Criminology and Law (UF Online)

The Department of Sociology and Criminology and Law offers an online interdisciplinary degree program in criminology and law. 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.

Overview

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.

After obtaining a B.A. in criminology and law, 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.

For more information, contact Dianne Bollinger at gdb@ufl.edu.

Coursework for the Program

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 Internship/Practicum, which requires a grade of S).

Required Coursework

All Criminology Majors (13 credits):

• CCJ 3024 Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CCJ 3701 Research Methods in Criminology (4 credits)
• CCJ 4014 Criminological Theory (3 credits)
• CJL 3038 Law and Society (3 credits)

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.

Law-driven Requirement (take at least one course, 3 credits):

• CJL 2000 Law and Legal Process (3 credits)
  Students should take this course only if they have not already completed six credits of 1000/2000-level criminology courses.
• CJL 4050 Juvenile Law (3 credits)
• CJL 4110 Criminal Law (3 credits)
• CJL 4410 Criminal Procedure (3 credits)

Criminology and Law Electives (18 credits minimum):

• Majors may choose from any course offered in the department not used to meet the requirements above.
• In addition, students may take up to nine credits from approved interdisciplinary courses (outside of Criminology and Law). 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 three credits of CCJ 4940 (internship/practicum) and three credits of CCJ 4905 (individual work) to the 34 credits for the major.

Additional Requirements

Exit Exam Requirement: To complete the major students must pass a department exit examination regarding crime, criminal justice, law and society and criminological theory.

Upper Division Transfer

The transfer admissions process is competitive, so students should prepare their applications carefully and be attentive to their grades.

To be considered for admission to the online program, students must have completed or be in process of completing three criminology-related foundation courses (or the equivalents) from the following list:

• Introductory criminal justice/criminology courses (CCJ, CJL or CJE prefixes), and/or
• AMH 2010 United States to 1877, AMH 2020 United States Since 1877, ANT 2000 General Anthropology, ANT 2410 Cultural Anthropology, ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics, PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy, PHI 2630 Contemporary Moral Issues, POS 2041 American and Federal Government, POS 2112 American State and Local Government, PSY 2012 Introduction to Psychology, SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology, SYG 2010 Social Problems, and/or
• STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics (three credits)

Critical Tracking

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

• Complete 1 criminology-related foundation course (criminology-related foundation courses include introductory criminal justice and criminology courses - CCJ, CJL or CJE prefixes, such as CCJ 3024, CJL 2000, CJL 3038 - or related courses: AMH 2010, AMH 2020, ANT 2000, ANT 2410, ECO 2013, ECO 2023, PHI 2010, PHI 2630, POS 2041, POS 2112, PSY 2012, SYG 2000, SYG 2010)
• 2.3 UF GPA required

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

Recommended Semester Plan

Criminology and Law Electives

Students can select any CCJ, CJE, CJL or CJJ elective and up to 9 credits from the approved interdisciplinary courses (listed below). Some of these courses have prerequisites. Additional courses may be offered.

• ANT 3520 Skeleton Keys: Forensic Identification
• BUL 4310 Legal Environment of Business
• CLP 3144 Abnormal Psychology
• PAD 3003 Introduction to Public Administration