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Department of Criminology

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
Criminology Major

A grade of C or higher is required for all courses to be counted toward the major (excluding CR/NC classes).

Criminology - Corrections Option Major requirements (53 units)
Lower-division requirements: (see advising note 1): CRIM 1 (see advising note 9), 2, 20, 50 (10 units)
Upper-division core (see advising note 2): CRIM 100, 102, 109, 112, 170 (see advising note 6), 174 (18 units)
Upper-division requirements: CRIM 119, 131, 133, 134, 135, 141, 181 or 181H (19 units)
Electives (6 units)
CRIM 175, 176, 177; PAX 100; PHIL 121; CRIM 113, 120; CRIM/WS 126; CRIM 136T, 137, 139, 140, 153, 160T, 190/192

Criminology - Forensic Behavioral Sciences Option Major (50 units)
Lower-division requirements: CRIM 1 (see footnote 1 below), 2 (see footnote 1 below), 20 (see footnote 1 below), 50 (see footnotes 1 and 2 below) (10 units)
Upper-division core: CRIM 100 (see footnote 1 below), 153, 170 (see footnote 1 below) or PSYCH 144 (9 units)
Upper-division requirements: CRIM 113, 117, 118, 154, 155; PSYCH 126 (18 units)
Electives Clusters: (13 units)
--- General electives: select at least two courses from CRIM 114, 120, 127, 131, 134, 141, 160T, 175; ANTH 138T; LING 149
--- Psychology electives: select at least two courses from PSYCH 128, 149, 156, 160T (Psychopathology); PSYCH 160T (other special topics)

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1 These courses are also required for the other three options in the criminology major.

2 This requirement may also be met by completing PSYCH 42, PH 92, MATH 11, DS 73, or any equivalent statistics course from another university or community college.

Criminology - Law Enforcement Option Major (49 units)
Lower-division requirements: (see advising note 1): CRIM 1 (see advising note 9), 2, 20, 50 (10 units)
Upper-division core (see advising note 2): CRIM 100, 102, 109, 112, 170 (see advising note 6), 174 (18 units)
Upper-division requirements: CRIM 108, 113, 117, 127, or 180 or 180H (12 units)
Electives: CRIM 114, 120; CRIM/WS 126; CRIM 131, 133, 134, 135, 136T, 137, 139, 140, 141, 153, 154, 155, 160T, 175, 176, 177, 190/192; AFRS 146; CLAS 116; PAX 100; PHIL 121 (9 units)

Criminology - Victimology Option Major (52 units)
Lower-division requirements: (see advising note 1): CRIM 1 (see advising note 9), 2, 20, 50 (10 units)
Upper-division core (see advising note 2): CRIM 100, 109, 112, 150, 170 (see advising note 6), 174 (18 units)
Upper-division requirements: CRIM 140, 173, 175, 176, 177, 182 or 182H (18 units)
Elective Clusters (6 units)
Select one course from one cluster
--- Criminology electives: CRIM 120, 133, 134, 135, 141, 152, 153, 190/192
--- PAX electives: PAX 100; AFRS 146; 116; CRIM/WS 126; PHIL 121

General Education requirements (51 units)

Electives and remaining degree requirements (16-20 units)
(see Degree Requirements); may be used toward a double major or minor

Total (120 units)

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Advising Notes

1. Lower-division courses should be taken before upper-division courses.
2. Upper-division core should be taken prior to upper-division electives.
3. Department policy requires that students should see their advisers prior to registration each semester.
4. No General Education Integration or Multicultural/International course offered by the Department of Criminology may be used to satisfy the General Education requirements for criminology majors.
5. CR/NC grading is not permitted in the major with the exceptions of CRIM 1, 108, 131, 180, 180H, 181, 181H, 182, 182H, and 281.
6. CRIM 170 should be taken the junior year.
7. Any course that meets the upper-division writing skills requirement cannot be applied to the major requirements.
8. General Education and elective units may be used toward a double major or minor (see double major or departmental minor). Consult the appropriate department chair, pro gram coordinator, or faculty adviser for further information.
9. Freshmen and transfer students majoring in criminology must take CRIM 1 during their first semester.

Criminology Minor

CRIM 2, 20, 100 (9 units)
Upper-division CRIM electives (12 units)
Total (21 units)

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CRIM 100, 120, and 153 may still be used to meet requirements for both General Education and the minor, for catalogs prior to the 1999-2000 General Catalog.

Note: The Criminology Minor also requires a 2.0 GPA and 6 upper-division units in residence.

This interdisciplinary minor is open to students in any academic discipline or chosen profession.

Honors Program

The Department of Criminology Honors Program has several major components that are completed over the course of two years. Students will annually (during the fall semester) participate in an honors core course. They will take two of the following: CRIM 100H, 102H, and 170H. These courses are designed to provide advanced study of research, theory, and administration in criminology. In addition, students will annually (during the spring semester) participate in an honors seminar (CRIM 160H) that explores specialized areas, new developments, and syntheses of criminological processes and theory. During the senior year, members of the honors program will participate in a honors internship, which will be specialized to their degree concentration (law enforcement, corrections, or victimology.)

The program provides highly qualified advanced students with the opportunity to sharpen their analytical abilities and expand their knowledge of criminology. Minimum criteria for application to the program include second semester sophomore standing, GPA of at least 3.25 prior to enrollment, GPA of 3.4 for each semester after enrollment, letters of recommendation, and acceptance by the Honors Committee. Applications are accepted in the spring semester for the following academic year. Successful students will graduate with a B.S. in Criminology with Honors Distinction, an inscribed Smittcamp bronze medallion awarded at graduation, and special recognition at convocation and commencement.

Graduate Education

A note about graduate education: Students considering careers in research should consult with their advisor regarding additional coursework to prepare for graduate schools in the social sciences. Such courses may include supplemental work in research methods, statistics and other forms of analysis; they may also be offered inter-departmentally. Students are also encouraged to consider developing a research-based independent study in consultation with faculty members.

 

Master of Science Degree Requirements

Under the direction of a graduate adviser, each student prepares and submits a coherent program individually designed within the framework that follows.

Core (15 units)
CRIM 200, 201, 202, 203, 204

Electives (12 units)
Select criminology or related areas 200-series (under special circumstances a maximum of 6 upper-division units may be allowed)

Culminating experience (3 units)
Thesis or Project: 298 or 299 (3 units) or Comprehensive Exam and CRIM 295 (3 units).

Total (30 units)

Graduate-Level Writing Competence. The university requires that students have graduate-level writing abilities before being advanced to candidacy for the master's degree. The Graduate Writing Skills requirement for the graduate program in criminology is met by passing the writing component of CRIM 200. Please see the program's Graduate Writing Requirement Policy for more information.

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Advising Notes

1. Each student must see the graduate coordinator each semester prior to registering.
2. All students must complete required core courses as a condition of advancement to candidacy.
3. All students must meet the graduate writing requirement. See the program coordinator for details.
   
   (See also Admission to Graduate Standing, Advancement to Candidacy, Program Requirements, Foreign Language Requirements, and Criteria for Thesis and Project.)

Victim Services Certificate

The Department of Criminology and the Kremen School of Education and Human Development jointly offer the Victim Services Certificate. The purpose of this program is to provide appropriate educational experiences for matriculating students and practitioners. The certificate provides the opportunity for developing knowledge and skills necessary for individuals working with crime victims.

Program Prerequisites. (1) completion of 60 units of undergraduate coursework, and (2) completion of one general course in psychology, sociology, anthropology, health science, or child and family studies.

Program Requirements. A minimum of 12 units is required; three units must be taken in each of the four areas:

1. Theory (3 units)
CRIM 175

2. Victim Issues (3 units)#anchorehd107
CRIM 140; WS 108, 109, 116; EHD 107

3. Service Delivery (3 units)
CRIM 176; SWRK 128

4. Legal/Social Policy (3 units)
CRIM 177; CRIM/WS 126

In addition, 3 units field experience (CRIM 182) is available. For additional information or advising, contact the Department of Criminology.

Note: All courses in the Victim Services Certificate Program must be taken for letter grade only.

Criminal Justice Counseling Specialist
Certificate of Advanced Study

Individuals who are fully classified and advanced to candidacy in (or graduates of) the Master of Science in Criminology may elect to take courses leading to the Criminal Justice Counseling Specialist Certificate of Advanced Study. The certificate program is co-sponsored by the Department of Criminology and the Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation. It is designed to enhance professional skills for counseling service within the criminal justice system.

In addition to coursework required for the Master of Science in Criminology, students seeking the Criminal Justice Counseling Specialist Certificate of Advanced Study are required to take a total of 16 units in Counseling (in addition to prerequisite COUN 174/PSYCH 174 or equivalent), six of which may be used as electives in the Master of Science in Criminology. The certificate courses are COUN 176, 200, 208, 232, and 239. The required certificate courses for the M.S. in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy option, and Rehabilitation Counseling option students include CRIM 153, 201, 203, and 281 with CRIM 100 as a prerequisite. (Please note: Counseling students must meet with a criminology adviser a semester prior to enrolling in CRIM 281.)

Homeland Security
Certificate of Advanced Study

The Department of Criminology and Division of Continuing and Global Education offer the Certificate of Advanced Study in Homeland Security. The primary objective of the program is the development of scientific and technical knowledge and research skills in this growing field of academic study. A secondary program objective is the preparation of graduate students for future professional careers and advanced education programs in Homeland Security and related doctoral programs. The Department of Criminology seeks to prepare administrative operational specialists, and policy analysts with a firm background in the role of government in protecting society; the strategy and assumptions driving homeland security policy; and related important principles of preventing, responding, mitigating and recovering from natural or human threats and hazards. In addition, the department also seeks to answer the important questions of balancing civil liberties and the protection of Constitutional rights within our liberal democracy with the needs of national security and homeland defense.

The Certificate of Advanced Study in Homeland Security is a multidisciplinary program designed to give students an understanding of the depth and complexity of this critical field. This 12-unit (four-course) graduate certificate program engages students who are seeking homeland security positions throughout federal, state, and local governments. These courses will help balance the perspective of first responders, middle-level supervisors, and executive managers and policy makers on the inherent challenges of societal protection from natural and human caused disasters. Up to three units of related homeland security courses may count. toward the completion of the certificate program based on individual evaluation by the program director.

Program Prerequisites. Admission is open to students with a bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited university.

Program Requirements. A student must. complete the four course sequence including CRIM 216 (the core course), CRIM 217, CRIM 218, and CRIM 219 for a total of 12 units (four courses) as offered in the Homeland Security Program.

CRIM 216 - Essentials of Homeland Security (3 units)
CRIM 217 - Radical Ideologies (3 units)
CRIM 218 - Intelligence Theory (3 units)
CRIM 219 - Border and Homeland Security (3 units)

Certificate in Alcohol/Drug Studies

The Department of Criminology participates in a certificate of special study awarded to those students who successfully complete a minimum of 12 units of interdisciplinary academic coursework in the area of alcohol and drug abuse. (For complete details, see Health and Social Work Interdisciplinary Courses in this catalog.)

 

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