Cool Major of the Month

Criminology

Criminology requires you to draw on a dynamic knowledge base that includes psychology, statistics, criminal law, and sociology. Criminologists serve a critical role in bringing criminals to justice as well as developing strategies to prevent future crimes. Those choosing this career have a unique opportunity to make a dramatic impact in the communities where they work. The University of Ottawa is one of the many schools offering Criminology programs.

The cool benefits of Criminology at the University of Ottawa:

  • Criminology involves the scientific analysis of crime, victimization, and of social control
  • It's an applied discipline in which students learn interventions to help resolve problems and conflicts
  • Five areas of focus:
    • The nature and dynamics of criminal behavior
    • The social construction of norms and of the notion of crime
    • The criminalization of specific behaviors, individuals and groups in social relations
    • The analysis of the goals and the workings of the criminal justice system
    • The examination of contemporary forms of intervention
  • Possible careers include:
    • Criminologist
    • Police Officer
    • Family and Marital Counselor
    • Health and Social Politics Researcher
    • Investigator
    • Penal Policy Designer and Analyst
    • Probation or Correctional Officer
    • Security Office

Programs Offered at the University of Ottawa

  • Masters of Arts in Criminology (M.A.)
    This program is designed for students who would like a career in research or policy areas related to the criminal justice system, or for students pursuing studies at the doctorate level. It includes a year of full-time study and a Masters’ thesis.
  • Masters of Criminology (Applied) (M.C.A.)
    This program is designed for students pursuing a career in correctional services and the administration of justice, or in fields related to justice-based interventions. It involves a year of full-time study, a field placement, and a major research paper.
  • Ph.D. in Criminology
    For students who wish to complete a doctoral degree, this program focuses on the creation and reform of criminal justice policies in Canada.

Program Requirements:

To be eligible for admission to the M.A. or M.C.A. programs at the University of Ottawa:

  1. Must have a Bachelor’s degree with honors in criminology or the equivalent in a related discipline (for example, sociology, psychology, law, social work, political science, history, philosophy), with a minimum average of 70 percent (B).
  2. Must have completed the following courses, or their equivalents, either as part of their honors undergraduate degree (or equivalent) or otherwise:
    • CRM 4304 Qualitative Research in Criminology.
      Epistemological and methodological issues in qualitative research in criminology.
    • CRM 3334 Quantitative Research in Criminology.
      Epistemological and methodological issues in quantitative research in criminology.
      Students meeting all admission conditions except the two courses CRM 4304 and CRM 3334 (or equivalents) may take these courses during their master’s program.
  3. Must have successfully completed a field placement in an approved setting or successfully complete CRM 5301 in addition to CRM 6400.

How to Apply?

To complete an online application, please visit www.grad.uottawa.ca/apply.

Other Schools Offering Education Degrees:

U.S.

  1. College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ, www.cse.edu.
  2. Tiffin University, Tiffin, OH, www.tiffin.edu.
  3. Altierus Career College, Canada and US, www.altierus.edu/.
  4. National University, CA, www.nu.edu.
  5. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, http://nau.edu.

Canada

  1. University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, www.grad.uottawa.ca.
  2. York University, Toronto, ON, www.yorku.ca.
  3. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, www.umanitoba.ca.
  4. University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, www.umontreal.ca.
  5. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, www.sfu.ca.
  6. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, www.utoronto.ca.

International

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, www.uq.edu.au.
  2. Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, www.uu.nl.