Criminology (Associate of Arts)

Overview

Learn about the implications of crime and how to handle it within our society from instructors who have experience on the front lines as lawyers, youth workers, police officers, policy makers and psychologists.

In the Associate of Arts Degree in Criminology program, you’ll study the criminal mind, and the intricate system society has designed to deal with criminal behaviour.

What is an Associate degree?

Associate degrees take two years to complete and concentrate on one area of study. If you plan your courses carefully with a university program in mind, you’ll be able to transfer all 60 credits to university. In most cases, an associate degree will allow you to enter the third year of a four-year bachelor's degree program. To ensure your courses transfer, see the BC Transfer Guide. If you take the required courses and electives, you can continue your education into our Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. 

Get paid, full-time work experience during your studies

Put your skills to work by joining the optional Co-operative Education Program, which alternates semesters of study with paid, full-time work in your field. You’ll earn money while gaining experience, building your resume and getting an employer reference, all before you graduate. To participate in Co-op you need to plan two semesters in advance, so we strongly recommend contacting the Co-op Office at the start of your program.

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements:

  • Successful completion of 60 University Transfer credits as listed below
  • A minimum program GPA of 2.00 is required
  • All courses must be University Transferable - a University Transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide.
  • 50% (30 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • Specializations are not noted on credentials but will be noted on the transcript

Course Requirements:

To complete an Associate of Arts Degree with a Specialization in Criminology, students must complete:

  • 18 or more credits (of the 60 credits required for their associate degree) in Criminology
  • nine of those 18 credits must be considered second-year courses. To qualify as a second-year course, a course must transfer to one of the research universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UVic, or UNBC) at the second-year level.

The following are the general requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at any BC college:

  • 6 credits first-year English* electives
  • 6 credits Humanities** electives
  • 6 credits Social Sciences** electives
  • 6 credits Arts** electives
  • 18 credits second-year Arts** electives in 2 or more subject areas
  • 3 credits Lab Science elective
  • 3 credits Math, Statistics or Computing Science elective
  • 3 credits Math, Statistics or Science elective
  • 9 credits other University Transfer electives

* English courses can include courses in written Communications and Creative Writing that transfer to one of the BC research universities (SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UVic or UNBC) as English credit. A maximum of 3 credits can come from such an equivalent; at least 3 credits must be earned in an actual ENGL course so-named. For purposes of the Associate of Arts degree, English courses cannot be counted as Humanities courses.

** Arts courses are available in the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. To confirm whether a course is designated as "humanities" or "social sciences", check the Associate of Arts degree graduation checklist. Economics courses are Arts courses. Arts courses may also include Mathematics courses.

Definitions:

A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at one of the research universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVic).

  • An Arts course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Arts Degree at one of the research universities.
  • A Science course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Science Degree or Baccalaureate of Applied Science Degree at one of the research universities. 
  • The requirements specified above are intended to provide breadth of exposure to a variety of disciplines in both Arts and Sciences. In some instances there may be some ambiguity as to whether a course is in the Humanities or Social Sciences and is an Arts course or a Science course. Most Physical Geography and Mathematics would be designated as Science courses.
  • A course in an "other" area is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate Degree other than in Arts, Science or Applied Science at one of the research universities.
  • A first-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 100-level at one of the research universities.
  • A second-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 200-level or higher level at one of the research universities.
  • A laboratory science course is one in which a substantial component of instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field.

For detailed information you should meet with a Student Success Advisor.

Co-operative Education Option:

Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for a Co-operative Education designation. Co-operative Education involves alternating full-time academic and work terms. For information contact the Co-operative Education Office.

Admissions Requirements

Cost

You can get an average cost for your program - tuition and student fees, books, uniforms, lab fees etc - on the Program Cost page. 

Only programs approved for student loan funding are listed on the Program Cost page. For all other programs, refer to the Tuition Fee page.

Career Pathways

With further education, this credential is a first step towards the following careers:

  • Bylaw Officer 
  • Crisis Services Coordinator 
  • Deputy Sheriff Association of Threat Assessment Professional 
  • Forensics Specialist 
  • Outreach/Victims Support Educator 
  • Police Officer
  • Polygraph Technician 
  • Probation Officer 
  • Transit Police 
  • Youth Justice Worker

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

FAQs

No. You apply to the College. Once you are accepted, you can register in Criminology courses. See the Admissions tab for more details. 

While there are core Criminology courses you must take, your program of studies requires that you take core courses and electives outside of Criminology such as English, Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy.

Yes this is possible, if you are attending full time (5 courses per semester). Students may need to take day or night classes or to travel to both campuses, depending on course offerings and availability of seats in the course(s) you require.

For some courses we will offer multiple sections, eg. Intro. to CJS, for some, like our special topic courses, we may offer one section per year. The majority of courses are offered in fall and winter with a smaller selection offered in the summer term.

  • to come to class prepared having completed any required readings or review questions
  • comprehensive reading and writing assignments
  • critical thinking, group discussions, oral presentations, debates
  • independent study