Criminology is a diverse academic discipline that provides a wide range of opportunities to students. Graduates of criminology programs find employment in every aspect of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, corrections, crime prevention and justice administration. Many also pursue careers within the public and private-sector in occupations where familiarity with justice and the law is valued by employers; examples include customs and border security, insurance companies, security and investigative companies, and social service agencies. Criminology programs also offer educational preparation for those who intend to major in law, social work, psychology, sociology or philosophy. For information on the Bachelor of Arts in Community Criminal Justice see the Bachelor of Arts program section.

Kwantlen University College offers five programs within the Criminology Department. Students completing the 30 credit certificate program can continue into the 60 credit diploma program without being required to make up additional course work. Students interested in a four-year undergraduate degree in this field are strongly encouraged either to complete the 60 credit Associate of Arts Degree in Criminology (required for admission into the Bachelor of Arts in Community Criminal Justice) or to enter the Bachelor of Arts (Criminology Major) .

Programs within the Criminology Department are widely transferable. For details, please refer to the BC On-line Transfer Guide at www.bccat.bc.ca

The Bachelor of Arts (Criminology Major) will provide students with a broad liberal education emphasizing social scientific, legal and philosophical approaches to the study of social problems, especially crime. The program also provides highly transferable and marketable knowledge and skills.

The program includes:

Labour market predictions for criminal justice and related areas are very favourable, as demographic trends and public safety and security concerns have increased demand for criminal justice professionals. The conceptual, critical and applied skills that students acquire in this program will be attractive to employers in a wide range of settings, including:

Students may be admitted into the BA program at year one or three. In order to enter the BA program at year one and enroll in required writing and quantitative courses, students must have a grade of ‘B’ in English 12 (or equivalent) and a grade of ‘C’ in Principles of Math 11 or application of Math 12 (or equivalent). Students who do not qualify upon initial registration at Kwantlen will be able to apply for entry to the BA Qualifying Year and then enter the BA program after they have successfully completed appropriate qualifying courses. Students can transfer into the BA program at any time provided seats are available and they meet entrance requirements. Full-time BA program students receive registration priority over part-time and non-program students. In addition to Kwantlen’s standard application start date, students will be considered for admission based on the date of qualification.

During the first two years, the Bachelor of Arts (Criminology Major) will provide students with a rigorous, broad foundation in the liberal arts tradition. Specifically, courses will expose students to the theoretical and methodological bases of psychology, sociology, history, political science, and the natural sciences. The third and fourth years of the program include courses falling into four main groupings:

Knowledge and skill mastery will develop as students approach issues and utilize skills across the various streams. The relationships between definitions of crime, criminological theories and research and the criminal justice system are critically examined throughout the curriculum. Their complex relationships to political, social and economic conditions are stressed. Problem solving and skill development will be an integral part of all courses.

The following core requirements are to be completed within the first 60 credits:

Students must also complete the following:

In addition to completing the core requirements of all Kwantlen Bachelor of Arts degree programs indicated above, students will have to complete course prerequisites as necessary in order to enroll in upper levels courses in Criminology and other areas.

Students must complete at least TWO courses drawn from group 1 below.

Upon successful completion of this program, students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Criminology.