Criminology (CRIM) courses:
CRIM 1100 3 credits
Introduction to Criminology
Students will examine the core concepts, basic data sources, and general research findings in the field of criminology, with particular attention to Canadian developments and to Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and examples. They will study elements of continuity and discontinuity between traditional and contemporary theories of crime, deviance, criminality, and social control. Students will also be exposed to the major forms of criminal behaviour.
CRIM 1101 3 credits
Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
Students will study the various components that form the processes by which Canada responds to criminal behaviour. They will survey each of these components, such as the police, courts, and corrections, and will evaluate their impact on achieving justice.
CRIM 1107 3 credits
Canadian Legal Systems
Students will study Canada's legal systems, the different ways law is made in Canada, how law is organized, different explanations and perspectives of law, and its role in Canadian society. They will examine the court system and its processes, the selection and role of judges, how people become lawyers, and lawyers' responsibilities and regulation. Students will learn basic concepts in public and private law, including constitutional, criminal, and tort law. They will learn basic techniques of legal reasoning and research.
CRIM 1207 3 credits
Introduction to Criminal Law
Students will study the elements of criminal offenses and defenses in statute and case law in Canada. They will examine the historical, philosophical, and social roots of current criminal law and their impact on the definition of crime in Canada. Students will study how criminal law issues have been defined in the past, and how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has contributed to the resolution of some issues and created new ones.
CRIM 1208 3 credits
Methods of Research in Criminology
Students will examine the nature, logic, and structure of scientific research in the field of criminology. They will study fundamental elements of research design and methods of data collection in criminological research. Students will also conduct elementary data analysis.
CRIM 1215 3 credits
Interpersonal and Professional Development in Criminology
Students will be introduced to the values and skills essential to working competently and ethically in justice and human service systems. They will learn and practice various aspects of interpersonal communication, including effective listening, empathic engagement, appropriate self-disclosure, ethical decision making, teambuilding, advocacy skills, and interviewing techniques. Students will focus on self-awareness, critical thinking, and reflection, while embracing the values of diversity and humility. They will be active participants, engaging in experiential exercises and various practice sessions throughout the course.
CRIM 2103 3 credits
Quantitative Data Analysis I
Students will explore the logic and techniques of quantitative data analysis in criminal justice research, focusing on both descriptive and inferential statistics. They will use computer software to prepare data sets for analysis and describe and interpret univariate distributions and bivariate relationships.
CRIM 2204 3 credits
Criminal Justice and Psychology
Students will critically examine and evaluate the Canadian criminal justice system from a legal psychological perspective. They will study the structure and functions of the criminal justice system and its principal participants by examining current knowledge in the field of forensic and social psychology. Students will analyze theories and research relevant to the role of the police, prosecutor, defence lawyer, judge, jury, witness, and defendant. They will review the relevance and admissibility of psychological knowledge in criminal adjudications through case law analysis. Students will also explore the influences on the criminal justice process from the community, the public, and the media. Students may earn credit for only one of CRIM 2204 and PSYC 3451.
CRIM 2205 3 credits
Crime, Criminal Justice, and the Media
Students will critically examine the various ways in which crime and criminal justice are constructed in the media. They will explore crime and criminal justice representations in various media including films, television, print, and new media. Students will analyze how media constructions influence and shape historical and contemporary perceptions of crime and justice issues.
CRIM 2211 3 credits
Introduction to Policing
Students will examine the organizations, structures, and operations of Canadian policing. They will explore the institution of the public police and the practice of policing, policing history, theoretical perspectives on the role and function of policing, police subculture, and police-community relationships. Students will analyze police powers and the exercise of discretion, police procedures, operations, and governance accountability. They will also learn about emerging dimensions in policing research, including the expansion of pluralized or private forms of policing.
CRIM 2214 3 credits
Corrections: Theory and Practice
Students will develop an understanding of the history, theory, and philosophy of corrections and correctional practice, including the role of ideology in punishment and control, alternatives to incarceration, the organization and interaction of various correctional agencies and offender populations, and current trends in correctional practice. They will consider the lived experience of correctional staff and offenders and relationships of power, resistance, and identity within correctional settings. Students will explore international and North American developments in corrections.
CRIM 2249 3 credits
Youth Justice
Students will study the definition and control of youth misconduct in an historical and contemporary context. They will become familiar with the ways in which the definition of youth delinquency changes with shifting philosophical and sociopolitical circumstances with an emphasis on how these circumstances play out in a Canadian context. Students will critically analyze the historical and contemporary youth justice models in Canada. They will also learn theories of juvenile delinquency. Students will assess the social impact of programs and services implemented to deal with young offenders.
CRIM 2330 3 credits
Psychological Explanations of Criminal Behaviour
Students will be introduced to and critically examine neurophysiological, bio-genetic, psychiatric, and psychological explanations of deviant and criminal behaviour. They will give special attention to research that explores associations between criminality and genetics, brain chemistry, the endocrine system, mental disorders, personality, moral development, and various forms of social learning.
CRIM 2331 3 credits
Sociological Explanations of Criminal Behaviour
This course will introduce students to sociological perspectives on the causes, extent, and nature of crime and deviant behaviour in modern society. Students will critically assess the premises, logic, and utility of sociological theories such as strain theory, social control, social learning, cultural deviance and conflict theories, feminist sociology, and phenomenology.
CRIM 2341 3 credits
Canadian Criminal Justice Administration
Students will examine issues in the administration of criminal justice in Canada with regard to accountability, change, and impact. They will use theories of state and society to analyze criminal justice events, institutions, organizations, and processes, and locate them within a broader sociopolitical context. Students will examine the role of the judiciary, the administration, the legislature, and other groups and movements in the development of criminal justice policy and will consider the impact and application of scholarly research and views on policy development.
CRIM 2355 3 credits
Police Deviance and Accountability
Students will analyze the issue of police accountability and address the social, political, organizational, and psychological factors that contribute to police deviance. They will examine corruption, perjury, the use of excessive force, and personal or family repercussions of work pressures. Students will also examine systemic racial, gender, and class discrimination and society's response to police deviance. They will spend time analyzing the unique Canadian aspects of this topic.
CRIM 3000 3 credits
Justice/Injustice
Students will critically examine the concept of justice with respect to ongoing struggles for a just society. They will use a historical overview to explore how contemporary societies position themselves in relation to justice and injustice, including colonialism, post-colonialism, globalization, and counter-hegemonic movements. Students will be provided an opportunity to deconstruct taken for granted notions of how "justice" has become embedded in contemporary society. They will critically examine the interface between individual, collective, institutional, and global forces, and their impact on justice-related issues. Students will focus on the following paradigms of justice: social, restorative, retributive, distributive, and community. They will gain a critical understanding of the relationship between justice and injustice using both theory and praxis, while working in the classroom and the field. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 3100 3 credits
Advanced Theories of Crime and Community
Students will critically examine theoretical and empirical issues in crime and community research. They will study the ways in which structural, cultural, and institutional components of communities impact crime and delinquency. Students will also examine the effect of crime and delinquency on communities. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 3104 3 credits
Qualitative Research Methods
Students will learn the theory and practice of qualitative inquiry in criminological and criminal justice research. They will examine and assess data collection procedures that may include interviews, observation, and focus groups, and will evaluate strategies for organizing and analyzing qualitative data. Students will apply learned principles to selected examples.
CRIM 3111 3 credits
Contemporary Sociological Criminology
Students will examine contemporary trends in sociological criminology. They will review current themes and debates arising from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Students will also explore how an increasing emphasis on integrative model building influences sociological thinking in criminology. They will critically assess policy implications arising from recent developments in sociological criminology. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 3113 3 credits
Critical Criminology
Students will examine the core elements of critical analysis within criminology and will assess their application to the study of crime and social control. They will differentiate between alternative critical perspectives in terms of underlying assumptions and conceptions of power and inequality in society.
CRIM 3115 3 credits
Crime Mapping
Students will examine the use of geographic information systems (GIS) techniques as applied to crime analysis and criminal investigations. They will critically analyze the developments within the past decade in the use of geographical concepts/methodology toward the spatial-statistical analysis of criminal activity. Students will conduct spatial analyses using GIS software. They will critically analyze various methodological and practical issues pertaining to applied crime mapping.
CRIM 3118 3 credits
White-Collar & Corporate Crime
Students will critically analyze conceptualizations of white-collar crime and corporate crime. They will examine constructions of social harm and theoretical explanations of political, environmental, occupational, and corporate criminality. Students will study societal reactions to, and the prevention and regulation of, white-collar crime and corporate crime.
CRIM 3120 3 credits
Organized Crime
Students will apply criminological theory with a specific application to the phenomenon of organized crime. They will analyze the construction of “gang” and “organized crime." Students will study the global issues surrounding organized crime being a global issue that involves drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and other forms of crime. They will examine this issue from basic street gangs to sophisticated organized crime groups with a focus on prevention, intervention, and suppression. Students will also contest notions of organized crime and the relationship that often exists between organized crime and legitimate entities such as corporations and the state. Students will examine in depth the “push” and “pull” of gang life in British Columbia.
CRIM 3211 3 credits
Policing and Community
Students will analyze the history, theory, and organizational features of community policing, with an emphasis on the Canadian context. They will critically examine the history and current dynamics of police-community relations. Students will explore the historical antecedents of contemporary community policing strategies, relationships between current and emerging policing models, and research on the impact and effectiveness of community policing. They will examine problem-oriented, preventative, and intelligence-led models of policing. Students will examine critiques of police-community relations.
CRIM 3213 3 credits
Community Corrections
Students will critically evaluate the role of community corrections as an alternative to incarceration and as an approach to rehabilitation and community integration. They will critically examine such community-based programs as probation and intermediate sanctions including conditional sentencing. Students will critically evaluate conditional release programs such as parole and statutory release. They will critically analyze community corrections models and existing programs and sanctions as well as the challenges of working with offenders in community settings.
CRIM 3217 3 credits
Women, Crime, and Justice
Students will develop an historical and analytical overview of women's offences, victimization, and criminalization in Canada. They will examine the roles that gender and related intersections (especially Indigeneity, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic barriers) play in criminality, incarceration, and victimization. The social and political social responses to crime and victimization will also be reviewed. Students will examine various theories of women's crime and criminalization, with an emphasis on feminist theories and intersections with factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality. The gaps in mainstream criminological theories will be highlighted. There will be a focus on patterns of control, punishment, and policies and their implementation, as they affect women and girls in contact with the law.
CRIM 3249 3 credits
Issues in Youth Justice
Students will critically and comparatively analyze current issues in youth justice. They will study issues such as the over-representation of aboriginal youth and/or other minority youth in the youth justice system, gender justice, models of youth justice, policy implications of theories of youth justice, sentencing youth, violent and/or persistent youth offenders, rehabilitation, and youth and the media.
CRIM 3270 3 credits
Substance Use and Harm Reduction
Students will critically examine substance use regulation and harm reduction policies in Canada. They will examine core concepts, policies, harm reduction programs, and theories of addiction within historical and current social, political, and legal contexts. Students will analyze different approaches to managing substance use (e.g., punishment, harm reduction). They will focus on how legislation and drug policies are differentially and strategically applied and enforced with an emphasis on gender and racism.
CRIM 3302 3 credits
Procedure and Evidence
Students will learn the fundamentals of the law of criminal procedure and criminal evidence in Canada and will critically assess the policies behind the law. They will examine issues relating to charges, bail hearings, preliminary hearings, trials and appeals. Students will study the law on collecting and presenting evidence in light of current constitutional, statutory and common law limitations, and will compare criminal process with civil process.
CRIM 3305 3 credits
Law and Society
Students will learn about the relationship of law to different social and political structures. They will study the processes of making, enforcing, and reforming law, from different sociological, historical, and jurisprudential perspectives. Students will study the development of public opinion about law within communities and in the broader society, and the role of social movements in law reform. They will consider the role of legal reform in defining crime and deviance. Examination of the intersection between law and society will be positioned in Canada and in select jurisdictions across the world.
CRIM 3307 3 credits
Issues in Conflict Resolution
Students will learn and practice theories of conflict resolution such as negotiation, mediation, nonviolent communication, and advocacy. They will study emerging uses of conflict resolution in the justice system and in other settings within the community. Students will develop conflict resolution skills through study, role-playing, and group work. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 3310 3 credits
Restorative Justice
Students will critically examine the restorative justice paradigm and the history, philosophy, vision, and practices of restorative justice. They will analyze issues related to the pursuit of justice through restorative and community-based approaches to conflict. Students will gain insight by juxtaposing the lens of crime and punishment with the lens of harm and healing, exploring in the process the importance of values and relationships. Students will critically examine the roles of victims, offenders, community, and government. They will assess Canadian and international examples of restorative approaches in a variety of settings.
CRIM 3351 3 credits
Philosophy of Law
Students will study theories about the purpose and function of law from various historical eras. They will study major philosophical movements and perspectives on law including natural law, legal positivism, legal formalism, legal realism, critical legal studies, critical race theory, feminist legal theory, and Indigenous legal frameworks. Students will develop and understanding of law in theory and practice and how to apply legal philosophy to current legal issues. NOTE: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 3512 3 credits
Mental Disorder and Canadian Law
Students will critically examine the role mental disorder plays in Canadian civil and criminal proceedings. They will focus on the ways in which mentally disordered individuals are subject to different legal procedures and considerations in Canada. Students will examine the forensic assessment of mental disorder and its relationship to various legal standards and issues including civil commitment, the right to refuse treatment, fitness to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and dangerous and long-term offender hearings.
CRIM 3800 6 credits
Service Learning in Criminology and Justice
Students will volunteer for a not-for-profit social service agency or other community group that is mandated to address issues related to criminology and/or social justice. They will integrate criminological theory, concepts, and methods with their own direct experience of working in a community agency. Students will also be involved in weekly classroom meetings with classmates to share experiences, self-reflections, and insights about their volunteer work. They will reflect on, and analyze, the connections and disconnections between 'academic' and other sources of knowledge at play at the community level. Note: This is a seminar course combined with service learning. Note: The volunteer placement will be established in advance in consultation with the instructor.
CRIM 4112 3 credits
Contemporary Psychological Criminology
Students will study theoretical advancements that span a diverse spectrum of contemporary perspectives in psychological criminology. They will evaluate the explanatory scope and testability of models that examine a wide range of antisocial and criminal behaviour. Students will critically assess policy implications arising from recent developments in psychological criminology.
CRIM 4201 3 credits
Community Safety and Crime Prevention
Students will critically examine initiatives that can be undertaken at the community level to prevent crime and promote public safety. They will study crime prevention approaches that target elements of the built environment as well as the social and economic conditions that are linked to offending behaviour. Students will assess crime prevention and public safety not only in local neighbourhoods, but also at the municipal, provincial, national, and international levels. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 4205 3 credits
Surveillance, Privacy, and Control
Students will critically examine theories and practices of surveillance. They will learn how surveillance produces control and security, through complex practices that operate at multiple sites of social relations, including states, institutions, organizations, and interpersonal relationships. The course is designed to allow students to analyze notions of privacy, visibility, security, power, inequality, resistance, and rights. The course explores the history and development of surveillance practices, specifically concerning questions of crime and security, in relation to macro-social structures and trends (e.g., late stage capitalism, neoliberalism, post-9/11 anti-terror legislation, and the rise of digital culture and media).
CRIM 4235 3 credits
Minorities and the Criminal Justice System
Students will critically analyze the practices of othering. They will learn how these practices separate, exclude and disempower based on profiles organized by race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, education, ability, socio-economic status and/or other such categorizations. Students will examine relations of power between minorities and majorities within and with the criminal justice system, investigating processes of criminalization, victimization, oppression, colonization and resistance. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 4240 3 credits
Indigenous Peoples and Justice
Students will examine the historical and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples and the justice system in Canada utilizing a decolonized perspective. They will explore systemic and institutional racism as well as the impacts of residential schools and the effects of colonialism on traditional values and culture. Students will learn about evolving Indigenous legal rights and the challenges Indigenous peoples face relating to land claims, self-government, and access to resources. They will also examine risk factors relating to victimization and criminalization. Students will gain insight and understanding of various Indigenous teachings, worldviews, culturally relevant healing, crime prevention, and restorative justice, through learning from an Indigenous perspective.
CRIM 4245 3 credits
Indigenous Activism
Students will examine historical and contemporary Indigenous activism in the Americas. They will critically assess government and corporate intrusion on Indigenous rights and lands, and Indigenous people’s collective resistance and attempts to protect inherent rights and lands. Students will study Indigenous mobilization, political organization, self-determination, resurgence, and regeneration of communities and cultures. They will examine collective strategies and tactics, specific examples of struggle, visions of social alternatives (anti-capitalist, anti-statist, anti-colonial, etc.), and community social relations. NOTE: Students may earn credit for only one of CRIM 4245 and INDG 4245 as they are identical courses.
CRIM 4300 3 credits
Administrative and Regulatory Law
Students will critically examine the phenomenon of public regulation in Canada. They will evaluate the range of options, apart from the criminal law, that the state may use to advance its concept of the public interest, comparing strategies and enforcement as well as implications and consequences. Students will also investigate and apply the principles of administrative law developed by courts and legislatures to provide oversight to administrative and regulatory regimes. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 4301 3 credits
Community Advocacy and Human Rights
Students will study the national and international evolution of human rights in public attitudes, political and legal theory, and practice. They will contrast ideas about individual human rights with collective rights, diversity, and equality. Students will consider and evaluate various strategies used by marginalized groups to achieve their goals. Students will become familiar with the legal framework of human rights in Canada, including provincial and federal legislation, the Constitution, case law, international law, and various means of articulating and advancing human rights claims and interests.
CRIM 4310 3 credits
Wrongful Convictions
Students will analyze the phenomenon of wrongful convictions. They will critically examine factors linked to wrongful convictions such as false confessions, eyewitness misidentifications, government misconduct, bias and racism, police interrogation techniques, Mr. Big Operations, tunnel vision, faulty forensic science, ineffective counsel, and other underlying legal issues. Students will examine cases of wrongful convictions to illustrate these factors, as well as engage with research to analyze and identify causes of wrongful convictions. They will also examine responses to and prevention of wrongful convictions, including the role of Innocence projects and other post-conviction review work.
CRIM 4400 3 credits
Ethics and Professional Development
Students will analyze, critique, and apply moral and ethical reasoning in preparation for their role as practitioners in the justice field. They will examine contemporary ethical issues in justice and human service systems. Students will examine, develop, and express their own values and positions relative to ethical issues they may face as practitioners in the field. They will be active participants throughout the course, focusing on self-awareness, critical thinking, and reflection. Students will develop written, oral, reasoning, and interpersonal skills required to respond to ethically challenging situations in a competent and professional manner. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 4410 3 credits
Policy and Program Evaluation
Students will critically analyze the approaches to developing and conducting policy and program evaluations within the criminal justice system. They will examine quantitative, qualitative, and quasi-experimental methods for analyzing criminal justice initiatives, explore various goals and theories of evaluation, and learn how to interpret appropriately and communicate results. Students will analyze specific criminal justice policies and programs to illustrate possible alternative responses to social problems and the varying effects of criminal justice policies. Note: This is a seminar course.
CRIM 4800 12 credits
Practicum in Criminology and Justice
Students will work within a justice related or community organization for one semester under the supervision of the faculty practicum coordinator and an agency representative. They will further their personal and professional development, integrating knowledge and skills acquired from the degree curriculum in the context of their practical field experience. Students will complete assignments addressing theoretical and practical issues relating to their placement, as well as attend periodic seminars as a class. Note: Students must work with the faculty practicum coordinator to obtain a mutually agreed upon placement at the beginning of the semester prior to the start of this course. Only those students who obtain a placement with approval from the practicum coordinator will be able to register; it is a competitive process and a placement cannot be guaranteed. All of (a.) 90 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including CRIM 4400, and (b.) 6 credits from courses in ENGL at the 1100 level or higher, and (c.) Permission of the Department Practicum Coordinator
CRIM 4900 3 credits
Special Topics
Students will examine a selected topic in criminology, which varies semester to semester, chosen by the instructor for the course. They will critically analyze relevant literature and develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Students will examine and evaluate recent developments in the field, assess the implications of these developments, and identify future directions of research, theory, or policy development. Note: This is a seminar course. Note: The area of study will be established in advance by the department. Please check with the department for proposed offerings. Students may take this course twice on different topics.
CRIM 5000 3 credits
Honours Thesis I
Students will carry out a detailed investigation of a criminological topic of interest. They will conduct the investigation, under the supervision of a faculty member with expertise in the area, in the form of a literature review. Students will identify and review relevant sources of information to develop a comprehensive understanding of their topic. They will submit to their Honours supervisor a final paper reviewing the literature relating to their topic and identifying potential research questions for further investigation. Note: The literature review and the research issues identified in this course will be used for the completion of a research proposal in CRIM 5010 and completion of a thesis in CRIM 5020.
CRIM 5010 3 credits
Honours Seminar
Students will critically analyze issues relating to the conduct of research in criminology, beginning with the development of research questions through to the dissemination of research results in academic journals and at conferences. They will write a proposed research design or method of inquiry to investigate a specific research hypothesis or issue. Students will present their research proposal to their supervising committee in an open forum. Note: This is a seminar-based course. The research proposal for this course is based on an examination of the literature carried out in CRIM 5000 and will be used for the subsequent completion of CRIM 5020.
CRIM 5020 6 credits
Honours Thesis II
Students will carry out the original research project proposed in CRIM 5010 under the supervision of a faculty member with expertise in the area selected. They will, using appropriate methods, collect and interpret data, and write a thesis on the results of the project. Students will orally defend their thesis in an open forum.
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