UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS, MINORS, AND ASSOCIATED AREAS OF STUDY
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL ECOLOGY CRIMINOLOGY, LAW AND SOCIETY The Department of Criminology, Law and Society focuses, first, on the manifestations of criminal behavior and the methods for controlling that behavior, and second, on the relationships and interactions between social processes and legal systems. Basic courses present overviews of American legal systems with particular emphasis on criminal and juvenile justice, the forms of criminal behavior, the role of law in understanding social and psychological phenomena, and the applications of sociological theory in understanding law and legal systems. Subsequent course work provides understanding of the theoretical structures used to explain criminal behavior, the effects of crimes from the perspectives of victims, the operations of systems of justice and their underlying institutions, the goals of governmental regulation and the methods used to achieve those goals, and more advanced issues in the interactions of law and such fields as psychology, sociology, and planning. In addition, substantive areas of law, such as criminal, environmental, and family law, are introduced. Students are provided with opportunities to become acquainted with the varieties of behavior that society chooses to control or regulate, the methods and institutions used to achieve that control or regulation, and the approaches aimed specifically at altering unacceptable behavior. In addition, there is provision for students to use their increasing knowledge of the law, its procedures, and institutions to enhance their understanding of the social sciences. The course of study provides excellent preparation for law school and for graduate study in sociology, criminology, and criminal justice. Careers for students who terminate their University education at the baccalaureate level may be developed through placements in criminal justice and regulatory agencies, in organizations determining public policy, and in programs that deliver services to people who have difficulties with some aspect of the legal system. Students are strongly encouraged to select electives in a variety of departments. Courses in areas such as Psychology, Sociology, Economics, and Political Science can provide a further context for the understanding of crime, law, and criminal justice, while courses in areas such as art history, theater, and music can enhance the quality of the student's entire life. Field study placements are available in police departments, public defenders' offices, probation and parole agencies, the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the State juvenile detention system, the Orange County Victim/Witness Assistance Program, juvenile shelters, legislative offices, and in private legal firms. - From the 2007-2008 UCI General Catalogue |
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