Program Length
- 2 Years
Credential
- Diploma
The Criminology Diploma Program
Students interested in the diploma must apply to the Bachelor of Arts, Major in Criminology. Prior to completion of their first year, students must indicate their interest in exiting with their Criminology Diploma.
Criminology is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on law and its interpretation by the courts, patterns in crime, explanations for deviant and criminal behaviour, and society’s reaction to law-breaking. The program introduces students to criminal law, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and case-law decisions made by the courts. Students examine the three main components of the criminal justice system—police, courts, and corrections. Students explore the trends and correlates of crime, including the influences of age, ethnicity, gender, and social class and how. Major explanations for crime account for these patterns by looking at historical, individual and social causes. The criminological focus is broadened with courses from other disciplines within the Social Sciences and Humanities.
The program provides students with conceptual, critical, and applied skills to work in fields where a legal/justice focus is beneficial. The curriculum emphasizes the development of professional and applied skills including professional ethics, conflict mediation, use of information technology for research, writing, presenting, and working in small groups. Although the core of the curriculum is centred on justice-related issues, students will find the program applies equally to areas in the private sector where research competence, project management, legal analysis, and communication skills are essential.
Students who successfully complete the first two years of the program with a minimum program cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 may apply to receive a Diploma.
| Year 1 | Credits |
|---|---|
| CRIM 101 - (Intro to Criminology) or three credits from INTR 102 (Intro to Criminology and Sociology) | 3 |
| CRIM 103 - (Psycho-social Explanations of Criminality) or three credits from INTR 104 - (Criminological Theory and the Lived Experience) or PSYC 103 - (Psychological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behaviour) | 3 |
| CRIM 131 - (Intro to the Criminal Justice System) | 3 |
| CRIM 135 - (Intro to Canadian Law and Legal Institutions: a Criminal Justice Perspective) | 3 |
| Select at least one course from the following list: PHIL 100 - (Rhetoric and Reasoning) PHIL 111 - (Intro to Philosophy: Theory of Knowledge) PHIL 112 - (Intro to Philosophy: Ethics) | 3 |
| PSYC 111 - (Contemporary Psychology I) | 3 |
| PSYC 112 - (Contemporary Psychology II) | 3 |
| SOCI 111 - (Intro to Sociology) or three credits from INTR 102 (Intro to Criminology and Sociology) | 3 |
| Degree English Requirements Note: Students who achieve a grade of “B+” or better in ENGL 115 or ENGL 117 do not have to take additional English credits, but will need to take a further 3 credits of electives towards a Diploma or Major in Criminology. | 3-6 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Year 2 | Credits |
|---|---|
| CRIM 204 - (Deviance, Crime and Social Control) | 3 |
| Select one of the following Research Methods courses: CRIM 220 - (Research Methods in Criminology) or, SOCI 250 - (Introduction to Social Research) or, SSID 250 - (Introduction to Social Research) or, PSYC 204 - (Research Methods) | 3 |
| CRIM 230 - (Criminal Law) | 3 |
| Select at least one course from the following list: CRIM 200 - (First Peoples, Colonization, and Justice) CRIM 210 - (Law, Youth and Young Offenders) CRIM 213 - (Gender, Crime and Justice) CRIM 241 - (Intro to Corrections) CRIM 251 - (Intro to Policing) CRIM 290 - (Alternative Conflict Resolution in Criminal Justice Systems) CRIM 299 - (Current Topics in Criminology) | 3 |
| Select one of the following statistics courses: MATH 161 - (Intro to Statistics for Social Sciences) or, MATH 181 - (Introduction to Statistics) or, MATH 211 - (Statistics I) QUME 232 - (Business Statistics I) | 3 |
| POLI 151 - (Law and Politics in Canada) | 3 |
| Select one or two courses from the following list: Any INDG 100, 200, or 300 offering SWAG 210 – (Introduction to Indigenous Feminisms) SWAG 211 – (Introduction to Indigenous Gender) SWAG 310 – (Unsettling Canada: Indigenous Women's Activism) SWAG 311 – (Healing Words: Indigenous Women's Storytelling) SWAG 340 – (Indigenous Feminisms and Indigenous Law) HIST 116 – (First Nations People in Canadian History since 1867) PHIL 113 – (Indigenous Philosophy: Comparative Perspectives) Note: Students who only take 3 credits of Indigenous course content will need to take a further 3 credits of electives towards a Diploma in Criminology. CRIM 200 cannot be used to fulfill the INDG requirement. | 3-6 |
| Two to four electives chosen from any 100/200/300/400-level courses. The number of electives required depends on the number of Indigenous and/or ENGL credits completed. | 6-12 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
- General admission requirements apply.
- English 12 with minimum “C” or equivalent.
- One of Principles of Mathematics 11, Applications of Mathematics 11, or Foundations of Mathematics 11 with minimum “C”, or equivalent.
Notes on Admission
- Aboriginal students can apply for reserve seats by submitting the Access Initiative for Indigenous Students form.
- Admission rankings are determined by the overall GPA of English 12 and Mathematics 11.
- Enrolment in this program is limited. Students who meet or exceed the minimum admission requirements may not necessarily be admitted to the program.
Graduates of the Diploma program have accessed careers in provincial corrections or probation, federal parole or corrections, policing, customs and immigration, court–related occupations, or working with youth in correctional/therapeutic settings.
Domestic Fees
Tuition and Other Mandatory Student Fees
When applying to the program, applicants will be charged a non-refundable application fee.
When applying to graduate, students will be charged a non-refundable graduation and alumni fee.
Some courses have additional fees to pay for extraordinary class–related expenses.
| Fees for One Year* | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (30 credits x $166.40 per credit) | 4,992.00 |
| Student Activity fee (8 months x $19.97 per month) | 159.76 |
| Student Services fee (8 months x $22.05 per month) | 176.40 |
| VIU Students' Union fee (8 months x $27.60 per month) | 220.80 |
| Health and Dental Plan fee ($285.00 per year) | 285.00 |
| Approximate cost for books and supplies for one year | 1,330.00 |
| Total | 7,163.96 |
* The above table is based on ten 3-credit courses taken over two semesters.
The VIUSU Health and Dental Plan fee is assessed for all students enrolled in 6 credits or more per term, or in Trades/Vocational programs of 5 months or longer.
All fees are subject to change without prior notice and are expected to increase by 2% each year on April 1.
International Fees
Tuition and Other Mandatory Student Fees
When applying to the program, applicants will be charged a non-refundable application fee.
When applying to graduate, students will be charged a non-refundable graduation and alumni fee.
Some courses have additional fees to pay for extraordinary class–related expenses.
| Fees for One Year* | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (30 credits x $799.77 per credit) | 23,993.10 |
| Student Activity fee (8 months x $19.97 per month) | 159.76 |
| Student Services fee (8 months x $22.05 per month) | 176.40 |
| VIU Students' Union fee (8 months x $27.60 per month) | 220.80 |
| Health and Dental Plan fee ($285.00 per year) | 285.00 |
| Approximate cost for books and supplies for one year | 1,330.00 |
| Total | 26,165.06 |
* The above table is based on ten 3-credit courses taken over two semesters.
The VIUSU Health and Dental Plan fee is assessed for all students enrolled in 6 credits or more per term, or in Trades/Vocational programs of 5 months or longer.
All fees are subject to change without prior notice and are expected to increase by 2% each year on April 1.
Sign up for more information about this program
Further information on this program can be found on the Department website.
Visit the Department WebsitePrevious versions of this program can be found in the Program Archive.