Criminology/Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice diploma

A two-year, 60-credit program designed to prepare students for front-line/entry-level jobs in the criminal justice field. The program consists of a combination of theoretical and skill development courses, and will be of interest to people who wish to become (for example) police officers, correctional officers, immigration officers, customs inspectors, youth workers, administrative legal assistants, security guards, conservation officers, bylaw enforcement officers, community service order officers, or sheriff's officers.

Entrance requirements

Notice to applicants:

1. All applicants must be willing to undergo a criminal record check. Please see the Criminal record check section below.
2. Normally, applicants admitted will be required to attend an orientation session prior to their first semester of attendance. Students will be advised of the schedule.

Option 1: Secondary school (for students with secondary school graduation only)

B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent with:

1. English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note) with a minimum grade of C+.
2. Two additional Approved Grade 12 courses.
3. Minimum C+ average calculated on English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note) and the two best Approved Grade 12 courses.

   Note: Students may also present English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, AP English, IB English A (standard level or higher level), or out-of-province equivalent.

Option 2: University entrance (for students who have attended some post-secondary school)

1. Applicants with less than 15 transferable credits must meet the high school admission requirements above and present a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all attempted transferable courses.
2. Applicants with 15 or more transferable credits will be admitted on the basis of their post-secondary credits. A minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all attempted transferable courses is required.
3. Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.

When to apply

Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall semester only. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply.

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.
2. Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.
3. In cases where course work is in progress, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements is due by the end of the first week in August for the September intake.

Basis for admission decision

There are a limited number of seats available in the Criminology and Criminal Justice diploma program. Acceptance into the Criminology and Criminal Justice diploma program will be determined through a first-come first-serve basis, assuming entrance requirements are met. Applicants who meet the entrance requirements will be admitted in order of their application date. This date is set when an application, all required documentation, and the application fee have been submitted.

Criminal record check

Upon admission to the Criminal Justice diploma program and in accordance with the B.C. government's Criminal Records Review Act, UFV requires all students who participate in a practicum to pass a criminal record check through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. For clarification and more details, please visit the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's website. Students will be notified when this is required.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Books and additional supplies cost approximately $100–200 per course.

Program duration

The Criminal Justice diploma is two years in duration.

The normal university year is from September through April, with 15–18 credits required in each of the Fall and Winter semesters. Students enrolled in field practicum in either the Fall or Winter semester (normally requiring two full days per week) would normally take nine credits in addition to the practicum. Occasionally, courses are challenged for credit, making it possible to complete the program more quickly. Mastery of course objectives must be demonstrated in order to successfully challenge a course; contact the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice for further information.

Program outline

Semester I

Note 1: It is recommended that students planning on completing a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree complete the first writing requirement (CMNS 125 or ENGL 105) within the first 30 credits of the program.

Note 2: It is recommended that students planning on completing a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree complete the critical thinking requirement (CSM 108, PHIL 100, PHIL 110, or PHIL 120) within the first 60 credits of the program.

Semester II

Note 1: Students who have successfully completed PSYC 101 prior to acceptance do not need to complete PSYC 102.

Note 2: Students cannot use CRIM 201, CRIM 202, or CRIM 203 as their 200-level CRIM elective.

Semester III

Note: It is recommended that students planning on completing a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree complete the second oral/writing requirement (CMNS 235, CMNS 251, CMNS 280, ENGL 210, or SOC 254) within the first 60 credits of the program.

Semester IV

Note 1: It is recommended that students planning on completing a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree complete the science requirement in the first two years of the program.

Note 2: Students should plan their lower-level electives to ensure they will have the necessary prerequisites for the required upper-level non-criminology electives if continuing onto the Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree.

Practicum regulations

Criminal Record Check

UFV requires all students who participate in practicum to complete a criminal record check through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. For clarification and more details, please visit the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General’s website. Students will be notified when this is required.

Acceptance into the Criminal Justice diploma program or the BA (Criminal Justice) does not guarantee practicum placement.

The prerequisites for placement in CRIM 281 are:

• Minimum CGPA of 2.67;
• CRIM 100, CRIM 103, CRIM 104, and CRIM 105;
• CRIM 265 with a grade of C+ or better;
• CMNS 125 or ENGL 105;
• The ability to pass a criminal record check; and
• Departmental approval.

Students must complete 200 hours of practicum work in CRIM 281.

Criminal Justice diploma students who meet these requirements must complete CRIM 281 for the diploma. Students who do not meet the requirement for CRIM 281 must take two additional 200-level CRIM electives from the list below in place of CRIM 281.

200-level electives

The Career Development Coordinator will work collaboratively with each student to identify practicum sites that respond to individual learning interests and that provide criminal justice learning opportunities. Practicum placements are competitive and students should meet with the Career Development Coordinator early in the Winter semester to discuss options for Fall placement, and early in the Fall semester to discuss options for Winter placement.

Practicums are offered throughout the region of the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver, although other placement sites may be considered. Students are responsible for transportation to and from practicum sites. Students are also responsible for maintaining suitable personal appearance.

The Criminal Justice diploma program must approve any agency or institution that provides placements for student practicums, and reserves the right to change any placement assigned to a student. Students have the right to be informed in writing of the reasons for any change in placement. While the program accepts the responsibility to provide a sufficient number of practicum opportunities to serve the needs of all registered students, a student may be required to withdraw from a practicum course if none of the available practicum agencies will accept that particular student.

Co-operative Education option

The Co-operative Education option provides students with the opportunity to acquire paid, career-related work experience in conjunction with their studies in the Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) diploma program. See the Co-operative Education section for more details.

Study Abroad

Students can complete a semester of study abroad at an institution with a partnership agreement with UFV. Students interested in Study Abroad opportunities can visit UFV International to review the list of countries, institutions, and programs with an exchange partnership with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Students should speak with the Program Advisor prior to selecting their courses for completion abroad.

Program requirements

To maintain status as a program student and to continue in the program, students with more than 15 credits must maintain a minimum program and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.00.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

For assistance, please contact criminfo@ufv.ca.

Course repetition

Students may not register for a course more than twice without the permission of the department head/director for the discipline or their designate. All attempts will be recorded on the transcript, but only the highest grade will be included in the GPA. Transfer courses are considered in the number of attempts. A “W” or “AU” course is not counted as a duplication. Multiple repeats of the same course count as a single duplication.

Auditing courses

Course audits will be governed by UFV’s Course Audit Policy (108).

Course withdrawal deadlines

Course withdrawal deadlines follow UFV's Course Withdrawal policy (81).

Course challenge

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice does not approve challenge requests from students who are asking to re-take a Criminology/Criminal Justice course. These students must register in, and complete the requirements for, a regularly timetabled section of the course.

Readmission

Students who have been required to withdraw from UFV under the Undergraduate Continuance policy (92) are subject to readmission and continuance requirements as listed in the UFV academic calendar. Students are normally only readmitted once to the same program.

Residency

Students must complete at least 25% of the course work at UFV.

Graduation requirements

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all program requirements are met. This should be done by regular consultation with a Criminal Justice Program Advisor. To be eligible to graduate, students must achieve a minimum program and cumulative GPA of 2.00. For students intending to proceed to the Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree, please note that there is a duplication policy which prevents students with more than five course duplications from graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree.

Candidates who qualify to receive a UFV diploma must be approved by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Senate. Students must apply for graduation in the first month of their final semester. Visit the Graduation webpage for more information. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by April 30.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.