Criminology/Criminal Justice
www.ufv.ca/criminology

Criminal Justice diploma

A two-year, 64-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, youth workers, immigration officers, bylaw enforcement officers, customs inspectors, community service order officers, and sheriff’s officers.

Entrance requirements

All applicants must have a B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.

In addition, applicants must:

• Have English 12 (A) or a CPT score of 48 or better or UCFV English 081 & 091 (C+ or better) or UCFV ENGL 099 (C or better) or an LPI essay score of 30/40 (level five). (See Note 1). Acceptance will be conditional upon proof of having met this entrance requirement. Applicants are encouraged to submit proof as soon as it is available.
• Be willing to undergo an initial security clearance check and further checks as may be required in individual courses.
• Be willing to provide a statement from a physician as evidence of good health.
• Provide the complete names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three people (non-relatives) who will be willing to provide a comprehensive personal reference.
• Provide a neat and well written 300- to 500-word statement articulating your personal strengths and weaknesses and interest in criminal justice.
• Attend an orientation session in April during which criminal justice faculty present an overview of the options available and career opportunities in criminal justice.
• Students will be contacted regarding the orientation process.

Note 1: Students should be aware that meeting the above English entrance requirement may not be sufficient to satisfy the prerequisite for some courses required in the program. Students should consult the course descriptions for details on specific course prerequisites.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider the Criminal Justice Studies program path.

How to apply

1. Submit the application fee along with your UCFV application for admission form to the Admissions and Records (A&R) office. Application forms are available from any A&R or Student Services office. You can also print an application form from our website at www.ufv.ca/ar, or you can apply directly through the internet at www.pas.bc.ca. See the Program Charts for a complete list of application dates and general information.

Additional documents required for a complete application:
• Proof of B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
• Official transcript (or interim transcript) and/or Grade 12 test scores showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements.
• The complete names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references.
• A 300- to 500-word statement articulating your personal strengths and weaknesses, and interest in criminal justice.

2. You will be advised of an admission decision and provided with registration information. A deposit is required when you register (see the Fees and Other Costs section). This money will be applied toward your tuition fees. Final payment of all course fees are due the end of the second week of classes.

3. In cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements is due the end of the first week in August.

Basis for admission decision

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.

Fees and additional costs

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

Dates and location

Full-time students are advised to register for the fall semester. Since many courses in the diploma, degree, and university-transfer options are sequential, students registering in January may be unable to take preliminary courses until the following September.

The normal university college year is from September through April, with between 15 and 18 hours of classes required in each of the fall and winter semesters. Students enrolled in field practice in any semester (normally requiring two full days per week) would normally take 11 hours of classes. 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.

Program requirements

To maintain their status as a program student, individuals with more than 15 credits must maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.0.

Continuance in program

Students who do not maintain the required cumulative grade point average will be placed on Academic Warning for one semester. If you do not attain the required CGPA, you will be required to withdraw. Students who have been required to withdraw are not normally readmitted to the program.

Re-taking courses

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

Auditing courses

Students wishing to audit a course in Criminology/Criminal Justice must request permission from the instructor no later than the end of the fourth week of classes. No changes from regular to audit status will be permitted after this date.

Prerequisites

A prerequisite is a requirement which must be met before a student enters a course or program. A P grade does not, unless stated otherwise, meet a prerequisite requirement. Students who do not have the stated prerequisite courses may not register in a course having these requirements without the permission of the instructor.

Transfer credit

At least 25 per cent of the course work must be completed at UCFV. However, students must complete at least 50 percent of the upper-level Criminology credits required for the degree and minor and extended minor at UCFV (subject to final approval).

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

You may be able to obtain credit for prior learning through evaluation of previous studies or learning through experience after you have completed 30 credits in the diploma program. Contact the department for further information.

Course withdrawal deadlines

Course withdrawal deadlines follow university-college policy.

Graduation

Candidates who qualify to receive a UCFV diploma must be approved by the UCFV Criminology/Criminal Justice department and the University College Council. Students must submit a Request for Graduation form to the UCFV Admissions and Records office by April 1.

BCIT Forensic Investigation transfer option

This option of the Criminal Justice diploma is designed primarily for students who wish to transfer directly into the third year of the Bachelor of Technology in Forensic Investigation at BCIT, following completion of their UCFV diploma. Students taking this option must choose one of three paths (Economic Crime Studies, Forensic Science Studies, or Computer Crime Studies), each of which provides the prerequisites for a path of study at the upper-level with the BCIT Bachelor of Technology in Forensic Investigation transfer option.

Students can also ladder directly into the third year of the Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) program. Students considering this option are reminded that they can also enter directly into the third year of the Bachelor Technology in Forensic Investigation with either an Associate of Science degree or Computing Information Systems diploma from UCFV.

Students interested in this transfer option can obtain details from the department.

Program outline

Semester I

Semester II

Semester III

Note 1: CRIM 201 and CRIM 202 cannot be taken concurrently.

Note 2: Students who have taken (the now discontinued) CRIM 260 course may use it for this requirement. CRIM 160 (now discontinued) may be used as a general elective.

Semester IV

Note: CRIM 201 and CRIM 202 cannot be taken concurrently.

CRIM electives include: CRIM 101, 109, 130, 135, 151, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 250, 270.