Criminology

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses, including Grade 12 U English.

Notes:

1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English. 
2. A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in Grade 12 U English.
3. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

Students will learn to question the assumptions behind both administrative practice and policies that emerge from a variety of sources, and to evaluate them on a range of criteria, including the empirical, theoretical, and ethical bases. This will also include an analysis of the influence of race, class, gender, and other forms of social inequality on the administration of criminal justice and broader institutions. The tools to engage constructively with both state and non-state/community responses to crime will be a theme throughout. This will include analyses of events that initiate the criminal process, the various paths through which the criminal cases proceed, the professional roles and responsibilities of workers within that process, prospects of reform and the policies that provide the professional context in which decisions are made.

Graduates of the Criminology program will be able to pursue careers in a variety of capacities both inside and outside government. These may include working with victims, people in conflict with the law (such as young offenders), policing, the criminal courts, the correctional system, or community-based justice agencies. Graduates may also pursue further education through law school or graduate studies in disciplines such as Criminology.

Criminology is an interdisciplinary program which draws on the theories, methods, and practices of a broad range of social sciences and humanities. The Criminology program thus builds on a first year that is common to many other programs in the Faculty of Arts, with specialized study in Criminology in years two to four.

Semesters One and Two: In the first year, which is shared with the programs in Economics and Finance, English, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Language and Intercultural Relations, Politics and Governance, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology, students are introduced to Criminology through introductory core courses that provide an overview and assessment of the administration of the criminal justice system in Canada, the main theories of criminality, and the nature and extent of crime in Canada. Students also acquire skills and knowledge in Academic Writing and Research and Critical Thinking, and choose electives from a broad range of areas, such as Business, Law, and Natural Sciences.

Semesters Three and Four: In second year, students study the foundations of criminal law in Canada, the role and experiences of victims of crime, and concerns about social inequality in the criminal justice system. In addition, students are introduced to the quantitative and qualitative research methods that are necessary to study criminal justice effectively.

Semesters Five through Eight: In the upper years, students study criminal justice issues in greater depth, exploring such topics as youth justice, aboriginal justice, strategies of crime control and prevention, criminal justice ethics, security threats and a series of special topics such as how crime is depicted in the media, the establishment of the International Criminal Court, and many more. In addition to program courses, students choose courses from a broad range of subject areas that complement their professional studies and broaden their career preparation. These include courses in Business Communication, Human Resources Management, Law, Nonprofit and Volunteer Sector Management, Interdisciplinary Studies, Economics, Geography, Politics and Governance, Sociology, Psychology, and the sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

An optional Co-operative education program is available which provides students with 12 months of work experience that will complement their classroom studies and support the development of essential employability skills required for the workforce, including communication, collaboration and problem solving.

Although the Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre cannot guarantee placements, they provide assistance in locating suitable positions and counselling students in their search for suitable jobs. This Co-op program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first semester of the regular program must apply through the department for admission to the Co-operative program before the end of the first year. Enrolment in the Co-op program is limited. Admission will be based on a portfolio which includes the student's grade point average, a resume and a statement of intent. Screening interviews may also be required.

The sequencing of academic and work terms is shown below:

Students must successfully complete a minimum of three work terms in order to graduate from the Co-op program.
 
In most cases the Co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Criminology. Students will have the option to fast track if they choose to take electives during the Spring/Summer. The regular program can be completed in four years.
 
All Co-op placements must be approved by the Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre and the Faculty Advisor for the Criminology program.

Students must take two lower level liberal studies courses and four upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Toronto Met (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

First offered 2028-2029 to students admitted Fall 2025 and after.

First offered 2029-2030 to students admitted Fall 2025 and after.

The sequencing of academic and work terms is shown below:

Students must successfully complete a minimum of three work terms in order to graduate from the Co-op program.
 
In most cases the Co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Criminology. Students will have the option to fast track if they choose to take electives during the Spring/Summer. The regular program can be completed in four years.
 
All Co-op placements must be approved by the Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre and the Faculty Advisor for the Criminology program.

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Please see Criminology department website (opens in new window)  for updated information.