Bachelor of Arts in Criminology

Criminology is the study of crime, criminal behavior and corrections. Because crime is a core societal issue, criminologists examine society’s response to crime and the role of the state in crime prevention and enforcement. It is not always easy to understand why people commit crimes, what an appropriate punishment may be or how laws impact the prevention of crime. Criminologists study all of these issues and more. Criminology is an off-shoot of the field of sociology and borrows from the disciplines of law, political science, history and psychology, among others.

Careers in Criminology

Police officers and federal agents, corrections and probation officers, crime scene investigators and victim advocates— these are among the varied career paths that can be pursued with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology. Local, state and federal justice agencies hire people with degrees in criminology. As with any professional field, a graduate degree can lead to even higher-level careers in law enforcement, corrections, courts and human services.

The University’s Career Center is an important resource for students pursuing their career. Licensed counselors are available to provide strategies for mastering job interviews, writing professional cover letters and resumes and help students connect with campus recruiters, among other services.

Criminology at UT Dallas

The mission of the criminology program at UT Dallas is to examine the causes and consequences of crime and crime control politics by providing a program of study involving a variety of perspectives, approaches and social science disciplines. Faculty members are dedicated teachers and scholars who have published their work in the most prestigious journals in the field. They are committed to expanding the knowledge of the discipline and preparing students to be leaders in influencing society’s response to crime.

Students must take 120 hours to graduate: 42 hours from the University’s core curriculum and 58 specific hours in the major, including courses in criminal justice, theories of justice, comparative justice systems, research methods (including a senior research seminar) and statistics, among others. In addition, students must take 20 hours of electives, with nine of these hours in advanced courses outside of the major.

Criminology at UT Dallas also is offered as a minor and requires 18 credit hours.

Fast-Track

UT Dallas undergraduates who meet the requirements for admission to graduate school and have at least a 3.25 UT Dallas cumulative GPA should consider the Fast-Track option. Fast-Track allows students to take up to 15 credit hours of graduate courses their senior year that count toward both their bachelor's degree and a master's degree. Students who successfully complete the Fast-Track requirements are not required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) before entering the master's program.

The University of Texas at Dallas www.utdallas.edu/enroll

The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS)

Every new generation inherits a world more complex than that of their forefathers, which prompts a need for new thinking about public policies that impact people's daily lives. While our colleagues in the School of Management or the Jonsson School of Engineering are creating new managerial or technological systems, we in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) examine the implications of innovation and change for individuals and communities.

As an undergraduate in EPPS, you will have the chance to work with professors who are probing issues that will affect your future. You will develop the vital skills you need to thrive in a rapidly evolving, highly competitive job market. EPPS will prepare you for careers in government, non-profits and the private sector that enable you to make a real difference in the world of today and tomorrow.

Consider the following example of exciting work under way in EPPS. One of the most complex issues of our time is undoubtedly the question of how to improve public education. You hear rival opinions everywhere about the right way to fix our educational system. But researchers from a variety of disciplines within EPPS are working collaboratively to examine the hard data and measure the efficiency and effectiveness of current educational policies. Findings from their research could lead to improvements in educational practice and improve our children's ability to compete in a dynamic society.

EPPS is at the forefront of leadership, ethics and innovation in the public and nonprofit sectors. Our students and faculty look forward to new opportunities to study and address the complex and evolving issues of the future.

Research informs much of the instruction. The school has eight centers of excellence:

  • Center for Behavioral and Experimental Economic Science
  • Center for Crime and Justice Studies
  • Center for Global Collective Action
  • Center for the Study of Texas Politics
  • Institute of Public Affairs
  • Institute for Urban Policy Research
  • Texas Schools Project
  • The Negotiations Center

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts: Criminology, economics, geography, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, public affairs, political science, sociology

Master of Science: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, applied sociology, justice administration and leadership

Master of Arts: Political science, political science-constitutional law, political science-legislative studies

Master of Public Affairs: Public affairs

Master of Public Policy: Public policy

Doctor of Philosophy: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, public affairs, public policy and political economy, political science

Certificates

The certificates offered through EPPS are:

Geographic Information Systems (GISc): a 15-hour graduate-level certificate focusing on the application of GIS in government, private sector and scientific areas, which can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes.

Remote Sensing: a 15-hour for-credit graduate certificate focusing on remote sensing and digital image processing, which can be completed in one year of part-time evening study.

Geospatial Intelligence: a 15-hour graduate certificate focusing on the application of geospatial ideas and techniques to national security and other intelligence activity.

Public Affairs: 15-hour graduate-level certificates in homeland security, local government management, city planning and nonprofit management.

Contact Information

Recruitment Officer
EPPSrecruit@utdallas.edu
School Of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road GR 31
Richardson, TX 75080-3021

Office of Admission and Enrollment Services
800 West Campbell Road ROC 11
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Phone: 972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443
E-mail: interest@utdallas.edu
Website: utdallas.edu/enroll