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School of Criminology | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Simon Fraser University Calendar | Summer 2025

Criminology Honours

Bachelor of Arts

Program Declaration and Continuation

Students must first declare the major. Students normally apply for the criminology honours program in the Spring term (February) and typically complete 104 total units with a minimum 3.00 CGPA prior to the start of the honours program in the Fall term (September). Students may complete up to eight additional units of the 104 during the Fall term. Students must complete and defend their theses in an Honours Symposium by the following April.

To continue in the honours program, students must maintain a 3.00 CGPA. Students whose CGPA falls below 3.00 cannot enroll in CRIM 499 and, therefore, cannot complete the program. Students whose CGPA falls below 2.25 cannot enroll in any upper division CRIM courses.

Program Requirements

This structured program for outstanding undergraduate students complements the criminology major program and consists of two terms of advanced course work and supervised research. Honours students write and defend a short thesis.

Students complete a minimum of 120 units, including a minimum of 60 upper division units, as specified below with CGPAs in accordance with general and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences graduation requirements including a minimum 3.00 CGPA.

Lower Division Requirements

60 units under group A, group B and general electives.

  • eight courses from group A with minimum C- grades
  • six courses from group B with minimum C- grades
  • an additional six courses of general electives

Group A Lower Division Requirements

All of

CRIM 101 - Introduction to Criminology (3)
CRIM 103 - Psychological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behavior (3)
CRIM 104 - Sociological Explanations of Criminal and Deviant Behavior (3)
CRIM 131 - Introduction to the Criminal Justice System - A Total System Approach (3)
CRIM 135 - Introduction to Canadian Law and Legal Institutions: A Criminal Justice Perspective (3)
CRIM 220 - Research Methods in Criminology (3)
CRIM 230 - Criminal Law (3)

and one 200 level CRIM course

Group B Lower Division Requirements

Six courses, including

SA 150 - Introduction to Sociology (S) (4)

and one of

POL 100 - Introduction to Politics and Government (3)
POL 151 - Justice and Law (3)

and

STAT 203 - Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences (3)

or one of

BUS 232 - Business Statistics (3)
PSYC 210 - Introduction to Data Analysis in Psychology (4)
STAT 201 - Statistics for the Life Sciences (3)
STAT 205 - Introduction to Statistics (3)

and

any 100 or 200 division PHIL course

and both of

PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology I (3)
PSYC 102 - Introduction to Psychology II (3)

General Electives Lower Division Requirements

Students complete the balance of the first 60 units by choosing any other 100-200 division courses. Breadth requirements must be completed for graduation and general electives should be considered for that purpose.

Upper Division Course Access and Requirements

Students with a minimum 2.25 CGPA are eligible to enroll in upper division criminology courses upon successful completion of 60 units and criminology program declaration.

Students complete a minimum of 60 upper division units including a minimum of 48 units in upper division criminology* with minimum C grades in each course, including

CRIM 300W - Current Theories and Perspectives in Criminology (3)
CRIM 320 - Quantitative Research Methods in Criminology (3)
CRIM 321 - Qualitative Research Methods in Criminology (3)
CRIM 330 - Criminal Procedure and Evidence (3)
CRIM 490 - Honours Thesis I (3)
CRIM 491 - Current Theory and Research in Criminology: Advanced Topics (4)
CRIM 499 - Honours Thesis II (9)

*Declared criminology students may not take CRIM 301 for credit.

Graduation Requirements

Students must obtain a minimum grade of C- in all required courses. In addition to normal university grade point average requirements, the School of Criminology requires the following: for graduation, students must obtain a minimum 3.0 CGPA, 3.0 UDGPA, 3.0 criminology course CGPA (calculated on all CRIM courses completed at SFU), and 3.0 criminology course UDGPA (calculated on all upper division CRIM courses completed at SFU).

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Honours Degree Requirements

For all bachelor of arts (BA) honours programs, students complete at least 120 units, which includes

  • at least 60 units that must be completed at Simon Fraser University
  • satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
  • students complete at least 60 upper division units, which must include at least 48 units in upper division courses in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program; no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution can be used toward this requirement
  • at least 60 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
  • students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program
  • students are required to achieve an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0, and an honours program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to Simon Fraser University beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit

Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at Simon Fraser University within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each)

Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more)
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth

Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division:

Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc
Two courses (total six units or more) Humanities: B-Hum
Two courses (total six units or more) Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth

Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements).

Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

  • At least half of the program's total units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study.
  • At least two thirds of the program's total upper division units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.