2018-19 Catalogs
BA in Criminology
The Criminology Department offers a four-year bachelor of arts (BA) degree in criminology. The program provides students with a liberal arts education focused on the complex relations among crime, law, and society, and which emphasizes the social sciences. The curriculum is a rigorous series of courses which provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of crime and crime control in contemporary, historical, and comparative perspective. The core of the curriculum is an integrated set of required courses. These courses are designed as a cumulative set of experiences and should be taken in sequence if possible. Elective courses enable students to place their criminological interests in a broader perspective.
Many students in the program are interested in social and human service occupations related to criminal, juvenile, and social justice. The program also prepares students for a wide variety of other career options and provides an excellent basis for graduate study in criminology, other social sciences, and law.
Program Requirements
The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University's Core curriculum) required for the major: 36. A grade of "C" or better is required in any course used for criminology major credit.
Required Courses (24 credits)
CRM 100 Introduction to Criminology
CRM 216 White-Collar Crime
CRM 220 Research Methods in Criminology
CRM 225 Crimes Against the Environment
CRM 310 Classical Theories of Social Order
CRM 317 Gender and Crime
CRM 365 Race and Punishment
CRM 402 Senior Seminar
Elective Courses (12 credits)
Students must choose four elective courses (12 hours) from the following list:
CRM 217 Crime in Maine
CRM 222 Field Studies in Informal Social Order
CRM 230 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
CRM 320 Film and Social Order
CRM 325 Domestic Violence
CRM 327 Animal Abuse
CRM 337 Youth Crime
CRM 340 Criminal Law
CRM 345 Criminology in Sweden
CRM 350 Topics in Criminology
CRM 360 The Death Penalty
CRM 370 Reflexive Criminology
CRM 375 Media, Crime, and Criminalization
CRM 380 Restorative Justice
CRM 390 Independent Projects
CRM 395 Internship
Admission Information
For the best overall Financial Aid package, submit your USM application and complete your FAFSA by January 15. However, you can apply at any time. Undergraduate applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Learn More about the Undergraduate Application Requirements & Process
Course Sequence
Recommended Course Sequence
Curriculum Summary and Guide
The criminology curriculum is a series of structured and integrated courses that should be taken in sequence, if possible.
Year | Required Courses | Elective Courses |
1 | Introduction to Criminology | |
Crimes Against the Environment | ||
2 | White-Collar Crime | |
Research Methods | ||
3 | Race and Punishment | Electives |
Gender and Crime | ||
Classical Theories of Social Order | ||
4 | Senior Seminar | Electives |