Criminology

major | UF Online

The Department of Sociology and Criminology offers an online interdisciplinary degree program in criminology. Students seeking this degree will study the complexities of relationships among the legal, social, political, historical, and psychological influences affecting law processes and crime and justice.

About this Program

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

Department Information

The Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law has over 1,000 undergraduate majors and 100 graduate students. The department’s faculty are internationally known for their research in the areas of families, gender, and sexualities; health, aging, and the life course; environmental and resource sociology; race and ethnicity; criminology and criminal justice; and psychology and law.
Website

CONTACT

Criminology Email Sociology Email

352.294.7164 (tel) | 352.392.6568 (fax)

P.O. Box 117330
3219 TURLINGTON HALL
GAINESVILLE FL 32611-7330
Map

 Curriculum

Courses focus on explanations for the development of law within society, why people break laws, and how society reacts to law-breaking. Interdisciplinary breadth in the study of criminology and law is essential for those majoring in criminology. Majors may enroll in relevant courses offered outside the department to help satisfy tracking requirements (listed below under Foundation Coursework).

After obtaining a BA in Criminology, students can seek careers as professionals working within the criminal or juvenile justice systems (i.e., courts, law enforcement, corrections). Many students also attend law school, while others attend graduate school where they may conduct research on criminological issues.

After being accepted to this program, students can pursue the degree without moving to Gainesville. Coursework will be offered via electronic distance learning, and UF faculty will teach and advise students in the program. This program is designed to be pursued entirely online, and thus, students will not be permitted to take any courses on campus while enrolled in the program.

Students will need access to a personal computer capable of connecting to the web and sending and receiving electronic mail. It is recommended but not required that the student's computer have a video conferencing capability.

Coursework for the Major

The major requires 34 credits. At least 22 of the 34 must be taken from UF in courses offered by the department with prefixes of CCJ, CJC, CJE, CJJ or CJL. Students may apply no more than six credits of 1000/2000-level coursework to the major, including CJL 2000.

A maximum of 12 credits of criminology courses can be transferred toward the major. Students who transfer six credits of 1000/2000-level (lower-division) credits into the major should not take UF’s CJL 2000. There are restrictions on which lower-division courses will transfer to the major. Lower-division courses that transfer into the major include introductory courses on criminology, criminal justice and criminal law/procedure. Students who wish to take interdisciplinary courses and transfer credits from another institution need to be careful about the 22-credit residency requirement.

Minimum grades of C must be earned in courses that count toward the major. The only exception is CCJ 4940, which requires a grade of S.

Foundation (Tracking) Coursework
In the first four terms, students enroll in criminology-related foundation courses, which include:
STA 2023Introduction to Statistics 13
Select one option:9
Option A
Select 9 credits of introductory criminal justice/criminology courses (CCJ, CJL or CJE prefixes), including:
Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice
Law and the Legal Process
Law and Society
Option B
Select 9 credits from the following or their equivalents:
United States to 1877
United States Since 1877
General Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Introduction to Philosophy
Contemporary Moral Issues
American Federal Government
American State and Local Government
General Psychology
Principles of Sociology
Social Problems
Required Coursework
Criminology Core Courses
CCJ 3024Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice 13
CCJ 3701Research Methods in Criminology 14
CCJ 4014Criminological Theory 13
CJL 3038Law and Society 13
Select at least one law-driven requirement course:3
Law and the Legal Process 2
Juvenile Law
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
Criminology Electives
Select a minimum of 18 credits 318
Students may select up to 9 credits from approved interdisciplinary courses outside of criminology to count toward the criminology electives requirement 40-9
Total Credits46-55
1

These courses are the basis for meeting the student learning outcomes in the major’s academic learning compact, therefore they must be taken at UF. 

2

Students should take this course only if they have not already completed six credits of 1000/2000-level criminology courses. 

3

Majors may choose from any course offered in the department not used to meet this requirement.

4

These approved interdisciplinary courses may also apply to the CLAS electives requirement. These courses do not apply toward the 22-credit residency requirement. A list of the approved interdisciplinary courses appears below the recommended semester plan.

Students may apply only 3 credits of CCJ 4940 or 3 credits of CCJ 4911 (if taken as S/U) to the 34 credits for the major. CCJ 4940 is automatically graded S/U. CCJ 4911 may be taken as either a letter grade or S/U, but the student must submit an application to the registrar’s office for this course to be taken as an S/U grade.

Additional Requirements

Exit Exam

To complete the major students must pass a department exit examination regarding crime, criminal justice, law and society, and criminological theory, administered online.

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

Semester 2

  • Complete 1 additional criminology-related foundation course
  • 2.5 UF GPA required

Semester 3

  • Complete 1 additional criminology-related foundation course with 2.65 critical-tracking GPA
  • 2.65 UF GPA required

Semester 4

  • Complete STA 2023 with a 2.75 critical-tracking GPA
  • 2.8 UF GPA required

Semester 5

  • Complete CCJ 3024 (if not previously taken) and maintain 2.75 critical-tracking GPA
  • 2.80 UF GPA required

Semester 6

  • Complete at least 2 additional core criminology courses: CJL 3038, CCJ 4014, CCJ 3701 with minimum grades of C
  • Complete 1 criminology elective or an additional core criminology course with a minimum grade of C

Semester 7

  • Complete at least 1 additional core criminology course with minimum grades of C
  • Complete 3 additional criminology electives

Semester 8

  • Complete the last core criminology course, if needed, with a minimum grade of C
  • Complete the law-based requirement, if needed: CJL 2000, CJL 4050, CJL 4410, or CJL 4410 with a minimum grade of C
  • Complete the 2 remaining criminology electives
  • Pass the criminology exit exam

Students are expected to complete the Writing Requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the General Education International (GE-N) and Diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another General Education requirement (typically, GE-C, H, or S).

Up to 9 credits of approved Criminology electives outside of the Criminology department may also count towards the 3000 level or above electives outside of the major.

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
Criminology-related course (Critical Tracking) 3
State Core Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences 3
State Core Gen Ed Composition (Writing Requirement) 3
Foreign language 4-5
 Credits13-14
Semester Two
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) 3
CCJ 3024 Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice (Critical Tracking; recommended)) 3
State Core Gen Ed Mathematics 3
Foreign language 3-5
Elective 4
 Credits16-18
Semester Three
Quest 2 Course (Gen Ed Biological or Physical Science) 3
STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (Critical Tracking; recommended; Gen Ed Mathematics) 3
State Core Gen Ed Humanities 3
Criminology-related course (Critical Tracking) 3
Elective (or foreign language if 4-3-3 option) 3
 Credits15
Semester Four
Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences (area not taken in semester one) 3
Gen Ed Humanities 3
State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences (if needed; several criminology-related courses meet this requirement) 3
Science laboratory (Gen Ed Physical or Biological Sciences) 1
Electives 6
 Credits16
Semester Five
CCJ 3024 Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice (Critical Tracking; if not taken previously; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) 3
Gen Ed Biological Sciences or Physical Science (area not taken for Quest 2 course in Semester 3) 3
Gen Ed Composition (Writing Requirement) 3
Approved Criminology elective 3
Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) 3
 Credits15
Semester Six
Criminology core courses; Critical Tracking 6-7
Approved Criminology electives; Critical Tracking 6
Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) 3
 Credits15-16
Semester Seven
Criminology core course; Critical Tracking 3-4
Approved Criminology elective; Critical Tracking 3
Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) 9
 Credits15-16
Semester Eight
Criminology core course; Critical Tracking 3
Approved Criminology electives; Critical Tracking 6
Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) 6
 Credits15
 Total Credits120

Select any CCJ, CJE, CJL or CJJ elective and up to 9 credits from these approved interdisciplinary courses.

ANT 3451Race and Racism3
ANT 3520Skeleton Keys: Forensic Identification3
BUL 4310The Legal Environment of Business4
EEX 4520Disabilities: Legal Aspects and Policies3
MDU 4031Medicine and the Law3
MMC 4200Law of Mass Communication3
PAD 3003Introduction to Public Administration3
SPM 4723Legal Issues in Sport3
SYP 3510Deviance3

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology (both the on-campus and the online degree programs) introduces students to the study of criminal behavior, criminal justice systems from a multidisciplinary, liberal arts perspective. It enables students to understand crime, how society reacts to it (especially through the criminal justice system), and the interrelationships between features of society and law. It includes learning about the theories of crime and methods for studying crime, law, and society.

Before Graduating Students Must

  • Pass a department exit examination regarding crime, criminal justice, law, and society and criminological theory.
  • Complete a research paper for CCJ 3701 demonstrating the ability to research and to interpret research in criminology, law, and society.
  • Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

  1. Define and describe the criminal justice system, the interrelationships among its components, and their fit with society.
  2. Define and describe the legal institutions, the law, and their interaction in society.

Critical Thinking

  1. Analyze theories of crime and their implications for programs and policies to reduce crime.
  2. Interpret and evaluate research in criminology, law, and society and exhibit proficiency in the techniques used to conduct such research.

Communication

  1. Communicate ideas clearly and effectively in an accepted style of presentation.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Courses SLO 1 SLO 2 SLO 3 SLO 4 SLO 5
CCJ 3024 I, R, A
CCJ 3038 I, R, A
CCJ 3701 I, R, A I, R, A
CCJ 4014 I, R, A

Assessment Types

  • Exams
  • Papers