Please note:
To view the current Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar.html.
Criminology General
This certificate is primarily directed toward undergraduates and criminal justice professionals, but is open to all. Those who hold a bachelor’s degree (in any field of study) should refer to the post baccalaureate diploma in criminology.
This certificate is not designed to satisfy specific employment credentials. Rather, the general certificate provides a basic theoretical and descriptive criminology foundation.
Certificate program courses are offered through the Centre for Distance Education to assist students to understand the complexities of illegal behaviors, as well as society’s reactions.
Units applied toward a certificate may not be applied toward any other Simon Fraser University certificate or diploma, but may be applied toward major program or minor program requirements, or toward a bachelor’s degree under the normal regulations governing those programs.
Program Declaration
Students are eligible to apply for entry to the criminology general certificate program if
- they have been admitted to Simon Fraser University (or are in the process of being admitted); and
- they have completed and received grades for ONE of the following courses, with a final grade of C- or better
Topics will include: examination of different terms and concepts commonly used in criminology, such as crime, delinquency, deviance, criminal, victim, rehabilitation and treatment. Criminology as a body of knowledge and as a profession. Position and subject matter of criminology. Relationship between criminology and other academic disciplines. Specificity of criminology. Relationship between theory and practice. History and evolution of criminological thought. Elements of continuity and discontinuity between classical and modern theories of criminality. Levels of explanations in criminology. Practical applications of criminology. The foundations of a modern criminal policy. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Nikolay Shchitov |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 3:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 6:30–7:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D107 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 7:30–8:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Introductory analysis of the structure and operation of the Canadian criminal justice system. Examination of the patterns of crime and victimization; police operations, discretion and decision making; the criminal courts, including sentencing; the corrections system, including correctional institutions and community-based models; the youth justice system. Patterns of contact and conflict between various social groups and the criminal justice system. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Rachelle Louden |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
A general introduction to the fundamental and competing principles of jurisprudence and to the basic legal institutions of Canada. Prepares students for those law and law related courses offered within the School of Criminology and will consider the history of Canadian law, the development of the Canadian constitution, the system of Canadian courts and the roles and responsibilities of members of the legal profession. In addition, the course will consider the nature of legal reasoning, the doctrine of precedent, principles of statutory interpretation and will also introduce the fields of contract, torts, administrative law, and family law. Also examines the process of law reform in Canada. Breadth-Social Sciences.
An introduction to criminological research that is intended to develop the student's research and analytical skills. Specifically, the course will focus on the theory of inquiry, the logic, and structure of criminological inquiry, research design, data gathering, analysis and reporting. Prerequisite: Any 100 division CRIM course is recommended. Students with credit for CRIM 120 may not take CRIM 220 for further credit. Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Vienna Lam |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Nature, purpose, scope, sources and basic principles of the criminal law. Study of certain fundamental legal concepts such as mens rea, negligence and strict liability. Analysis of the concept of criminal responsibility in Canada. Critical examination of the legislative policies expressed in the Criminal Code. Study of the basic elements of a criminal offence. Examination of the legal principles relating to certain specific crimes and to certain major defences. Impact of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the criminal law. Prerequisite: CRIM 135.
Admission, Program Declaration, and Continuation
Applicants must meet university undergraduate admission deadlines as shown in this Calendar. Application forms and official documents must be submitted to Student Services. In addition to applying for University admission, students apply in writing to the School of Criminology's advisor for certificate program declaration.
To continue in the program, students must maintain a 2.25 cumulative grade point average (CGPA)*. Students whose CGPA falls below 2.25 cannot enroll in any upper division CRIM courses.
*transfer students who meet the criminology program declaration requirements upon admission to SFU may use their admission CGPA for declaration purposes
Program Requirements
Students complete:
One of:
An introduction to, and critical examination of, biogenetic, psychiatric, and psychological explanations of criminal and deviant behavior. Special attention will be given to the hypothesized links between criminality and genetics, physiology, the endocrine system, mental disorders, personality, moral development, and other forms of social learning. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 and 102 are recommended. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Suzanna Michener |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 3:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
A survey of some major sociological perspectives on crime and deviance that will include both mainstream and critical theories. These will include: anomie, neutralization, control, group conflict, sub-cultural, ecological, functionalist and critical theories. Critical analysis of the assumptions upon which each theory is based. Examination of the similarities and differences between/among the various explanations. Prerequisite: SA 150 is recommended. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Plus all of:
Topics will include: examination of different terms and concepts commonly used in criminology, such as crime, delinquency, deviance, criminal, victim, rehabilitation and treatment. Criminology as a body of knowledge and as a profession. Position and subject matter of criminology. Relationship between criminology and other academic disciplines. Specificity of criminology. Relationship between theory and practice. History and evolution of criminological thought. Elements of continuity and discontinuity between classical and modern theories of criminality. Levels of explanations in criminology. Practical applications of criminology. The foundations of a modern criminal policy. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Nikolay Shchitov |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 3:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 6:30–7:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D107 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 7:30–8:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Introductory analysis of the structure and operation of the Canadian criminal justice system. Examination of the patterns of crime and victimization; police operations, discretion and decision making; the criminal courts, including sentencing; the corrections system, including correctional institutions and community-based models; the youth justice system. Patterns of contact and conflict between various social groups and the criminal justice system. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Rachelle Louden |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
A general introduction to the fundamental and competing principles of jurisprudence and to the basic legal institutions of Canada. Prepares students for those law and law related courses offered within the School of Criminology and will consider the history of Canadian law, the development of the Canadian constitution, the system of Canadian courts and the roles and responsibilities of members of the legal profession. In addition, the course will consider the nature of legal reasoning, the doctrine of precedent, principles of statutory interpretation and will also introduce the fields of contract, torts, administrative law, and family law. Also examines the process of law reform in Canada. Breadth-Social Sciences.
An introduction to criminological research that is intended to develop the student's research and analytical skills. Specifically, the course will focus on the theory of inquiry, the logic, and structure of criminological inquiry, research design, data gathering, analysis and reporting. Prerequisite: Any 100 division CRIM course is recommended. Students with credit for CRIM 120 may not take CRIM 220 for further credit. Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Vienna Lam |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Wed, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Nature, purpose, scope, sources and basic principles of the criminal law. Study of certain fundamental legal concepts such as mens rea, negligence and strict liability. Analysis of the concept of criminal responsibility in Canada. Critical examination of the legislative policies expressed in the Criminal Code. Study of the basic elements of a criminal offence. Examination of the legal principles relating to certain specific crimes and to certain major defences. Impact of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the criminal law. Prerequisite: CRIM 135.
Plus two of:
Any PHIL 100 or 200 division course
The development of laws and their application to the citizen and social groups. Special consideration will be given to civil liberties. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Acquaints the student with the major issues in contemporary psychology and considers the historical antecedents. Special attention is given to questions of methodology and research design in psychology. Topics in physiological psychology, perception, learning and motivation are considered. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
B100 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
B101 | TBD |
Acquaints the student with major issues in contemporary psychology and considers their historical antecedents. Topics in learning, cognition, social psychology and abnormal psychology are considered. Recommended: PSYC 100 is recommended but not required. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Alyssa Croft |
May 6 – Jun 17, 2024: Mon, Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Explores how sociologists study, describe, and explain social life. Introduces the sociological perspective and applies it to fundamental social process and everyday issues. As we consider phenomena ranging from interactions among individuals to societal and global inequalities, students critically examine social issues to build their understanding of the world. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
D100 |
Baran (Abu) Fakhri |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
D101 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Mon, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Descriptive and inferential statistics aimed at students in the social sciences. Scales of measurement. Descriptive statistics. Measures of association. Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals. Students in Sociology and Anthropology are expected to take SA 255 before this course. Intended to be particularly accessible to students who are not specializing in Statistics. Prerequisite: Recommended: 30 units including a research methods course such as SA 255, CRIM 220, POL 200W, or equivalent. Students cannot obtain credit for STAT 203 if they already have credit for - or are taking concurrently - STAT 101, 201, 205, 285, or any upper division STAT course. Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
OL01 |
Wei Lin |
Online | |
OP01 | TBD |
The collection, description, analysis and summary of data, including the concepts of frequency distribution, parameter estimation and hypothesis testing. Intended to be particularly accessible to students who are not specializing in Statistics. Prerequisite: Recommended: 30 units. Students cannot obtain credit for STAT 205 if they already have credit for - or are taking concurrently - STAT 101, 201, 203, 285, or any upper division STAT course. Quantitative.
Upper Division Course Access
Students with a minimum 2.25 CGPA are eligible to enroll in upper division criminology courses upon successful completion of 60 units and certificate declaration. Students pursuing the certificate independent of a degree program will be eligible to access these courses without completion of 60 units; in these cases, completion of lower division prerequisite courses may be required.
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 2.25 CGPA, 2.25 UDGPA, 2.25 criminology course CGPA (calculated on all CRIM courses completed at SFU), and 2.25 criminology course UDGPA (calculated on all upper division CRIM courses completed at SFU).