Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start:
Location: Europe, Denmark
GPA: 2.5

Criminal Justice in the US and Scandinavia

Program Overview

The Criminal Justice in the U.S. and Scandinavia study abroad program is a comparative criminal justice studies program where students will focus primarily on comparing criminal justice systems in the United States and Scandinavia.  The program will be based in Copenhagen with a one-week study tour to Sweden and/or Norway. Through two courses, students will learn about extreme differences in approaches to criminal justice.  A UO instructor will teach a course on the US system, known to incarcerate more of our citizens and racial minorities than any other country, in one of the most harsh and punitive systems in the world. A Danish professor will teach a course on the Scandinavian systems, which vary but are all based on humane, rehabilitative models that contrast sharply with the US approach to crime and punishment. The study trips are included in the base price of the study abroad program.

This course would fulfill academic goals for Sociology majors and minors, Criminology Minors, Political Science Majors, Legal Studies minors. as well as GSS majors with a concentration in Crime, Law and Society. 

Dates and Deadlines

Term Year Deadline Arrival Date Departure Date
Summer 2027 03/15/2027 07/04/2027 08/07/2027
Back to Top

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

Mass Incarceration in the US: Experiences Before, During, and After (4 UO credits)

Through ethnographic research, essays, memoir, and guest lectures we will examine mass incarceration and direct experiences of the criminal justice system in the United States. We will consider life circumstances and institutional inequality prior to incarceration, life inside, and finally we will look at the impact of incarceration on individuals and communities and by considering experiences of life upon release.

This course will provide students with theoretical and methodological tools to consider comparatively the systems of criminal justice in two contexts: the United States and Scandinavia.  We will examine systems that employ radically different approaches to questions of crime, punishment, and rehabilitation.  The Nordic system is one that is considered a model globally for its humane and rehabilitative approach, as well as for the better outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals. The US system is widely critiqued for its punitive approach, incarcerating a greater proportion of our population and our ethnic minorities than any other nation in overcrowded and generally terrible prison conditions, with poorer outcomes overall. The other two courses with which this one is paired will focus on the Scandinavian criminal justice system and global human trafficking.

Criminology & Criminal Justice in Scandinavia (5 UO credits)

‘Open prison’ – does that sound like a contradiction in terms? In Denmark, open prisons are a cornerstone of the prison system and ‘normalizing’ prison conditions are preferred in the Danish social context. In this course, you study crime, crime patterns, basic criminological theory, and criminal justice policy in Scandinavia. 

This course is for the student who is curious about the role of crime in society and the reasoning behind the liberal Scandinavian criminal justice system and / or the student who wants to better their analytical skills.

Students with a background in the social sciences, especially criminology, should by the end of term have widened their knowledge with a Scandinavian perspective. As there are no prerequisites for the course, students with a social science background will get the chance to delve deeper into issues through readings. The teacher will aim to bring together students with a background in the social sciences so that they get to discuss these readings with other students. 

Approved course equivalencies

Sociology: 400-level sociology elective (All courses)

Legal Studies minor: Campus Partner Elective requirement (All  courses)

Political Science: Criminology & Criminal Justice in Scandinavia approved for upper division Political Science credits

Criminology minor: 400-level elective (All  courses)

GSS Major-Crime, Law & Society Concentration: 400-level elective (All courses)

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Faculty and Staff

University of Oregon Professor Ellen Scott will teach 

TBD, DIS Instructor. 

Budget and Price

Global Education Oregon Logo

Criminal Justice in the US and Scandinavia

2025 Spring Quarter

GEO Program Fees
Description Amount
UO Study Abroad Fee* $500
Program Tuition, Housing, Included meals, Local Transportation ($) $16,940
Insurance $210
Estimated Additional Expenses
Description Amount
Estimated Airfare from Eugene $1,500
Estimated Additional Meals $1,500
Estimated Cell Phone Expenses $250
Estimated Travel Clinic & Pre-departure physical** $50
Estimated Cost of acquiring passport $150
Estimated Additional Living Expenses $800
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF PARTICIPATION (Program fees + estimated additional expenses) $21,900

Included in Program Costs: Program tuition, medical insurance, pre-departure orientation, housing, and on-site support.

* Non-UO Students: study abroad fees and application fees vary by campus; check with your home campus study abroad office.

Please visit GEO Billing Information for information about how you will be billed and when payments are due.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Date Cancellation Penalty
Upon acceptance to program

Student agrees to $500 non-refundable program deposit 
8 weeks before program start date

Student is responsible for 50% of total GEO program fees  
Program start date or after program begins

Student is responsible for 100% of total GEO program fees 
Note that scholarship funds are not able to be applied to program deposit.

IMPORTANT: The GEO Cancellation Policy is effective from the time a student agrees to pay their non-refundable program deposit or electronically signs the program commitment form, regardless of application or acceptance status. It is essential to read this policy before a potential cancellation takes place, to fully understand the withdrawal and cancellation penalties, and to understand what it means financially to commit to a study abroad program.

To view the program specific cancellation policy dates and penalties, click the term budget dropdown menu.

Students who cancel their participation must notify GEO in writing. Email is acceptable (geoinfo@uoregon.edu). Verbal notification to GEO or notification given to a non-UO campus study abroad office is not sufficient.

For full details, see the complete GEO Cancellation Policy.

View as PDF
Back to Top