School of Arts & Humanities · Minor
Ethics and Society Minor
Bring ethical thinking to real social problems.
Interested in the big questions behind today’s social issues? The ethics and society minor pairs philosophy and religion with courses about how society works, so you can apply ethical thinking to real problems.
18
credit hours
On campus
format
C or higher
in every minor course
Any major
in another discipline
Is this for me?
This minor may be a great fit if you want to…
- Think through questions of right and wrong that matter today.
- Understand how religious and philosophical worldviews shape societies.
- Bring ethical reasoning to fields like criminal justice, psychology, and economics.
Not sure yet? Talk with the Dean →
What you’ll study
How your hours are built
- Ethics from philosophical and religious traditions
- Philosophical argument and analysis
- How society works, and how to respond to its problems
How a minor works
Three things to know
A minor is optional, and it’s a simple way to add a second area of expertise to your degree.
01
Pair it with your major
Choose a minor in a different discipline from your major. When you finish, it’s recorded on your transcript.
02
Plan with your advisor
Map out your courses with your advisor. Up to 12 hours can also count toward general education or your major, with no more than 6 from either.
03
Finish with a C or better
Earn a C or higher in every course for the minor. Pass/fail grades don’t count.
The curriculum
18 credit hours in four parts
Take one ethics course, one worldview course, and one public-life course, then choose three courses about society.
Ethics core: choose 1 (3 credit hours)
- PHIL 125 Ethics and Contemporary Moral Issues
- RELN 150 Comparative Religious Ethics
Worldviews: choose 1 (3 credit hours)
- PHIL 100 Introduction to Philosophy
- RELN 100 Introduction to World Religions
- RELN 215 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Dialogue
Ethical issues in public life: choose 1 (3 credit hours)
- PHIL 150 Biomedical Ethics
- PHIL 315 Ethical Issues in Public Life
Thinking about society: choose 3 (9 credit hours)
- CRMJ 115 Criminal Law and the Constitution
- CRMJ 205 Juvenile Justice
- CRMJ 220 Corrections and Community Supervision
- CRMJ 305 Minorities and Criminal Justice
- CRMJ 307 Minorities and Women in Criminal Justice
- CRMJ 330 Criminology
- CRMJ 380 Sexual Offenses and Sexual Offenders
- CRMJ 385 Victimology
- ECON 435 Development of Economic Thought
- ECON 450 Public Policy and Finance
- ECON 455 The Global Marketplace
- HIST 355 African-American History
- HIST 412 American Constitutional History
- HIST 420 Intellectual History
- MASC 150 Introduction to Media & Culture
- POLS 215 International and Current Problems
- POLS 300 Contemporary Social and Political Theory
- POLS 350 Politics in the Third World
- POLS 420 Political Sociology
- PSYC 331 Social Psychology
- PSYC 341 Human Sexuality
- PSYC 342 Health Psychology
- SOCL 100 Introduction to Sociology
- SOCL 232 Marriage and the Family
- SOCL 320 Urban Sociology
- SOCL 450 Sociology of Health and Medical Care
Honors College students
- HONR 490 can replace PHIL 125 or RELN 150
- HONR 390 can replace one “thinking about society” course
Talk with the Dean
Have questions about the courses or how the ethics and society minor fits with your major? Reach out. We’re happy to talk through your goals.
Ethics and Society Minor