Criminology

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Criminology
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Contact

Ken Courtney
kcourtney1@une.edu

Mission

The Criminology Program will provide a deeply contextualized understanding of crime, law, justice and punishment; facilitate the development of critical competencies including, critical reading, writing, and analysis within the study of criminology; enable the focused study of how crime and the law shape the worlds in which we live; and afford opportunities for experiential learning via student research and professional experiences.

Major Description

Criminology focuses on the study of crimes, criminals, crime victims, theories explaining illegal and deviant behavior, the social reaction to crime and criminals, the effectiveness of anti-crime policies and the broader political terrain of social control. Criminology programs are interdisciplinary, but ordinarily borrow much from sociology as well as other social sciences and humanities disciplines. Criminology programs are thus grounded in the liberal arts, and provide a rigorous engagement with crime and the institutions that are created to contend with it. The professional profile of instructors in criminology is generally an academic background and a terminal degree in criminology or a related field.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core RequirementsCredits
Total42–46
Required CoursesCredits
SOC 170 – Deviance and Crime3
PSC 125 – Understanding Law: An Introduction or PSC 210 – Constitutional Law3
CRL 205 – The Criminal Justice System3
SOC 311 – Theories of Race and Racism3
SOC 345 – Crime, Media, and Culture3
SOC 270 – Classical Social Theory or SOC 280 – Contemporary Social Theory3
SOC 268 – Practice of Social Science Research3
SOC 370 – Applied Field Method in Sociology3
SOC 300 – Sociology Internship or PSY 300 – Psychology Internship3–15
SOC 494 – Cap Exp: Thesis3–16
Four (4) Criminology elective courses12
Minimum Required Major Credits42
Open Elective Courses (needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Required Total Credits120

Elective Course Options

Criminology Elective Course OptionsCredits
ANT 312 – Human Trafficking3
HIS 266 – History of Drugs in the Americas3
PSC 241 – Human Rights in World Politics3
PSC 278 – Pol Sci Human Trad II3
PSC 330 – Theories of Politics and War3
PSY 205 – Abnormal Psychology3
PSY 236 – Mental Health & Society3
PSY 370 – Drugs, Society, and Behavior3
SOC 333 – Sociology of Law3
SOC 350 – Deviance3
SOC 421 – A Just Society?3

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology program students will be able to:

  • Distinguish the differing agencies associated with the social control of criminal, regulatory, and international law violations.
  • Summarize and differentiate the major theories of crime and criminalization.
  • Recognize, theoretically and empirically, structural inequalities and their relation to crime and social control.
  • Use criminological methods, or investigative techniques, to assess patterns of crime, criminalization, and victimization.

Transfer Credit

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Financial Information

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2023–2024 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication April 28, 2023.

The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.