Criminology/Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree

A four-year, 121- or 122-credit program which provides for advanced study beyond the Criminal Justice diploma program. The degree program enables students to acquire a liberal arts orientation and develop the research skills, knowledge base, and analytical ability necessary for graduate studies and advanced career opportunities in the criminal justice field. This program will be of interest to people already working in the criminal justice field who seek supervisory positions, and to those who ultimately seek careers in the areas of criminal investigation, national security, evaluation research, crime prevention, criminal analysis, dispute resolution, offender case management (including probation and parole), and criminal law.

Entrance requirements

All applicants must:

1. Be willing to undergo an initial security clearance check and further checks as may be required in individual courses. (Please do not submit until requested.)
2. Attend an orientation session during which criminal justice faculty and staff present an overview of the program and the various career, research, and study opportunities available. Students will be contacted regarding the orientation process.

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

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
2. A minimum of a B average in the following: English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note) and two other 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.

3. Prerequisites for or completion of CMNS 125 or ENGL 105. Acceptance will be conditional upon proof of having met this entrance requirement. Applicants are encouraged to submit proof as soon as it is available and prior to registering.

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

Admission to the BA (Criminal Justice) is on a competitive basis. The following are the minimum requirements for consideration of entry into the degree program. Students who do not meet these minimum requirements for the degree program might consider enrolling in either the Criminal Justice diploma or Qualifying Studies, depending on their CGPA or secondary school requirements.

1. Prerequisites for or completion of CMNS 125 or ENGL 105. Applicants are encouraged to submit proof as soon as it is available and prior to registering.
2. Applicants must have completed, by the end of the Fall semester in the application period, one of the following:
   • A minimum of nine university-level credits with a cumulative GPA of 3.00; or
   • A minimum of 30 university-level credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.

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) from all post-secondary institution attended 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

Direct entry from secondary school

There are a limited number of seats available in the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree program. Acceptance into the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree 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.

Second-year entry from university

There are a limited number of seats available in the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree program. Acceptance into the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree program will therefore be determined through a competitive process that evaluates cumulative GPA.

Criminal record check

Upon admission to the Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) program, and in accordance with the B.C. Government's Criminal Records Review Act, UFV requires all students 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.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Books and additional supplies cost approximately $100–150 per course.

Program duration

The Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) program can be completed in four years of full-time study, with students taking 10 courses per calendar year.

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 (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

The Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree program consists of 57 credits of CRIM core requirements, 28–29 credits of breadth requirements, and 36 credits of CRIM and non-CRIM elective courses.

Core courses: 57 credits

Note: Students wanting a Criminal Justice diploma must also complete CRIM 201, and one of CRIM 202 or CRIM 203. CRIM 201 and CRIM 202 cannot be taken concurrently.

Breadth requirements: 28–29 credits

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

Note 2: It is recommended that students planning on completing a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree complete their science requirement in the first two years of the program.

Elective requirements: 36 credits

• A minimum of 12 credits must be taken outside of CRIM.
• At least one elective must be selected from the following list: CRIM 210, CRIM 211, CRIM 212, CRIM 213, CRIM 214, CRIM 216, CRIM 240, CRIM 250, CRIM 251, CRIM 252, CRIM 330, CRIM 335, CRIM 400, CRIM 401, CRIM 402, CRIM 403, CRIM 410, CRIM 411, CRIM 412, CRIM 416, CRIM 417, CRIM 418, CRIM 419, CRIM 435.
• The remaining credits may be taken from any discipline 100-level and higher.
• At least 21 credits must be upper-level.

Note: Students should plan their lower-level electives to ensure they will have the necessary prerequisites for the required upper-level non-criminology electives.

Practicum regulations

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

The prerequisites for placement in CRIM 281 are:

• Minimum CGPA of 2.67;
• CRIM 100, 103, 104, 105, and 265;
• CRIM 129 with a grade of B- or better;
• CMNS 125, or ENGL 105 or higher;
• The ability to pass a criminal record check; and
• Departmental approval.

The prerequisites for placement in CRIM 480 are:

• Minimum CGPA of 2.67;
• CRIM 310, 311, 320, and 321;
• The ability to pass a criminal record check; and
• Departmental approval.

Students must complete 200 hours of practicum work in each of CRIM 281 and CRIM 480.

Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) students who do not meet the prerequisites for the second-year practicum must take two additional 200-level CRIM electives from the list below in place of CRIM 281. Students who do not meet the prerequisites for the fourth-year practicum must take three upper-level CRIM electives from the list below in place of CRIM 479 and CRIM 480.

Students who did not qualify for CRIM 281 but subsequently qualify for CRIM 480 must complete CRIM 480.

200-level electives (choose two)

Upper-level electives (choose three)

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 BA (Criminal Justice) degree 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) degree 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.

Minors in other programs

Students who choose to combine their BA in Criminal Justice with a minor or extended minor in another discipline (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, History, Geography, English) must complete all the requirements of the BA in Criminal Justice and all the discipline requirements of the minor or extended minor. Students interested in pursuing this option should contact the Advising Centre to discuss their program plan.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or above) 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.

Students with more than five course duplications will not be eligible to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree.

Auditing courses

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

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Students may be able to obtain credit for prior learning through evaluation of previous studies or learning through experience after they have completed 30 credits in the diploma program. Students should contact the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice for further information.

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, including at least 50% of the required upper-level CRIM credits, 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. Please note that students with more than five course duplications will not be eligible to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree.

Candidates who qualify to receive a UFV degree must be approved by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Senate. Students must apply for graduation by completing the Graduation Request form available at ufv.ca/registrar/forms, or from the Office of the Registrar. This should be done in the first month of the final semester. 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 the Winter semester grade deadline (see Important Registration Dates) of each year.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.