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Academic Advising Centre

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

This guide has been prepared with the information you need to successfully register for your first year at UFV. Please review the information provided on this page thoroughly before contacting your academic advisor with questions.

 

Overview

Learn about the criminal justice system and delve into the complex issues surrounding it such as the causes, prevention, and law enforcement responses to criminal behaviour.

In your first and second year, you examine the historical evolution of criminological thought and learn to view criminology as both a science and profession. You learn to identify the psychological and sociological factors that drives an individual to crime and how the criminal justice system is applied.

In your third and fourth year, you develop your analytical and critical thinking skills by designing your own research project. This is an opportunity to use various qualitative and quantitative research methods to prepare for graduate studies and advanced career opportunities within the criminal justice field.

After you graduate from UFV’s Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) program, you have gained the vocabulary and critical discernment to apply criminological and criminal justice principles to effect individual, community, and organizational challenges.

Jobs in the criminal justice field broadly fall into the following categories: law enforcement, national security, crime investigation, corrections, law, restorative justice, community services, and private security.

You may find work with police forces, courts, government agencies (municipal, provincial and federal), crown corporations, airports, community services, border services, or private firms that monitor for compliance, conduct investigations, or provide security services.

You may also pursue graduate studies to advance your career in law, teaching, research, or public administration

 

 

 

Program structure and requirements

Graduation requirements

  • 121-122 total credits
  • Core course requirements (54 credits)
  • Breadth requirements (31 – 32 credits)
  • Elective requirements, CRIM and non-CRIM (36 credits)

Where can I find a list of courses for the program?

You can access a list of all approved and required courses for your program in two ways:

 

First time using MyGRADplan?

Visit MyGRADplan website to get login instructions and review tutorials. Specifically, you will want to learn about the 'What if' and 'Look ahead' features as they will be most helpful in your course planning.

 

Workload

Given that 3 classes correspond to approximately 20+ hours/week of schoolwork both in and out of the classroom, it is very important that you consider your workload capacity carefully.

It is much better to start with less and add more coursework in future semesters than to start out feeling overwhelmed in your first semester.

Ultimately, the number of courses you take each semester is up to you, below you will find a recommend schedule for first-year students:

 

 

Pick
3-4 courses per semester

 

Expect
9-12 hours per week in class

 

And at least
9-12 hours per week
for homework

 

Suggested course plan (first and second semester)

Fall (Sept-Dec)Winter (Jan-Apr)
CRIM 100 CRIM 104
CRIM 103 CRIM 105
One of CMNS 125 or ENGL 105 CRIM 135
One of CSM 108, PHIL 100, PHIL 110, PHIL 120 One of POSC 110, PSYC 102, SOC 101

Full program overview: Please note the plan below is based on approximately 15 credits per semester and does not include summer semesters. For those who will be spreading their studies out over all three academic semesters it is encouraged that electives and breadth requirements be reserved for the summer so that core requirements can be met in fall and winter.

 

Next steps

Prepare for registration

Watch tutorials, review information on fee payment, important dates, and more.

Explore courses of interest

Find official course descriptions and outlines in the Academic Calendar.

Track your degree progress

Access your program audit & identify the requirements that are needed for graduation.

 

 
Still have questions?

Book an appointment with an academic advisor or email your questions to advising@ufv.ca.

If you are starting in the fall, book your next appointment prior to the winter registration (October).

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