Students who have already been "admitted" to the comprehensive Criminology major may choose to remain in that degree program or switch to the new non-comprehensive Criminology major. We suggest that students already admitted to the comprehensive Criminology major visit with their CRM advisor to discuss this matter. You can see the difference between the comprehensive and non-comprehensive CRM degrees by comparing the information below (the comprehensive major) to the information found on the non-comprehensive CRM major page.

Students who have not yet been admitted to the CRM major, as well as those who have only "declared" a Criminology major, will be pursuing the new non-comprehensive CRM major since the comprehensive CRM major is now available only to those students who were already admitted to it..

The following information applies to the comprehensive major. Students who have been admitted can tell that by looking at the information near the top of their degree audits.

Click here for a full catalog description of CRM courses including prerequisites.
You can see what courses are being offered this coming semester in
Criminology and Sociology and create a trial schedule of classes.
 

Program Emphasis

The comprehensive Criminology (CRM) major is designed to provide an opportunity for learning about issues of criminal behavior and the operation of the criminal justice system. Knowledge and investigation in these areas contributes to an educated person’s appreciation of crime and justice as aspects of Public Affairs. Included in this understanding is an awareness of the societal, political, and economic implications of various approaches to crime control policy. Furthermore, the Criminology (CRM) program renders a solid liberal arts education essential for either working in some aspect of the criminal justice system or pursuing further schooling, such as law school or graduate school.

The comprehensive CRM major provides a sociological perspective on crime and justice issues while simultaneously introducing students to basic criminal justice terms, procedures, concepts, and issues. This approach resists only preparing students for "a job" in the field of criminal justice and does so by exploring the larger issues surround the field of criminology and nurturing students as they become even more aware of the social issues involved with crime and crime control. Our Criminology program strives to create a healthy balance between academic analysis and technical education needed for a successful career in the field.

Objectives of the CRM Major

The comprehensive CRM major involves five fundamental objectives:

Students will develop familiarity with key terms and stages in criminal law, policing, the courts, and corrections.  Students will foster an awareness of the various schools of thought on the origins of criminal behavior and the operation of the justice system.  Students will understand the sociological factors involved in crime, victimization, and the operation of the justice system including crime control policy. These factors include social class, gender, race, demographic characteristics, and comparisons between societies.  Students will be able to use sociological research methods and theory when analyzing crime trends and operations of agencies in the criminal justice system.  Students will use knowledge gained through courses in the comprehensive CRM major program to analyze experiences at an internship site while gaining practical work experience.

Requirements for the CRM Major

The CRM program is a comprehensive major requiring the completion of 46 credit hours. Because it is a comprehensive major, a minor or additional major is not required for graduation. The new non-comprehensive CRM major does require a minor or additional major because it is not comprehensive.

In addition to Missouri State General Education Program requirements, students must complete the following courses in the old comprehensive CRM major. If you wish, you may also see what the requirements are for the new non-comprehensive CRM major requirements.

Click here for a full catalog description of CRM courses including prerequisites.
You can see what courses are being offered this coming semester in
Criminology and Sociology create a trial schedule of classes.

The Comprehensive Major Required Core CRM Courses (19 hours) SOC 150 - Introduction to Society (3) SOC 301 - Research Methodology (3) CRM 210 - An Intro. to the American Criminal Justice System (3) CRM 320 - The Causes of Crime and Delinquency (3) CRM 490 - Internship in Criminology  (3) CRM 491 - Internship Symposium (1) CRM 498 - Senior Seminar in Criminology (3)

Additional CRM Electives (choose 18 hours) CRM 300 - Service Learning in Criminology  (1) CRM 301 - Crime and the Media (1) CRM 302 - Reforming America's Prisons (1) CRM 303 - Capital Punishment (1) CRM 330 - Delinquency and the Juvenile Justice System (3) CRM 350 - The Police in American Society (3) CRM 360 - Criminal Courts in Society (3) CRM 370 - Institutional and Community-Based Corrections (3) CRM 396 - Directed Readings in Criminology  (1-3)* CRM 397 - Special Topics in Criminology  (1-3)* CRM 410 - Crime, Gender, and Justice (3) CRM 415 - Class, Crime, Race, and Justice (3) CRM 420 - Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (3) CRM 430 - Victimless Crimes (3) CRM 480 - The Gang Phenomenon (3) CRM 497 - Special Issues in Criminology (3)* * This course may be repeated within University and Department regulations.  Be sure to check the regulations.

Supportive Sociology Electives (choose 9 hours from the following) SOC 152 - Social Problems (3) SOC 290 - Sociology of Gender Roles (3) SOC 300 - Service Learning in Sociology (1 to 2 hours) SOC 302 - Statistics for Social Research (3) SOC 309 - Work, Industry, and Society (3) SOC 310 - Social Deviance (3) SOC 315 - The Family (3) SOC 316 - Urban Sociology (3) SOC 325 - Introduction to Sociological Theory (3) SOC 326 - Feminist Theories of Social Order (3) SOC 336 - Race and Ethnic Relations (3) SOC 341 - Medical Sociology (3) SOC 351 - Sociology of Childhood (3) SOC 380 - Sociology of Law (3) SOC 420 - Social Inequality (3) SOC 485 - Society and the Future (3

TOTAL = 46 Hours of CRM and SOC as identified above.

 

Benefits of Majoring in Criminology

Among the benefits of majoring in Criminology are gaining valuable insights into the reasons why some people violate the law (CRM 320), how the American justice system works (CRM 210, CRM 350, CRM 360 and CRM 370) and a variety of timely and pressing problems related to our justice system (such as race relations, gangs and the relationship of race and gender to various aspects of justice). In addition, the comprehensive CRM major requires a 3-dredit-hour internship (CRM 490 plus CRM 491 for a total of four hours). CRM 490 is an elective in the new non-comprehensive CRM major and CRM 491 has been dropped from it.

Some justice agencies offer a financial incentive for new-hires who have obtained a degree in criminal justice or criminology, others do not. For most students, a major in Criminology is enhanced when accompanied by a dual major or one or more minors.
 

Faculty and Facilities

There are several full-time criminologists among the 20 or so faculty members in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology. The CRM faculty have a wide range of professional experiences in nearly all aspects of the criminal justice system both in the United States and internationally. They teach progressive, innovative, and stimulating courses, conduct academic research in their respective areas, and provide a variety of services throughout the university and community.

Most courses are taught in the Strong Hall, a state-of-the-art facility for college instruction. Strong Hall contains a number of "high-tech" classrooms bringing computer-assisted techniques into the learning environment.

CRM-Relevant Majors and Minors

Your major depends on what type of career you have in mind. Many of our students major or minor in sociology, or major or minor in psychology because these fields provide insight to human thought, behavior, and organization. Other students major in political science emphasizing governmental structure and process. Communications and Recreation majors also fit nicely with various types of work in criminal justice fields. If you are certain you want to work in the criminal justice system, yet unsure of what area to choose for a major, consult a CRM faculty member, your academic advisor, or the Department Head (417-836-5640).

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