2024-25 Edition

Social Ecology, Minor

The minor in Social Ecology embraces the unique and interdisciplinary spirit of the School of Social Ecology. Students take courses from all three of the school's departments:  Criminology, Law & Society, Psychological Science, and Urban Planning and Public Policy. Students graduate with a well-rounded understanding of how these disciplines intersect and inform an understanding of social, psychological, environmental, and legal problems. Students also learn how research can address these problems with the intent of finding solutions.

Learning objectives for this minor include:

1. Develop an understanding, both theoretical and empirical, of social, psychological, environmental, and legal problems and the settings in which they occur, ranging from the interpersonal to the societal/global.

2. Develop the ability to examine these problems through the application of social scientific and naturalistic research methods.

3. Develop an awareness of the challenges inherent in translating research findings to inform policies and practices to mitigate these problems.

            4. Develop skills and knowledge in preparation for the needs of today’s workplace.

A. Three lower-division courses (12 units)
CRM/LAW C7 Introduction to Criminology, Law and Society
UPPP 8 Introduction to Environmental Analysis and Design
or UPPP 4 Introduction to Urban Studies
Select one of the following courses:
Introduction to Psychology
Psychology Fundamentals
Psychology Fundamentals
B. Six upper-division courses (24 units):
Three courses (12 units). One upper-division course (numbered 100-196) selected from each of the three departments-Criminology, Law and Society; Urban Planning and Public Policy; and Psychological Science.
Three additional courses (12 units). Selected from Social Ecology or the departments of Criminology, Law, and Society; Urban Planning and Public Policy; and Psychological Science. Course prerequisites established by the individual departments must be satisfied.
NOTE: Students pursuing a major in the School of Social Ecology may not use upper-division coursework for both school major or minor requirements. No overlap is permitted. SOCECOL 198 and SOCECOL 199 may not be applied toward the minor.