ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE MINOR
new Minor with a Major Impact
Answering the call for justice.
Spurred by our current sociopolitical climate, but years in the making, this cross-discipline criminal justice minor is accepting students in fall 2021. This minor is administered by the Public Administration program within the Public and Environmental Affairs unit and is available to students majoring in any discipline at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Empowering You to Make Effective Change
Courses are primarily in-person, with some hybrid and online. All are from a variety of disciplines.
Current
This contemporary minor is especially poised to take on issues in the criminal justice system and grow empathy and understanding.
Cross-Field
Customize your degree to your future career interests. Whether it's public policy, sociology, or psychology, this minor complements your larger area of study.
Relevant
Most professions interact with criminal justice system in some capacity. Make yourself more marketable by adding this minor to your résumé.
Let's Solve this Together
Multi-faceted problems need multi-perspective solutions.
Although the criminal justice minor is housed in Public and Environmental Affairs and attached to the Public Administration major, its courses span across multiple disciplines. Course requirements draw from a variety of programs at UW-Green Bay — like Sociology, Public Administration, Political Science, Democracy and Justice Studies and Philosophy. This interdisciplinary approach to exploring criminal justice is by design. Also, expect to see community guest speakers from various roles in the system—like judges, lawyers, victim advocates, police officers, and juvenile justice workers—to share their unique practical experiences and perspectives.
Careers in Criminal Justice
The minor for Criminal Justice is designed for students seeking careers in human services and public and nonprofit administration such as:
- Law enforcement
- Corrections
- Pre-law
- Probation officers
- Parole officers
- Victim advocacy
- Court services
- Crime prevention
Diversity, Inclusion
Taking a critical eye to issues of equity.
A majority of the coursework will engage students in issues of equity and inclusion within the criminal justice system. While they're not explicitly categorized as “ethnic studies,” one cannot approach the study of crime and justice without consideration of how various groups within the social structure are impacted by policy and practice. Lower-level courses are, in large part, aimed at highlighting issues of privilege and power within the system. Many upper electives highlight more specifically the differential experiences of offenders and victims by race, ethnicity, class, gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, and the intersections of such, within the criminal justice system.
Time to Degree
Less Than 2 Semesters
A full-time student who declares a Criminal Justice minor will be able to complete it in less than two semesters. If the student also has majors or minors in Political Science, Public Administration, or Sociology, for example, the path to the degree would be even more efficient, as courses would “double-count” across programs.
It Takes Community
Community collaboration and civic engagement are priorities in the criminal justice minor. We must engage with key community members involved in the criminal justice system so that we develop empathy and understanding of our current situation and improve the flaws in our system. That means bringing in traditional criminal justice professionals as well as organizations that are often not considered when we think criminal justice.
- boys & girls clubs
- drug treatment facilities
- health & human services agencies
- victim services
- safe houses
- police investigators
- corrections officers
- lawyers
- judges
- K-9 units
- MEG units
- patrol officers
- court administrators
Related Majors
Looking for a related major?
The Criminal Justice minor is available to students majoring in any discipline at UW-Green Bay. Below is a list of majors that would complement this minor well.
We're here to Help
For more information on UW-Green Bay’s Criminal Justice minor, how to get started or any other needs, please contact us.