Useful Minors to Pair with a CJ Major
Before declaring a Minor, students are strongly encouraged to search Minor requirements in the UTEP catalog. In the search box at the top of the catalog, type in "Minor in {name of the minor}" Any minor below can be selected.
College of Liberal Arts:
African American Studies
Emphasizes knowledge and self-awareness with respect to race and ethnicity and the Black experience. Program provides a humanistic lens and course of study on African American history and culture in Texas, the nation and the Diaspora.
Chicano Studies
Interdisciplinary and social justice-relevant curriculum embraces local, national, and global frameworks to address race, class, and gender paradigms that shaped the experiences of Latinas and Latinos in the United States.
English: Rhetoric & Writing
Since all criminal justice jobs involve report writing, the Minor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies helps students become proficient writers in preparation for graduate school or the workplace. Students learn to write a variety of essays, research reports, technical documents, and multimedia projects.
Intelligence and National Security Studies
INSS is for students seeking careers in the U.S. Intelligence Community and private companies employing a variety of security services.
North American Studies
The North American Studies Program educates students in the politics, economics, and societies of Canada, Mexico, and the United States with the primary goals of understanding and explaining interactions in the areas of security, migration, and development. Students will also develop an understanding of the prospects for further continental integration.
Languages/Linguistics: Translation
Translation in particular is a useful skill in any criminal justice career, to include oral or text analysis of court or legal documents, resource materials, and parallel texts.
Legal Reasoning
Good for students interested in law school. An examination of the method of reasoning about legal problems, which arose out of the common law tradition. A core area of the common law (torts, criminal law, contracts or property) will be explored in the depth through the reading and analysis of case law.
Political Science: General or Public Admin and Service
Useful for students interested in working for the government and nonprofit organizations. Students understand how to analyze and interpret political phenomena in the region, or across the U.S. political system.
Psychology
Useful for a better understanding of why individuals think and behave as they do, and an appreciation of causes and treatment of mental illness and other mental disorders.
Sociology
Examines group behavior and the social and cultural processes that underlie it, with an emphasis on migration around the U.S.-Mexico border.
College of Science:
Biology
Biologists utilize scientific methodology and analyses to investigate evidence such as human, animal or plant remains, DNA traces, physical material like clothing fibers, and other material that can be helpful to legal investigations. Strongly recommended for students seeking careers in forensics
Chemistry
Chemists analyze non-biological trace evidence found at crime scenes in order to identify unknown materials and match samples to known substances. They also analyze drugs/controlled substances taken from scenes and people in order to identify and quantify through toxicology reports. Strongly recommended for students seeking careers in forensics
College of Business:
Accounting
Accounting minor may be useful for students interested in pursuing work in forensic accounting
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is for someone interested in owning their own business.
General Business or Management
A general business or management minor is useful in any job or in any agency that requires managing or supervising other people.
College of Health Sciences:
Health Promotion
Prepares students to work in settings such as public health agencies, community based organizations, hospitals and other medical facilities, and wellness centers.