpful checklist of courses for the minor. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to help schedule your coursework.