The Criminology BA degree program will prepare students for employment in various criminal justice-related areas and/or pursuit of advanced degrees in criminology or public policy academic programs by educating them in the theories and decision-making points which comprise the criminal justice system as well as to examine various research strategies, methodological and philosophical issues, and legal and ethical issues pertaining to the origins of crime and injustice and society's response to these issues.

• Students will describe and analyze the structure and functions of the various components of the criminal justice system—police, courts, and corrections—by evaluating each stage of processing from arrest to release.
• Students will develop knowledge in the scientific method and its applicability to the study of crime and criminal behavior by learning about how crime is measured and the basic elements of research design.
• Students will describe, classify, and evaluate the theoretical foundations of criminology from past to present as they relate to the causes and correlates of crime and criminal behavior.