Criminology/Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Honours (for BA (Criminal Justice) students)

Entrance requirements

Once a student has completed 90 credits (approximately three full years of study) of coursework with a minimum 3.33 GPA in all courses required for program completion and a minimum of a B+ in each of CRIM 220, CRIM 320, and CRIM 310, they are eligible to apply for entry into the Criminal Justice Honours program.

Interested students are encouraged to seek out information and advice on the honours program from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty and/or Program Advisor as early as possible in their coursework, and to apply to the honours program at the earliest possible entry date.

When to apply

Applications must be received by May 15 for a September start date, or September 15 for a January start date for honours studies.

How to apply

Students will need to provide the following to the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Program Advisor:

• A Criminal Justice Honours program application form (available from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Program Advisor or online at ufv.ca/criminology);
• A copy of their transcripts (unofficial is acceptable);
• A 300-500 word statement outlining their research interests; and
• A proposed supervisor for their honours studies.

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Honours Program Committee will review applications and assign accepted students to an appropriate School of Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty supervisor based on their research interests and faculty availability. Students are encouraged to speak to potential faculty supervisors in advance of applying to the honours program and should indicate on their application form if a particular faculty member has agreed to supervise them, pending the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Honours Program Committee approval.

Course requirements

In addition to completing the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree, honours students must complete an additional 10 upper-level credits, consisting of CRIM 490 and CRIM 491. These courses are primarily student-driven, though the student and faculty advisor are expected to meet on a regular basis throughout the semester. During these courses, the student will design and complete a research project. See the course descriptions for further details.

Students will be required to take CRIM 490 (Honours Thesis Development) in the first semester of the final year, and CRIM 491 (Honours Project) in the second semester of the final year.

Review and continuance

Prior to enrolling in CRIM 491 (Honours Project), each honours student will need to meet with their honours supervisor to assess their progress in the program and ensure preparedness for data collection. At this time, the student should submit an updated transcript to their supervisor for review. The student must maintain a CGPA of at least 3.33 in their final year of study, with a CGPA of 3.33 for CRIM 490 and CRIM 491, in order for an honours designation to be awarded.

Graduation

In addition to meeting the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree, successful completion of a research project is required prior to graduation with an honours designation. The honours research project, which will be developed in consultation with a faculty supervisor, will demonstrate a student’s skill and knowledge in a given area of criminology and criminal justice. The research project will be designed during CRIM 490 and carried out in the subsequent semester in CRIM 491.

Each honours student will then be required to present the findings of their research at a professional or university conference or in another academic venue (e.g. in an undergraduate or graduate Criminology and Criminal Justice course). Alternative presentation arrangements may be made in consultation with the honours supervisor and the Honours Program Committee.

The student will receive a letter grade, recommended by their supervisor, for each of CRIM 490 and CRIM 491 based on their successful design and completion of a research project. The Honours Program Committee will choose whether or not to accept these grades based on a review of the students research work. A minimum CGPA of 3.33 in CRIM 490 and CRIM 491 must be met to graduate with an honours designation.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.