Undergraduate criminology degree programs, whether bachelor of arts or bachelor of science programs, require approximately 60 credit hours of general education courses in liberal arts and sciences disciplines, including English, biology, chemistry, psychology, sociology, history, mathematics (typically algebra), economics, statistics and humanities electives. In addition, many programs require the completion of a foreign language sequence, with Spanish being the primary recommendation for criminology students.
Criminology degree programs require that students successfully complete a core selection of specialized major courses. Most programs require students complete between 40 and 60 credit hours in corrections, criminology principles, law enforcement, criminal court proceedings, victimology, juvenile justice, police practices, public policy and criminal investigative techniques. To remain in good standing, criminology majors must maintain at least a C average in major courses.
Many criminology programs require that students complete an internship at a local participating law enforcement agency, corrections agency or municipal court. Internships are completed in conjunction with an internship course, and students are evaluated by the professionals supervising their internship and course instructors who evaluate a student's progress via supervisory reports and student-generated papers and projects.