Bachelor of Arts in Criminology

This major is offered through the Department of Sociology in the School of Arts and Sciences. This area of study focuses on the root causes and implications of crime in societies, the preventive strategies that could control such social behavior, and approaches the study of crime from an evidence-based and Catholic social justice perspective.

To fulfill the requirements for the major, students must complete 36 credit hours, of which six are core course requirements, to satisfy the major. The department offers an active internship program and encourages all majors to enroll in at least one internship course while in good academic standing at the university. Students may take up to six internship credits.

Course Requirements

SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology OR SOC 102 Global, Social Problems and Social Justice
SOC 107: Introduction to Criminal Justice*
SOC 202: Research Methods
SOC 301: Statistical Analysis for Social Sciences I (fulfills foundations of math requirement for sociology/criminology majors ONLY)
SOC 317: Criminological Theory
SOC 452: Senior Coordinating Seminar
SOC 496: Thesis Guidance OR SOC 498 Comprehensive Exam (please see below)

*Students who took SOC 205 prior to the Fall 2024 semester may count SOC 205 towards the SOC 107 requirement.

All majors must complete the above core required curriculum and an additional six elective courses with a grade of “C-” or better. We expect all Criminology majors to complete the above core courses (exempting SOC 452) before the senior year.

All students enrolled in the major are required to successfully pass either a comprehensive examination or a senior thesis. The senior thesis is under the supervision of one faculty advisor selected by the student pursuing the thesis option. Any student with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher may opt to complete the senior comprehensive or the thesis as part of her/his capstone experience. Students wishing to write a thesis in lieu of taking comprehensive exams must have identified a topic and a faculty sponsor by the end of their junior year, e.g., 2 semesters before graduating.

In addition to the above listed core courses, students are required to take six elective courses.

Elective Courses

SOC 110: Introduction to Africana Studies
SOC 204: Transnational Crime
SOC 205: Sociology of Crime and Justice
SOC 207: Bootleggers, Smugglers, Traffickers, and Cartels
SOC 208: Sociology of Delinquency
SOC 220: Social Interaction
SOC 226: Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
SOC 230: Families and Incarceration
SOC 270: Human Rights in a Global Society
SOC 300: Sociology Research Practicum
SOC 303: Public Safety Leadership
SOC 309: Sociology of Law
SOC 310: Police, Law and Society
SOC 311: Victimology
SOC 313: Criminal Investigations
SOC 315: Crime in Urban America
SOC 318: Domestic Terrorism Investigations: An FBI Perspective
SOC 319: Modern Islamic Terrorism
SOC 320: Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
SOC 322: Military and Society
SOC 324: Race and Ethnic Relations
SOC 327: The Changing Face of War
SOC 329: White Collar Crime
SOC 331: Globalization and Social Movements
SOC 332: Popular Culture and Crime
SOC 335: Surveillance
SOC 337: Crime and Corruption in Chinese Society
SOC 339: Punishment
SOC 341: Border Security
SOC 354: Social Psychology of Crime
SOC 355: National Security in American Film, Television, and Popular Culture Post- 9/11
SOC 357: National Security and Civil Liberties
SOC 365: Controlling America's Borders: Issues and Problems
SOC 371: Deviance and Control
SOC 404: Criminal Courts
SOC 407: Pillaging, Murder, and Mayhem: A Survey of Violent Crime
SOC 408: Religion and Terrorism
SOC 415: Criminal Behavior in America
SOC 424: Conflict and Conflict Resolution
SOC 468: The FBI and Counterintelligence
SOC 493: Independent Research
SOC 494: Independent Study in Sociology
SOC 495: Sociology Internship

Interdisciplinary Electives

ANTH 204: Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 206: Artifact Studies in Archaeology
CHEM 202: Science Under Oath
CSC 581 or EE 581: Cryptography and Stenography
LSC 324: Actionable Intelligence
MDIA 308: Mafia, Politics, and Italian Society in Cinema
MDIA 322: Media and Crime
POL 260: Intro to American Intelligence
POL 412A: Homeland Security
POL 437: Countering Terrorists and Radicals
POL 462: Moral Foundations of Intelligence
POL 468: US Counterintelligence: Operations and Controversies
POL 471: Issues in Contemporary U.S. Intelligence
PSY 302: Forensic Psychology

Undergraduate Admission

Apply to Catholic University's undergraduate program in Sociology.

Learn More

Why Study Sociology in D.C.?

Learn More

Criminology Electives

SOC 107 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 204 Transnational Crime
SOC 208 Sociology of Delinquency
SOC 226 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
SOC 230 Families and Incarceration
SOC 270 Human Rights in a Global Society
SOC 300 Sociology Research Practicum
SOC 303 Public Safety Leadership
SOC 305 Deviance and Social Control
SOC 306 Sociology of Masculinity
SOC 309 Sociology of Law
SOC 310 Police, Law, and Society
SOC 311 Victimology
SOC 313 Criminal Investigations
SOC 315 Crimes in Urban America
SOC 319 Modern Islamic Terrorism
SOC 320 Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
SOC 322 Military and Society
SOC 324 Race and Ethnic Relations
SOC 329 White Collar Crime
SOC 331 Globalization and Social Movements
SOC 332 Popular Culture and Crime
SOC 335 Surveillance
SOC 337 Crime and Corruption in Chinese Society
SOC 341 Border Security
SOC 350 Computer Applications to Policy Research
SOC 354 Social Psychology of Crime
SOC 357 National Security and Civil Liberties
SOC 365 Controlling America's Borders: Issues and Problems
SOC 371 Deviance and Control
SOC 407 Pillaging, Murder, and Mayham: A Survey of Violent Crime
SOC 408 Religion and Terrorism
SOC 415 Criminal Behavior
SOC 424 Conflict and Conflict Resolution
SOC 450 Race Relations in Feature Films
SOC 451 Senior Thesis Tutorial
SOC 468 The FBI and Counterintelligence
SOC 493 Independent Research
SOC 494 Independent Study
SOC 495 Sociology Internship