Law, Criminal Justice, & Society Minor

Current Pitt students interested in a CGS minor in Law, Criminal Justice, & Society (LCJS), should apply directly with the College of General Studies. If you are a CGS student interested in adding this minor, please contact your CGS advisor.

Our 15-credit minor in LCJS is structured so that you can emphasize law-oriented courses or those more squarely focused on criminal justice. Whichever pathway you choose, you will complete a foundations course that situates law and criminal justice in a broader social and historical context.

Minor Requirements

In order to complete the minor, you will take 15 LCJS credits (five courses), as outlined below.

  • At least three courses must be from the University of Pittsburgh.
  • A 2.0 average GPA is required.
  • Courses used for a minor cannot overlap with courses used for a major, minor, or a certificate.
  • To be eligible for the LCJS internship, you must have completed all 9 non-elective credits in the LCJS minor. Students may apply up to 3 credits of LCJS 1900 to the LCJS minor.

Foundations: (3 Credits)

Complete one of these two LCJS courses:

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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web

Theories of Crime or Criminal Law: (3 Credits)

Complete one of the following four courses:

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Format: Web
  • LCJS 1120 - CRIME PREVENTION
Note: Available as of Fall 2024.
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web

 

Criminal Justice or Legal Institutions: (3 Credits)

Complete one of these five courses:

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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web

LCJS Electives: (6 credits)

Complete two additional electives with an LCJS subject code. Please keep in mind that course selections must comprise a total of at least six credits.These courses can come from the lists above if not used to fulfill a specific area requirement and/or from the following list:

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Format: Hybrid
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
  • LCJS 1505 - CRIMINALISTICS 2
Note: Available as of Spring 2025.
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: Web
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  • LCJS 1561 - JUVENILE DELINQUENCY or:
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Note: cross-listed with PUBSRV 1425
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Format: F2F and Web
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Format: Synchronous
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Format: Hybrid
Note: In order to be eligible for the Preservice Internship (LCJS 1900), students must have completed all 9 non-elective credits for the LCJS minor prior to the start of the internship. This includes Foundations (3 credits), Theories of Crime or Criminal Law (3 credits), and Criminal Justice or Legal Institutions (3 credits).

Program Planning Checklist

Download our handy LCJS minor checklist (PDF) to plan and track your progress in the program.

Questions

Wesley Hiers, PhD
Director, Administration of Justice, Legal Studies, and LCJS
2203 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
University of Pittsburgh
Email: wjh16@pitt.edu