Criminology is an interdisciplinary social science that studies the causes of crime and delinquency, analyzes crime patterns, and critically examines the origins and functions of criminal law and the criminal justice system. The Criminology Program at Benedictine College, housed in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, provides students with a rigorous introduction to the methods and materials of contemporary criminological inquiry, including classical and contemporary theories of crime and criminality, methods of theory testing and data analysis, and public policy issues related to crime prevention, control, and punishment. Students who successfully complete the program requirements will be well prepared for graduate and professional school, and will have the critical thinking and communication skills necessary for postbaccalaureate training as criminal justice practitioners.
Although the criminology program at Benedictine College is more aligned with the liberal arts pillar of the college than it is with training students for careers in criminal justice, direct contact and experience with criminal justice agencies is available through internship placements.
Program Mission
The mission of the Criminology Program is to provide students, within a community of faith and scholarship, with the theoretical and practical tools necessary to engage in and investigate the social world, to develop a working knowledge of criminological concepts, and to evaluate programs and resolve social problems by applying a criminological perspective.
Program Outcomes
- Graduates will have familiarity with classical and contemporary criminological theory.
- Graduates will possess the ability to use and interpret qualitative and quantitative data and conduct social scientific research.
- Graduates will exhibit awareness of major social issues in modern life and the ability to view these issues from a criminological perspective.
- Graduates will know the institutional context surrounding the lived experiences of diverse populations included, but not limited to, how these experiences differ in contemporary societies by class, race, and gender.
Suggested Sequence of Courses for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminology
This eight-semester plan includes only the broad outlines within which programming can be arranged and adapted to the student’s individualized needs and plans. It is expected that a major program will be planned by the student with his or her advisor and/or the department chair and that of the electives; several will be in the field of sociology.
Plan of Study Grid
| Freshman Year |
|---|
| First Semester |
|---|
| ENGL-1010 |
English Composition |
3 |
|
4 |
| THEO-1100 |
Introduction to Theology |
3 |
| GNST-1000 |
BC Experience |
1 |
| EXSC-1115 |
Wellness for Life |
1 |
| CRIM-1000 |
Introduction to Crime & Justice |
3 |
|
3 |
| | Hours | 18 |
| Second Semester |
|---|
| PHIL-1750 |
Principles of Nature |
3 |
|
4 |
|
3 |
|
4 |
|
3 |
| | Hours | 17 |
| Sophomore Year |
|---|
| First Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
1 |
| | Hours | 16 |
| Second Semester |
|---|
| CRIM-3100 |
Theories of Crime & Deviance |
3 |
| NASC-2300 |
World Regional Geography |
3 |
|
6 |
| MATH-1220 |
Introductory Statistics |
4 |
| | Hours | 16 |
| Junior Year |
|---|
| First Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
| SOCI-3155 |
Research Design for Sociology & Crimin |
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Hours | 18 |
| Second Semester |
|---|
| PHIL-3250 |
Ethics |
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| Senior Year |
|---|
| First Semester |
|---|
| CRIM-COMP |
Senior Comprehensive Exam |
0 |
| CRIM-4790 |
Criminology Internship |
3 |
|
6 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| Second Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| | Total Hours | 130 |
