Criminology/Criminal Justice

CRIMINOLOGY/CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Program website: www.ufv.ca/criminology

UCFV offers a number of options to people interested in studying criminology and criminal justice:

Criminal Justice diploma program

A two-year, 67-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.

Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree program

A four-year, 127-credit program which provides for advanced study beyond the Criminal Justice diploma program. Specifically, the program prepares students for front-line jobs after two years, but it also provides them with the opportunity beyond that (within an additional two years of study) to acquire a liberal arts orientation and 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, offender case management (including probation and parole), and criminal law.

Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree with minor or extended minor in another discipline

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.
If you are interested in pursuing this option, contact the Criminology and Criminal Justice department to discuss your program plan.

Extended Minor and Minor in Criminal Justice

These credentials are offered in the Faculty of Arts, Bachelor of Arts program. Please refer to the Faculty of Arts section for details.

General Studies

You need not be registered in any of the above programs to take criminology courses. This option will be of interest to students pursuing other degrees and to individuals who are exploring various educational and career options. In this regard, the following courses are recommended as good courses to take for students who have not previously completed a criminology course:
CRIM 100, 101, 103, 105, 129, 151, 210, 230, 250.

Entrance Requirements

1. Criminal Justice Diploma Program

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 English 101 (C or better) or a satisfactory LPI score (30/40 or level five out of six on the essay)
(See Note 1).
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 (to be obtained after applicant’s interview with faculty)
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 300–500 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
Attend a personal interview in April with criminal justice faculty, during which suitability for (and interest in) criminal justice will be discussed and assessed (students will be contacted regarding the orientation and interview 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.

2. Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice) Degree Program

Applicants must have completed at least 45 credits that may be applied to the degree program with a CGPA of at least 2.67.

In addition, applicants must:

Attend an orientation session in April during which criminal justice faculty present an overview of the options available and career opportunities in criminal justice.
Attend a personal interview in April with criminal justice faculty, during which suitability for (and interest in) criminal justice will be discussed and assessed (students will be contacted regarding orientation and interview process).
Provide a neat and well written 300–500 word statement articulating your personal strengths and weaknesses and interest in criminal justice.

A CGPA of 2.67 and attending an orientation and interview are minimum requirements and do not guarantee admission to the program.

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.

Additional documents required for a complete diploma application:

proof of B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent
transcript (or interim transcript) showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements
the complete names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references
a 300–500 word statement articulating your personal strengths and weaknesses, and interest in criminal justice.

Additional documents required for a complete degree application:

a 300–500 word statement articulating your personal strengths and weaknesses and interest in criminal justice
transcripts (or interim transcripts) from every post-secondary institution you have attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements.

2. Upon application you will be informed if an orientation or interview is required. You must attend the orientation and interview or make special arrangements with the program head to be eligible for admission to the program.

3. You will be advised of an admission decision and invited to register. A deposit is required when you register (see the Fees and Other Costs section). This money will be applied to the tuition fees and is not refundable. Final payment of all course fees are due the end of the second week of classes.

If this program is full, or you are waiting to find out about your admission to the program, you will be given an opportunity to register as a general studies student. It is not necessary to submit a separate application form. If you meet the entrance requirements and a space becomes available later, you will be contacted.

4. 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.

Fees and Additional Costs

The fees for a full-time diploma or transfer student (five courses or 15 credits) would be about $650 per semester. Books and additional supplies would cost approximately $100 per course. See the Fees and Other Costs section for more information. Fees for the third -and fourth-year courses are $53 per credit, or $160 for a 3-credit 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 being 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. Further, to maintain status as a degree program student, individuals registering for upper-level criminology courses must possess a CGPA of at least 2.67.

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.

Duplicated or Repeated Courses

A course may be repeated in order to improve the CGPA. However, you may not register for the same course more than twice. No more than five duplicated courses will be permitted for the degree.

Transfer Credit

At least 25 per cent of the course work must be completed at UCFV. Total transfer and course challenge credits may not exceed 60, and not more than 23 transfer credits may count toward upper-level credits. Transfer credit is not used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.

Course Withdrawal Deadlines

Course withdrawal deadlines follow university-college policy.

Graduation

Candidates who qualify to receive a UCFV degree or 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.

Program Outlines

Criminal Justice diploma

Semester I

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 100     Introduction to Criminology    3
CRIM 103    Introduction to the Criminal Justice System    3
CRIM 129    Academic and Professional Development    3
PSYC 101    Introduction to Psychology I    3
SOC 101    Introductory Sociology I    3
CMNS/ENGL one of: 3
    CMNS 125    Business Communications I
    CMNS 155    Communications for Human Services
    ENGL 105    The Reading and Writing of Prose

Semester II

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 104     Sociological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behaviour     3
CRIM 105    Psychological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behaviour     3
SSSW 120    Introduction to Interpersonal Communications     3
CRIM    Elective    3
CMNS/ENGL one of: 3
    CMNS 225    Business Communications II
    CMNS 255 Communications for Human Services II (Advanced)
    ENGL 110–170 or higher

Semester III

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 270     Problem Management Skills and Strategies for Criminal Justice Personnel     3
CRIM Elective    3
CRIM 280    Field Work Practicum*    6
CRIM 201    Physical Fitness Training I    2

Semester IV

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 220     Research Methods in Criminology    3
CRIM 230    Criminal Law    3
CRIM 271    Interviewing Techniques for Criminal Justice Personnel     3
POSC 110    Canadian Politics    3
CRIM 281    Field Work Practicum 6
CRIM 202    Physical Fitness Training II    2
Total 67

*CRIM 280 may be replaced with any Arts course, 200-level or higher, and any 100/200-level university transferable non-criminology course. Prospective degree students will be particularly interested in this option given the degree requirements.

Crim electives include: CRIM 101, CRIM 109, CRIM 130, CRIM 135, CRIM 151, CRIM 210, CRIM 211, CRIM 212, CRIM 231, CRIM 250, SSSW 394.

BA (Criminal Justice) UCFV degree

Semester I

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 100     Introduction to Criminology    3
CRIM 103    Introduction to the Criminal Justice System    3
CRIM 129    Academic and Professional Development    3
PSYC 101    Introduction to Psychology I    3
SOC 101    Introductory Sociology I    3
CMNS/ENGL one of:    3
    CMNS 155    Communications for Human Services
    CMNS 125    Business Communications I
    ENGL 105    The Reading and Writing of Prose

Semester II

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 104     Sociological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behaviour     3
CRIM 105    Psychological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behaviour     3
CRIM Elective    3
SSSW 120    Introduction to Interpersonal Communications     3
CMNS/ENGL one of:    3
    CMNS 255    Communications for Human Services II (Advanced)
    CMNS 225    Business Communications II
    ENGL 110    or higher

Semester III

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 270     Problem Management Skills and Strategies for Criminal Justice Personnel     3
CRIM Elective    3
Elective Arts (UCFV) 200-level or higher (non-CRIM)     3
Elective General: Any 100/200 level university-transferable non-criminology course     3

Semester IV

Course, Title & Credits

Students wanting a diploma must also complete CRIM 201 and CRIM 202.

Students should plan their 100/200-level electives to ensure they will have the necessary prerequisites for the required 300/400-level non-criminology electives.

Upper-Level BA (Criminal Justice) degree

Note: Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.67 in order to continue into upper level.

Semester V

Course, Title & Credits

MATH 104     Introductory Statistics    4
CRIM 330    Criminal Procedure and Evidence    3
CRIM 310    Advanced Theoretical Perspectives    3
Elective Arts: Any one of: art history, history, languages, fine arts,
film, Philosophy 100 or higher, theatre, or English 110–170    3
Elective Science: Any biology, chemistry, physics, 100-level or higher, or GEOG 101 or 102     4

Semester VI

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 311     Multiculturalism, Conflict, and Social Justice    3
CRIM 335    Human Rights and Civil Liberties    3
CRIM 320    Research Techniques    5
Elective    Any 300/400 non-Crim. course    3
Elective    Any 300/400 non-Crim. course    3

Semester VII

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 420     Research Project Seminar    6
BUS 203    Organizational Behaviour    3
Elective General:    Any university transfer course    3
CRIM 460    Comparative Criminal Justice Systems    3

Semester VIII

Course, Title & Credits

CRIM 450     Social Policy Analysis    3
CRIM 480    Field Work Practicum    6
Elective    Any 300/400 non-Crim. course    3
Elective    Any one of CRIM 410–419    3
Total 64
Plus lower-level credits 63

Total program credits 127

Course Listings:

For complete details on courses see Course Descriptions.

Full-Time Faculty
Tim Segger, BA, MA (UVic), Department Head
Terry Anderson, BA, MA (Cal State), PhD (CPU), Prof. Teachers Cert. (Uvic)
Yvon Dandurand, BA (Ph), BPh, MA (Ottawa)
Martha Dow, BA, MA (UWO)
John Martin, Dip. Crim. Justice (FV), BA, MA (SFU)
Darryl Plecas, BA, MA (SFU), EdD (UBC), Man. Dev. Program (Harvard)
Kim Polowek, BA, MA (SFU)
Martin Silverstein, BA (Toronto), BA (Queen’s), MA (Ottawa), PhD (Arizona State)

Other Faculty
Len Epp, BA (Winnipeg), MA (Man)
Scott Fast, BA (Wash.), MA (UBC)
Peter German, BA (Hons) (Mt. Allison), MA (SFU), LLB (NB), LM (UBC)
G. Jack Harris, QC, BA (Hons), LLB (Manitoba)
Ian MacKenzie, LLB (UBC)
Steve Schneider, Dip. Marketing (BCIT), BA (Carlton), MSc (Penn), PhD (UBC)
Gordon Taylor, BA, LLB (UBC)
Paul Tinsley, BA, MA (SFU)
Wendy Van Tongeren, BA (UBC), LLB (Queen’s)

Support Staff
Lori Moren, Department Assistant

Return to Faculty of Applied Programs index