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Criminology Advisement Page |
The NEW Non-Comprehensive Criminology Major
(Effective fall, 2008)The Criminology Program at Missouri State University is happy to announce that, in addition to its 21-credit-hour Criminology minor, it will begin offering a non-comprehensive, 34-credit-hour major in Criminology beginning in the fall of 2008. The new degree is available as a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree and requires students to maintain a G.P.A. of no less than 2.5 in courses taken within the major.
Students interested in majoring in Criminology who have not been admitted to or who have not declared Criminology as their major will not be admitted to the old comprehensive CRM major. Instead, they will declare or be admitted to the new non-comprehensive CRM major. And we are looking forward to seeing those students in our classes!
For students with a DG or DX encumbrance, the department will give you a pass for pre-registration in the spring for the summer and fall semesters. The department's hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays in Strong Hall 458. The phone number is 417-836-5640.
There are no criteria which must be met to declare a major (or a minor). When a student declares a major (or a minor) its requirements are added to the student’s Degree Audit making record keeping much easier for the student and the student’s academic advisor.
Being admitted to a major or minor also results in the degree requirements being added to the student’s Degree Audit. However, being admitted also requires the completion or near-completion (with special permission) of the following General Education courses:
IDS 110 - Introduction to University Life
CIS/CSC 101 - Computers for Learning
COM 115 - Fundamentals of Public Speaking
MTH 130 - Contemporary Math (or a higher number MTH course)
PED 100 - Fitness for Living
ENG 110 - Writing IThe official form students must obtain in order to be admitted into the non-comprehensive Criminology major is available through their CRM advisor or at the front desk of the department office in Strong 451 (417-836-5640).
Unlike the current comprehensive Criminology major, the new non-comprehensive major requires students have a minor or second major of their own choosing. The choice of a minor or second major should be made in consultation with the student’s advisor. The curriculum for the new non-comprehensive Criminology majors (B.S. and B.A.) are as follows:
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.
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Requirements for the non-comprehensive
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in CRMI. Complete the General Education requirements.
II. Complete the requirements for the Criminology Major (34 credit hours):1) Core Requirements (22 hours)
CRM 210, “An Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System” (3) F,S
CRM 215, “An Introduction to Criminology and the Profession” (1) F,S
CRM 320, “The Causes of Delinquency and Crime” (3) F,S
CRM 340, “Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice” (3) F,S
CRM 350, “The Police in American Society” (3) F,S
CRM 360, “Criminal Law and the Courts” (3) F,S
CRM 370, “Institutional and Community- Based Corrections” (3) F,S
CRM 498, “Senior Seminar in Criminology” (3) F,S2) CRM Electives (12 hours)
Choose from remaining CRM courses.
III. Complete requirements for a minor program or another major.
IV. Complete a total of no less than 125 credit hours with no less than an overall GPA of 2.0Requirements for the non-comprehensive
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in CRMI. Complete the General Education requirements.
II. Complete the additional Bachelor of Arts requirements.
III. Complete the requirements for the Criminology Major (34 credit hours) as follows:1) Core Requirements (22 hours)
CRM 210, “An Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System” (3) F,S
CRM 215, “An Introduction to Criminology and the Profession” (1) F,S
CRM 320, “The Causes of Delinquency and Crime” (3) F,S
CRM 340, “Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice” (3) F,S
CRM 350, “The Police in American Society” (3) F,S
CRM 360, “Criminal Law and the Courts” (3) F,S
CRM 370, “Institutional and Community- Based Corrections” (3) F,S
CRM 498, “Senior Seminar in Criminology” (3) F,S2) CRM Electives (12 hours)
Choose from remaining CRM courses.
IV. Complete requirements for a minor program or another major.
V. Complete a total of no less than 125 credit hours with no less than an overall GPA of 2.0.Program Emphasis
The non-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 non-comprehensive CRM major provides a multifaceted 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 non-comprehensive CRM Major
The non-comprehensive CRM major involves these four 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 many 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 research methods and theory when analyzing crime trends and operations of agencies in the criminal justice system.
Benefits of Majoring in CRM
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).
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.
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.
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).