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Criminology

Explore the scientific study of crime from a social and individual perspective.

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Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Criminology will allow you to gain a foundation for understanding the causes, correction and prevention of crime and the agencies involved in criminal justice. We provide a professional orientation that will be relevant to your occupational goals as well as your participation as a citizen in community affairs.

Degree Requirements

Courses in both political science and sociology are included in a 25-hour block that provides a general background in crime causation and agencies of criminal justice — plus the opportunity to select from more specific courses dealing with deviance, juvenile delinquency, the court system and correctional facilities.

Our students also complete a 120-hour internship with a criminal justice field agency during their senior year.

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Minor in Criminology

The criminology minor emphasizes criminological theory and research and is an introduction to the concept of deviance and related issues of criminal behavior. The minor is grounded in sociological theory and methods and allows students flexibility in the choice of specialized criminological study such as: juvenile delinquency, sociology of law, formal institutions of social control, community and crime, and data analysis in criminology.

  • Any student seeking a minor must consult with a minor adviser on a plan of work, and must file a copy of this plan with the minor adviser at least one semester before graduation. 
  • A 2.0 GPA is required in the minor course work
  • No courses taken for S/U credit will count toward the minor
  • A minimum of 9 hours of required course work must be taken at NC State University.  3 of those 9 credits must be 400-level.
  • Students completing a minor in criminology may not also complete a minor in sociology.
  • SOC 202, Principles of Sociology (3 credits)
  • SOC 206, Social Deviance (3 credits)
  • SOC 306, Criminology (3 credits)
  • SOC 300, Social Research Methods (4 credits)
  • One 400-level elective course. (3 credits) Options Include:
    • SOC 425, Juvenile Delinquency
    • SOC 427, Sociology of Law
    • SOC 428, Formal Institutions of Social Control
    • SOC 429, Data Analysis in Criminology
    • SOC 430, Community and Crime
    • SOC (PS) 432, Violence, Terrorism, and Public Policy
    • SOC 445, Inequality, Ideology, and Social Justice

Add or Change a Major

Are you interested in adding a second major or changing your degree to Criminology? We can help with that.

A student may be awarded only one of the following degrees: B.A. in Sociology (16SOCBA), B.S. in Sociology (16SOCBS) or B.A. in Criminology (16CRIMBA).

To add or change majors, students must complete NC State’s Change of Degree Application. Eligible students must have completed 12 ore more graded credit hours at NC State and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.   

For Criminology, preference will be given to students who meet the following qualifications:

  • Cumulative NC State GPA of 3.0 or better, or
  • GPA of 2.5 or better, AND completion of SOC 202 with grade of B- or better, AND completion of SOC 206 or SOC 306 with grade of B- or better
  • Students with less than a 2.5 GPA should contact Stephanie Jares at sjares@ncsu.edu for more information.   
  • Students completing a major in Criminology (B.A.) may not minor in Sociology.