One of the greatest social needs today si public safety and security. The increased complexity and diversity of contemporary society, its technological development and legal evolution, and its interdependence with other societies necessitate that those we entrust with our public safety be well-educated.

In today's world, criminologists working in criminal justice must have excellent communications skills; critical thinking and problem-solving abilities; sensitivity to those of different racial, cultural, socioeconomic, and gender groups; the ability to speak a foreign language; and computer literacy.

It is also important for those working in criminal justice fields to have a good understanding of the operation of various components of the criminal justice system, the social causes and consequences of crime and victimization, and the role of social policy in shaping our society's response to and control of criminal behavior.

Admission to the Program

Admission to the BS program in Criminology and Criminal Justice is selective. Applications for admission are reviewed only once each year, usually on or about March 1. Students must apply by the end of February by submitting their names to the University College advisor for sociology or the the Chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

To be considered for admission to the Criminology and Criminal Justice BS program, students must have earned a minimum of 45 credits, including Soc 100, Soc 230, and Soc 274 by the application deadline. Additionally, students must have earned an overall quality point average of 2.5 (pending approval by the Faculty Senate).

Program of Study

Students in the BS Criminology and Criminal Justice curriculum are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits in sociology. These credits include several required courses:

• Sociology 100 General Sociology. This is first course in the discipline and is designed to provide students with an introduction to sociological analysis and discourse.
• Sociology 230 Crime and Delinquency. Coursework will introduce students to the distribution, trends, and costs of crime and delinquency in the US with an emphasis on policy implications.
• .Sociology 274 The Criminal Justice System. This course provides and overview to the American system of criminal justice, including consideration of theories of criminal law.
• Sociology 301 Sociological Research Methods. This course is a sustained examination of sociological research techniques with an emphasis on critical reasoning and the evaluation of sociological research.
• Sociology 370 Theories of Crime and Delinquency. Sociological and psychological theories of crime are the focal points of this course. Students will also have the opportunity to evaluate competing explanations of criminal behavior.
• Sociology 476 Policy Issues in Criminal Justice. As a capstone course, tthis seminar focuses policy issues in the area of criminal justice, including capital punishment, gun control, legalization of drugs, mandatory sentencing, and restorative justice.

In addition to these required courses, students are required to select at at least two courses that focus on issues of inequality. These courses include:

• Sociology 240 Minority and Majority Relations
• Sociology 242 Sex and Gender
• Sociology 336 Social Inequality
• Sociology 413 Gender Inequality
• Sociology 428 Institutional Racism
• Sociology 452 Class and Power

Students in the BS Crimininology and Criminal Justice curriculum must also complete four courses from the following list :

• Soc 330 Police in Democratic Societies
• Soc 331 Punishment and Corrections
• Soc 3xx Gender, Crime, and Justice (course number to assigned Spring 2007)
• Soc 420 Family Violence
• Soc 497 Field Experience in Sociology