Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies
is the sociology-based study of crime
and the criminal justice system.
Our students are prepared for a variety of
career options. Some graduates enter
directly into the labor force in these fields:
law enforcement
delinquency prevention
delinquency control services
crime prevention
corrections
probation or parole
criminal justice administration
research
fraud investigation
loss prevention & asset
protection
Undergraduate criminology majors are
also employed in non-crime related
sectors such as:
Health and social services
(substance abuse and rehabilitation
counseling)
Community work (child and social
welfare agencies)
Federal, state, or local government
(urban planning & housing)
As part of a liberal arts/social science degree, the
criminology major provides an excellent
background for post-baccalaureate studies. Our
alums pursue graduate work in criminology or in
related fields such as sociology, anthropology,
political science, and psychology. In addition, the
major provides a foundation for post-baccalaureate
work in law, public policy, social work, business,
and urban planning.
Our major exposes students to the dimensions of
the crime problem, explanations of the prevalence
of various types of crime, and the various
agencies and programs designed to prevent and
control crime and delinquency. The latter include
the police, courts, probation and parole systems,
and correctional institutions. Attention is also
given to such issues as women and crime, youth
and crime, and the place of control agencies in
larger societal context. As a social science/liberal
arts field, criminology provides majors with a
variety of techniques for examining and
responding to important questions about the
causes and consequences of crime and the
workings of the criminal justice system.
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY 2
Structure of the Major: 13 Courses / 39 Credit hours
Required Courses:
SOC 3410 or H3410
Criminology
SOC 3488
Introduction to Sociological Theory
SOC 3487 or H3487 Research Methods in Sociology
SOC 3549
Statistics in Sociology*
*SOC 3549 will also fulfill your GE Data Analysis requirement.
The required courses provide the building blocks for the sociological understanding of crime. In
these courses you will:
• understand and practice research methods (3487),
• analyze statistical data (3549),
• gain understanding of the nature and causes of crime (3410), and
• apply sociological theory to contemporary society (3488).
Integrated Elective:
Choose one of the following:
SOC 3191: Internship Program in Sociology and Criminology (3 hrs minimum; Graded S/U)
SOC 4998: Undergraduate Research in Sociology (3 hrs minimum; Graded S/U)
SOC 4000S/E: Social Science Business Collaborative: A Service Leaning Approach
(Can either count as an upper level OR Integrated Elective for the major)
SOC H4999.02/4999.02: Senior Honors/Non-Honors Thesis (4 hrs minimum; Graded S/U)
Enrollment in either option requires permission of the department. Meet with an advisor to
plan this portion of your major.
Elective Courses:
The eight remaining courses must be chosen from the list of Criminology courses on the next
page. At least four of the eight must be chosen from the 4000-5000 level.
Course choices should be made in consultation with a departmental Academic Advisor.
With the exception of SOC 3549, courses that are listed for the major program
cannot also be
used to meet General Education requirements (GE��s).
Declaration of Major:
Sociology 1101 is a pre-requisite to declaring the major.
To officially declare Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies as your major, you must attend
a Major Orientation. Information about Orientation sessions is available at
http://intra.sociology.ohio-state.edu/ug/declare.php
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY 3
E
^ 2367.02 and 4591 courses are NOT allowed to double count on the major and the GE, unless you are pursuing a double major
4189.02 (Fieldwork in Criminology) & 4189.03 (Criminal Investigation) are great career development courses but do not count towards major.
Worksheet:
COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE
GRADE SMSTR/YR
Required Courses
SOC 3410/H3410 – Criminology
SOC 3488 – Introduction to Sociological Theory
SOC 3487/H3487-Research Methods in Sociology
SOC 3549-Statistics in Sociology
Elective Courses (at least 4 courses at the 4000 – 5000 level)
Integrated Elective
SOC 2202
Social Problems and Public Policy
SOC 2209
Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 2210
Sociological Aspects of Deviance
SOC 2211S
Corrections: An Inside Out Course
SOC 2290
Sociology of Death & Dying
SOC 2309
Introduction to Law and Society
SOC 2310
Sociology of Gangs
SOC 2345/
H
The Social Structure of American
Society
SOC 2367.02^ Urban Social Problems
SOC 2370
Social Psychology in Sociological Perspective
SOC 2391
Social Organization of Communities
SOC 3302
Technology and Global Society
SOC 3306
Sociology of Poverty
SOC 3315
Sociology of Terrorism
SOC 3380
Race and Ethic Relations in America
SOC 3430
Sociology of the Family
SOC 3434
The Child and Society
SOC 3460
Environmental Justice
SOC 3463
Social Stratification: Race, Class, and
Gender
SOC 4505
Capital Punishment in the U.S.
SOC 4507
The Criminal Justice System
SOC 4508
Violence
SOC 4509
Sociology of Law
SOC 4510
Gender, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System
SOC 4511
Juvenile Delinquency
SOC S4591^
Building Community Capacity:
A Service Learning Approach
SOC 4609
Neighborhoods and Crime
SOC 4610
Sociology of Deviant Behavior
SOC 4611
Jails, Prisons, and Community Corrections
SOC 4615
Control & Prevention of Crime & Delinquency
SOC 4635
Men and Women in Society
SOC 4655
Sociology of Sport
SOC 4000S/E Social Science Business Collaborative:
A Service Learning Approach
SOC 5525
Global Criminology
SOC 5605
Sociology of Sexuality
SOC 5618
Sociology of Police and Policing
Elective Course List:
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY 4
A grade of C- or above is required for all major courses.
(including the major pre-requisite SOC 1101)
A Cumulative Major GPA of 2.00 is required.
Major courses cannot be taken Pass/Non-Pass.
Transfer students must complete at least half of their major course work at Ohio State.
Criminology vs. Criminal Justice:
While there are a variety of disciplines which study crime, criminals, and criminal justice, three are
especially visible and important. They are sociology, criminology, and criminal justice. While these three
disciplines share a common substantive focus and, at the undergraduate level could lead to similar
career paths, they also differ in important ways. These differences are clearest on the graduate level but
readily apparent on the undergraduate level as well.
Sociology treats crime, criminals, and criminal justice as one of many behavioral and institutional
scholarly arenas of interest to sociologists. Along with education, health care, work and occupations,
race and gender, to name but a few, sociologists study crime, criminals, and criminal justice as one way
of better understanding the institutions humans create and the recurrent patterns of behavior they
nourish and sustain. Crime, criminals, and criminal justice are no more, or less, important than these
other areas of sociological research and teaching and sociologists do not regularly consider the policy or
administrative implications of their research.
Criminology treats crime, criminals, and criminal justice as central substantive concerns. Except as
other scholarly areas illuminate crime, criminals, and criminal justice such as educational levels or
linkages with the world of work, criminologists do not regularly teach or do research in areas other than
crime, criminals, and criminal justice. In addition, criminologists also pay more attention to policy and
administrative issues than do sociologists. On average, however, criminologists share an abiding interest
with sociologists in understanding rather than direct action.
Criminal justice is the newest of the three disciplines and clearly the most focused. It evidences singular
interests in crime, criminals, and criminal justice and it is rare indeed when professors and scholars
trained in criminal justice teach or do research in other disciplines than crime, criminals, and criminal
justice. Moreover, criminal justice scholars are far more likely to consider the policy and administrative
implications of their teaching and research and far more likely to offer both undergraduate and graduate
training to their students in policy and administration.
The Department of Sociology at The Ohio State University offers undergraduate majors in Sociology and
in Criminology. The latter training is very clearly sociological because the courses are professed by
scholars trained in sociology. As such, the focus is understanding crime, criminals, and criminal justice
and, except in passing, little attention is given to policy or administrative implications.
If you are interested in completing a Double Major in Sociology and Criminology or a Major and
Minor combination in the two disciplines, please consult with a Sociology Counselor.
*** Do not attempt to self-advise! ***
Major Guidelines:
Undergraduate Advising
Department of Sociology
(614) 292-1175; (614) 292-1227 FAX
www.sociology.osu.edu/ug/
141 Townshend Hall - 1885 Neil Ave Mall
Columbus OH 43210