Program Overview

School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences offers a comprehensive range of programs, including the Criminology program.

Criminology (BA)

The Criminology Program is an interdisciplinary academic program, based primarily in criminology and sociology, that studies the interrelationships among law, policy, and societal conditions. The relationships among these factors are dynamic and complex, and Criminology integrates a variety of perspectives, approaches, and social science disciplines to analyze and understand the origins of crime and injustice and society's response to these issues.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Criminology Program is to examine the causes and consequences of crime and crime control politics by providing a program of study involving a variety of perspectives, approaches, and social science disciplines to undergraduate students. The faculty members are dedicated teachers and scholars who have published their work in the most prestigious journals in the field. They are committed to expanding the knowledge of the discipline and preparing students to be leaders in influencing society's response to crime.

Career Opportunities

Majors in the Criminology Program at UT Dallas will be provided an educational experience that will allow them to put their academic training, background, and experience to use in a wide variety of post-graduate educational and occupational positions, including:

• Employment in Criminal Justice agencies at the federal, state, and local government level
• Graduate School in Criminology or Criminal Justice (or a related social science discipline)
• Law School
• Social Work, Counseling, or other Human Service program

Bachelor of Arts in Criminology

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology requires 120 semester credit hours.

Faculty

The faculty members of the Criminology Program include:

• Professors: Bruce A. Jacobs, Lynne M. Vieraitis, John L. Worrall
• Associate Professor: Tomislav Kovandzic
• Assistant Professor: Michelle Harris
• Clinical Professor: Elmer Polk

Core Curriculum Requirements

The Core Curriculum Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology include:

• Communication: 6 semester credit hours
  • COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
  • RHET 1302 Rhetoric
• Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose one course from the following: MATH 1306 College Algebra for the Non-Scientist, MATH 1314 College Algebra
• Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
  • Select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences Core courses
• Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose one course from the following: HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities, LIT 2331 Introduction to World Literature, PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy, PHIL 2316 History of Philosophy I, PHIL 2317 History of Philosophy II
• Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
  • Select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses
• American History: 6 semester credit hours
  • Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History Core courses
• Government/Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
  • GOVT 2305 American National Government
  • GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose one course from the following: CRIM 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice, CRIM 1307 Introduction to Crime and Criminology, ECON 2301 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics, SOC 1301 Introduction to Sociology
• Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
  • EPPS 2301 Research Design in the Social and Policy Sciences
  • EPPS 2302 Methods of Quantitative Analysis in the Social and Policy Sciences

Major Requirements

The Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology include:

• Major Preparatory Courses: 15 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
  • CRIM 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 1307 Introduction to Crime and Criminology
  • CRIM 2306 Criminal Law
  • CRIM 2313 Police and Society
  • CRIM 2316 Corrections
  • CRIM 2317 Criminal Prosecution and Court Process
  • EPPS 2301 Research Design in the Social and Policy Sciences
  • EPPS 2302 Methods of Quantitative Analysis in the Social and Policy Sciences
• Major Core Courses: 24 semester credit hours
  • CRIM 3300 Crime and Civil Liberties
  • CRIM 3302 Advanced Criminology
  • CRIM 3303 Advanced Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 3310 Youth Crime and Justice
  • CRIM 4311 Crime and Justice Policy
  • CRIM 4322 Senior Research Seminar
• Distributive Justice Focus: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose one course from the following: CRIM 3301 Theories of Justice, SOC 4369 Public Health and Society, SOC 3325 Race and Ethnicity, SOC 4302 Class, Status, and Power, ECON 4333 Environmental Economics
• International or Comparative Focus: 3 semester credit hours
  • Choose one course from the following: CRIM 3319 Comparative Justice Systems, ECON 3369 Political Economy of Terrorism
• Major Related Upper-Division Elective Courses: 21 semester credit hours
  • 21 semester credit hours of CRIM upper-division courses or related to CRIM

Elective Requirements

The Elective Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology include 18 semester credit hours. This requirement may be satisfied with lower- and upper-division courses from any field of study. Students must complete at least 51 semester credit hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.

Minor in Criminology

The Minor in Criminology requires 18 semester credit hours.

• Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours
  • CRIM 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 1307 Introduction to Crime and Criminology
• Upper-Division Courses: 12 semester credit hours
  • Any CRIM upper-division courses excluding CRIM 4V97, CRIM 4V98, and CRIM 4V99.