Minors

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice offers six cross-disciplinary minors that can benefit students pursuing a wide variety of educational and professional paths, including business, education, nursing, psychology, religious studies or sociology.

The Childhood and Youth Studies minor will prepare students to work with children and youth in a variety of capacities. Childhood and Youth studies is a multidisciplinary field. As such, the minor brings together classes in psychology, education, social work, sociology and other fields, to provide students with a broad perspective of this life stage. This minor provides students with insight into the individual characteristics of children and youth, the social and structural constraints on the lives of children and youth, and the major institutions of childhood.

This minor requires 4.5 credits from a range of disciplines. Students should take at least one course from each of four buckets: “Social Perspectives,” “Developmental Perspectives,” “Educational Perspectives” and “Disability and Difference.” The final credit can be from any bucket or the list of additional electives.

Educational Perspectives

EDU 104 Cultural Foundations of Education
EYC 328 Family and Community Relationships (multiple prereqs*) (0.75 credits)
EDU 223 Education of Pk-12 Learners with Exceptionalities
TEL 204 Cross-Cultural Studies in Teaching English Language Learners

Social Perspectives

SOC 353 Sociology of Childhood & Youth
SW 308 Social Services for Children & Families
CJ 319 Juvenile Delinquency & the Justice System

Developmental Perspectives

PSY 317 Child Development (prereq PSY 210***)
PSY 318 Adolescent Development (prereq PSY 210***)
EYC 326 Typical and Atypical Development of the Young Child, Birth-5 (multiple prereqs*) (0.5 credits)

Disability and Difference

CSD 242 Understanding Autism
CSD 356 Children at Risk from Birth to Five
CSD 200 Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders (0.5 credits)
PSY 427 Child Psychopathology (prereqs PSY 356 & PSY 327 or instructor permission**)
SPE 338 Characteristics of Learners with Exceptionalities (prereqs EDU 223 & EDU 311*) (0.75 credits)

Additional Electives

SOC 317 Marriage and Family
NRS 316 Family Health: Childrearing (for students in the Nursing program)
COM 323 Family Communication
SPN 304 Teaching Hispanic Children’s Literature Across All Grade Levels
ENG 314 Children’s Literature
ENG 315 Adolescent Literature (0.5 credits)

*School of Education may waive prerequisites for students in the CHY minor, with the consent of the instructor
**Department of Psychology may waive prerequisites for students who have taken a course on research methods in another discipline with consent of the instructor
***Department of Psychology may waive prerequisite for students if the class is only needed for CHY minor with instructor consent

The minor in criminal justice requires five courses in criminal justice, including the following:

CJ 100 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
CJ 308 Theories of Criminology
Three courses from the Criminal Justice Program
- One must be at the 300-level or higher
- Cannot be SOC/CJ 323 Methods of Social Research, CJ 490 Independent Field Work, CJ 491 Independent Research, CJ 492 Independent Study, or CJ 496 Capstone Seminar

At least three of the required courses must be taken at Elmhurst University. Courses in criminal justice may be accepted from other colleges.

The Gender Studies minor provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of gender and its intersection with race, class, sexuality and other social locations. It delves into the social, cultural, political and historical contexts that shape gender identities and relations. Students will engage with diverse theoretical and disciplinary perspectives, exploring topics such as feminist theory, LGBTQ+ studies and the impact of gender on various aspects of life, including work, family and media. This minor fosters critical thinking and social awareness, preparing students for careers in fields like education, social work, public policy and advocacy.

This minor requires 4.0 credits.

1 credit must be SOC 305 Sex and Gender in Society
Three (3) of the below listed courses

Students must take at least two of the following classes (1 credit each):

CJ 340 Gender and Crime
ENG 335 Women Writers
ENG 355 Women’s Writing and Feminist Perspectives
HIS 215 Intro to Women’s History
HIS 415 Topics in Women’s History
POL 401 Feminist Political Theory
REL 314 Feminist Biblical Interpretations

Additional elective options include (1 credit each):

PHL 215 Race, Gender, and Justice
REL 242 Issues in Islam: Gender, Politics, and Human Rights
PSY 333 Human Sexualities
SOC 317 Marriage and Family
BID 357 Feminist Poetry
COM 329 Media and Cultural Identity
COM 315 Intercultural Communication
HON 332 Exploring African American Women’s Voices

The Race & Ethnic Studies minor provides students with an understanding of the experiences of people of color. It offers varying theoretical frameworks and disciplinary perspectives. Students will learn about the historic and current realities of people of color in the United States and how race and ethnicity intersect with additional identities, such as class and gender.

This minor requires 4.0 credits.

1 credit must be SOC 304 Race and Ethnic Relations
Three (3) of the below listed courses

Students must take at least three of the following classes (1 credit each):

BID 355 Native Americans: Public Policy, Religion, and Justice
CJ 351 Communities and Crime
CJ 353 Race/Ethnicity and the Criminal Justice System
COM 315 Intercultural Communication
COM 319 Media & Cultural Identity
EDU 104 Cultural Foundations of Education in the U.S.
EDU 331 Race and Equity in Education
ENG 230 Readings in Race, Class, and Gender
ENG 372 Multicultural/Postcolonial Literature
HIS 170 History of Latin America
HIS 331 Southern Slavery, Southern Freedom
HIS 353 The American West
HIS 355 Formation of the Chicago Ghetto
HON 332 Exploring African American Women’s Voices
LTS 301 Intro to Latino Studies Through Literature
LTS 303 Intro to Latino Studies Through Film, Media, & Popular Culture
MUS 218 Intro to Jazz History
PHL 215 Race, Gender & Justice
POL 300 Urban Politics
PSY 303 Social Psychology
PSY 325 Psychology and Culture
REL 322 Theologies of Liberation
REL 346 African American Religious Traditions
SOC 320 Sociology of Latino/as
URB 210 Cities
WL 320 Non-West Culture/Lit & Film

A minor in social work is useful for students wanting more of the social work application of social science theories and for those intending to do graduate study in social work. Students may be majoring in a variety of fields, including business, education, nursing, psychology, religious studies or sociology.

The required courses for the social work minor are the following:

SOC 100 or SOC 301
SW 303 Introduction to Social Work

Additionally, students must take at least two of the following classes (all three are recommended):

SW 308 Social Services for Children and Adolescents
SW 404 Social Work with Individuals and Families
SW 406 Social Work within Groups and Communities

A student may apply one credit of independent study (SOC 492) in lieu of either SW 308, SW 404 or SW 406. SOC 490 Independent Field Work is contingent upon the location of a suitable field site. At least two of the required courses must be taken at Elmhurst University.

Lastly, students must complete one additional course from the list below:

CJ 319 Juvenile Delinquency & the Justice System
COM 114 Interpersonal Communication
COM 311 Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace
COM 315 Intercultural Communication
COM 320 Organizational Communication
COM 322 Conflict Management
COM 323 Family Communication
COM 326 Health Communication
CSD 242 Towards Understanding Autism
PSY 327 Psychopathology
PSY 328 Clinical & Counseling Psychology
SOC 301 Social Problems
SOC 317 Marriage & the Family
SOC 353 Sociology of Childhood & Youth
SOC 490 Independent Field Work
SW 308 Social Services for Children and Adolescents
SW 404 Social Work with Individuals and Families
SW 406 Social Work within Groups and Communities

A student who is pursuing both a major in sociology and a minor in social work may count only SOC 100 toward both the sociology major and the social work minor. The social work courses—SW 303, SW 308, SW 404 and SW 406, or their equivalent—can not be applied simultaneously toward the sociology major and the social work minor.

A sociology minor can significantly enhance both educational and occupational opportunities for students majoring in a variety of fields, including business, education, intercultural studies, nursing, political science, psychology, religious studies and urban studies.

The requirements for a minor in sociology are four courses including SOC 100. At least two courses must be taken at the 300 or 400 level. Courses in social work may not be applied toward the sociology minor. Only one of the Criminal Justice courses listed as electives in sociology (either CJ 319 or CJ 408) may count toward the sociology minor.

At least two of the courses must be taken at Elmhurst University.

Students majoring in early childhood education or elementary education may choose to satisfy their required minor in sociology. It is recommended that students choose courses from among the following: