A major in criminology requires the completion of 36 credit hours of criminology courses. Four courses with three credit hours each are required for all students. Students take Survey of the Criminal Justice System, Theories of Criminal Behavior and Research Methods in Criminal Justice I. During their senior year, students take Seminar in Criminology.
The remaining 24 credit hours required for the major are elective courses. A variety of courses are available including Patterns of Criminal Behavior, Correctional Law, Critical Issues in Policing, Criminal Investigation, Private Security Systems and Abnormal Behavior and Criminality. Elective credits also are available including up to three credits for internships during the senior year, and one to three credits for Directed Reading or Directed Research.
The Criminology Honors Program allows students to enhance their degree with a research or thesis project. Students apply for the Honors Program during their junior year and must have at least a 3.0 GPA with two letters of recommendation to be considered. Students who are participating in the Honors Program are also required to take three additional courses: Honors Seminar, Honors Thesis and Directed Research. Students must conduct research, compose a report and present it to the Institutional Review Board to complete the Honors Program.