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 (35 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 35 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 | 17 | |
| A grade of C or better is required in CRIM 330, SOCL 300, and SOCL 302. | ||
| Introduction to Criminal Justice | ||
| Criminology | ||
| College & Careers in Criminology & Sociology | ||
or SOCL 199 | College & Careers in Criminology & Sociology | |
| Social Statistics | ||
| Social Statistics Lab | ||
| Social Research Methods | ||
| Social Deviance | ||
| Restricted Electives: Correlates of Crime | 3 | |
| Select at least one of the following courses: | ||
| Juvenile Delinquency | ||
| Race, Class, and Crime | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Restricted Electives: Systems of Social Control | 3 | |
| Select at least one of the following courses | ||
| Criminal Courts and Sentencing | ||
| Issues in Policing | ||
| Punishment and Society | ||
| Comparative Systems of Juvenile Justice | ||
| Sociology of Criminal Law | ||
| Criminal Justice Procedures | ||
| Unrestricted Electives | 12 | |
| Select four from the following: | ||
| 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 | ||
| Juvenile Delinquency | ||
| Criminal Courts and Sentencing | ||
| Special Topics in Criminology | ||
| Issues in Policing | ||
| Race, Class, and Crime | ||
| Punishment and Society | ||
| Comparative Systems of Juvenile Justice | ||
| Organized Crime | ||
| Sociology of Criminal Law | ||
| The Death Penalty in America | ||
| Internship in Criminology | ||
| Police Interrogations and False Confessions | ||
| 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 | ||
| Why Are Bad People Bad? | ||
| 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 | ||
| Philosophy of Law | ||
| Experiential Learning in Criminology | ||
| Public Problem Solving | ||
| Total Hours | 35 | |
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| CRIM 101 | 3 | CRIM 330 | 3 |
| MATH 183 (Or other Colonnade Math) | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science with Lab | 3 |
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | Unrestricted CRIM Elective | 3 |
| General Elective (prefer SOCL 100 or CSJ 200) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| CRIM 199 or SOCL 199 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SOCL 302 | 3 | SOCL 300 | 3 |
| COMM 145 | 3 | SOCL 301 | 1 |
| CRIM Restricted Elective: Correlates of Crime or Systems of Social Control | 3 | CRIM Restricted Elective: Correlates of Crime or Systems of Social Control | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | Colonnade Connections course | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 300 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| SOCL 309 | 3 | Colonnade: Connections | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | Unrestricted CRIM Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Unrestricted CRIM Elective-- recommend CRIM 439 | 3 | Unrestricted CRIM Elective-- Recommend CRIM 439 | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 122 | |||