Criminology, Bachelor of Arts (627)
Program Coordinator
James W. Kanan, james.kanan@wku.edu, (270) 745-2404
Department Email: criminology@wku.edu
As a scientific discipline, Criminology emerged from the field of Sociology. Core sociological concepts inform explanations of crime and society’s response to it. WKU’s Bachelor’s program in Criminology provides students with the opportunity to understand the theoretical principles which guide practical solutions to issues associated with offending, victimization, and interactions with the Criminal Justice System. Compared with traditional criminal justice programs, Criminology has a strong interdisciplinary focus. Our program continues this tradition by studying crime through a societal lens as we examine theoretical explanations, policy developments, and the broader implications of solutions on the health and well-being of communities and society.
Program Requirements (34 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The major in criminology requires a minimum of 34 credit hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Students majoring in criminology must select a minor, certificate, or second major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| CRIM 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIM 330 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRIM 332 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| CRIM 380 | Penology | 3 |
| CRIM 499 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
| SOCL 300 | Using Statistics in Sociology | 3 |
| SOCL 302 | Social Research Methods | 3 |
| SOCL 309 | Social Deviance | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select four of the following courses: | 12 | |
| Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Forensic Chemistry | ||
| Forensic Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Crime Mapping | ||
| Introduction to Law Enforcement | ||
| Alternatives to Confinement | ||
| Crime and Popular Culture | ||
| Victimology & Victim Advocacy | ||
| Special Topics in Criminology | ||
| Race, Class, and Crime | ||
| Comparative Systems of Juvenile Justice | ||
| Sociology of Criminal Law | ||
| Organized Crime | ||
| The Death Penalty in America | ||
| Internship in Criminology | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Life-Course Criminology | ||
| International Justice and Crime | ||
| White-Collar Crime | ||
| Homicide and Serial Homicide | ||
| Criminology Study Abroad | ||
| Directed Study in Criminology | ||
| Directed Study in Criminology | ||
| American Legal History to 1865 | ||
| American Legal History Since 1865 | ||
| Drug Abuse | ||
| Drug Abuse Education | ||
| Illicit Drug Policy in the Us | ||
| Introduction to Law | ||
| Judicial Process | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Criminal Justice Procedures | ||
| Political Terrorism | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Psychological Aspects of Alcoholism | ||
| Psychology and Law | ||
| Sexuality and Society | ||
| Stigma and Society | ||
| Family Violence | ||
| Services for Juvenile Offenders and Their Families | ||
| Total Hours | 34 | |
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| CRIM 101 | 3 | Any CRIM 200-level course | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science w/lab | 3 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| MATH 109 (or higher) | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| Language course (if needed) or 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | Colonnade: Arts & Humanities (Recommend FLK 276) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 300 or COMM 200 | 3 | SOCL 300 | 3 |
| SOCL 302 | 3 | SOCL 309 | 3 |
| CRIM 330 | 3 | Colonnade: Connections2 | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections1 | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CRIM 332 | 3 | CRIM 380 | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | Any CRIM Elective | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections3 | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Any CRIM Elective | 3 | CRIM 439 | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | CRIM 499 | 1 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 121 | |||