Criminology examines the making of laws, the nature and extent of crime and criminality, and efforts to control crime. The criminology program provides students with a strong foundation in sociological theory and research to foster a comprehensive and contextual understanding of crime and justice in society and the capacity to think critically and creatively about what does and doesn’t work in current crime control efforts. The organizations and institutions developed to respond to crime, including all the sub-components of the criminal justice system, will be examined along with the related concepts of law and justice. Courses focus on the social construction or definitions of crime, the causes of crime and delinquency, and on the origin, nature, and consequences of societal reactions to criminal offending, including practices in both public and private justice agencies. Students pursuing careers in traditional criminal justice fields, such as policing, probation & parole, corrections and reintegration, will develop a strong foundation to work and effect social change in these fields. Criminology majors interested in careers in legal advocacy, victim assistance, community activism and social research will develop the skills and knowledge enabling them to become transformational leaders in their profession.

The criminology curriculum emphasizes the importance of research-based knowledge, theoretically informed practice, critical analysis and ethical decision-making. Students are strongly encouraged to engage in experiential learning through courses, including our field experience class with placements in criminal justice, juvenile justice, victim services, and community-based agencies. 

The criminology major prepares students for careers in the adult and juvenile justice systems – including law enforcement and criminal investigation, the courts, probation and parole, corrections, non-profit community based agencies, and victim services – or for graduate and professional programs in criminology, criminal justice, sociology, law, or legal and justice studies.

A criminology major leads to either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.

For a BA degree, criminology majors must complete all the major degree requirements. In addition, students must complete the world language requirement as specified in the Academic Policies section of the University Catalog. This requirement includes completion of the second level of a world language or completion of WL 100 Intro to Comparative Linguistics (3 c.h.) and ANTH 106 Language, Thought and Culture (3 c.h.)/ENG 106 Language, Thought and Culture (3 c.h.), or completion of the second level of American Sign Language.

Student Learning Outcomes

The student learning outcomes apply for both the BS and BA degrees in Criminology.

Upon completion of the criminology major, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. A comprehension of and the ability to critically assess and compare the major criminological theoretical perspectives.
2. An ability to understand, interpret, and apply various research methodologies in the field of criminology 
3. An ability to apply criminological theories and methods to substantive issues and in order to understand social problems and inform crime-related social policy.
4. An ability to engage in critical thinking about various aspects of social life and organization, including crime and criminal justice institutions.

Specific Program Requirements

• Note: Criminology majors are required to take SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (GT-SS3) (3 c.h.) as one of their general education social science (SS) requirements.
• Completion of 36 credit hours of criminology coursework is required for the major. All criminology majors will work with a faculty advisor who will assist in the selection of courses to complete academic requirements.
• A minimum grade of C is required in all courses counting toward the criminology major.

Criminology Electives

A total of 27 credit hours of criminology electives are required for the major, including a minimum of 18 credit hours of upper-division electives. Electives accepted toward the major can include a maximum of 6.0 credit hours of anthropology and/or sociology. These courses must be approved by a criminology faculty advisor.

Planning Sheet

Disclaimer: The Planning Sheet is designed as a guide for student's planning their course selections. The information on this page provides only a suggested schedule. Actual course selections should be made with the advice and consent of an academic advisor. While accurately portraying the information contained in the college catalog, this form is not considered a legal substitute for that document. Students should become familiar with the catalog in effect at the time in which they entered the institution.