Catalog Year: 2023-2024
Banner Code: LA-BA-CLS
The BA in Criminology, Law and Society provides a focused study of the justice system and social, human, and moral problems raised in the justice field. This course of study prepares students for careers in law enforcement, corrections, the courts, investigations, juvenile justice, private and homeland security, and related social and human services. The BA in Criminology, Law and Society is well-suited for students who wish to study the field while branching out into related areas of study.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.
Highly-qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Students admitted to the honors program in the major take a two-course sequence: CRIM 491 Honors Seminar I and CRIM 492 RS: Honors Seminar II. To graduate with honors in criminology, law and society, students must complete both courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the two courses.
Total credits: minimum 120
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CRIM 100 | Introduction to Criminal Justice (Mason Core) | 3 |
| CRIM 306 | Criminal Justice Ethics 1 | 3 |
| CRIM 315 | Research Methods and Analysis in Criminology 2 | 3 |
| CRIM 424 | Constitutional Law: Criminal Process and Rights 3 | 3 |
| CRIM 495 | Capstone in Criminology, Law and Society (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
CRIM 514 Legal and Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice is open to students in the Accelerated Master's Pathway and can be used to fulfill the CRIM 306 requirement.
CRIM 515 Criminal Justice Research Methods and Data Analysis is open to students in the Accelerated Master's Pathway and can be used to fulfill the CRIM 315 requirement.
CRIM 521 The Constitution, Criminal Procedure, and Security is open to students in the Accelerated Master's Pathway and can be used to fulfill the CRIM 424 requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select nine electives from the following: 1 | 27 | |
| Introduction to Criminology | ||
| Introduction to Law and Society | ||
| Introduction to Homeland Security | ||
| Public Law and the Judicial Process | ||
|
or GOVT 301
|
Public Law and the Judicial Process | |
| Delinquency and the Juvenile Justice System | ||
| Sociology of Delinquency | ||
| Computer Crime, Forensics, and Auditing | ||
| Crime and Crime Policy | ||
| Social Inequality, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Human Rights and Justice | ||
| Introduction to the Intelligence Community | ||
| Intelligence Analysis Techniques | ||
| Crime and Place | ||
| Hate Crime | ||
| Counterintelligence | ||
| Applied Criminal Psychology | ||
| Policing in America | ||
| Punishment and Corrections | ||
| Community Corrections | ||
| Crime Victims and Victimization | ||
| Law and Justice around the World (Mason Core) | ||
| Family Law and the Justice System | ||
| Advanced Topics in Law and Society | ||
| Criminal Courts | ||
| Community Policing | ||
| Criminal Investigations | ||
| Innovations in Policing | ||
| Guns and Crime in America | ||
| Controversial Legal Issues | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | ||
|
or GOVT 423
|
Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | |
| Criminal Justice Management | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society | ||
|
or GOVT 460
|
Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society | |
| Law Enforcement and Homeland Security | ||
| Prevention and Deterrence of Crime | ||
| Theory and Politics of Terrorism | ||
| Study Abroad | ||
| Special Topics 2 | ||
| Honors Seminar I | ||
| RS: Honors Seminar II | ||
| Research Practicum | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Family Law and Public Policy | ||
| Human Trafficking and Smuggling 2 | ||
| The following graduate courses are available to students in the Accelerated Master's Pathway | ||
| Justice Organizations and Processes | ||
| Policing | ||
| Evidence-based Crime and Justice Policy | ||
| Implementing Crime and Justice Policy | ||
| Leadership in Justice Organizations | ||
| Legal and Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice (if not used to fulfill core requirement) | ||
| Criminal Justice Research Methods and Data Analysis (if not used to fulfill core requirement) | ||
| Evaluation of Crime and Justice Policies and Practices | ||
| The Constitution, Criminal Procedure, and Security (if not used to fulfill core requirement) | ||
| Law and Social Control | ||
| Conduct of Justice Organizations at the Street Level | ||
| Corrections | ||
| Crime Analysis | ||
| Politics of Crime Policy | ||
| Crime and Place | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Students may select an optional concentration to fulfill a portion of this required elective credit.
A maximum of 6 credits of INTS 417 Human Trafficking and Smuggling and/or CRIM 490 Special Topics when topic is Human Trafficking can be applied to the major.
Criminology and society majors have the option of obtaining a concentration by completing 15 of their 27 elective credits within one of the following areas. Students can pursue only one concentration.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
|
Select 15 credits from the following:
|
||
| Introduction to Criminology | ||
| Delinquency and the Juvenile Justice System | ||
| Sociology of Delinquency | ||
| Computer Crime, Forensics, and Auditing | ||
| Crime and Crime Policy | ||
| Social Inequality, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Crime and Place | ||
| Hate Crime | ||
| Applied Criminal Psychology | ||
| Policing in America | ||
| Punishment and Corrections | ||
| Community Corrections | ||
| Crime Victims and Victimization | ||
| Criminal Courts | ||
| Community Policing | ||
| Criminal Investigations | ||
| Innovations in Policing | ||
| Guns and Crime in America | ||
| Criminal Justice Management | ||
| Law Enforcement and Homeland Security | ||
| Prevention and Deterrence of Crime | ||
| Study Abroad (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Special Topics (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) 1 | ||
| Honors Seminar I (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| RS: Honors Seminar II (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Research Practicum (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Independent Study (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Human Trafficking and Smuggling 1 | ||
| The following graduate courses are available to students in the Accelerated Master's Pathway | ||
| Justice Organizations and Processes | ||
| Policing | ||
| Evidence-based Crime and Justice Policy | ||
| Implementing Crime and Justice Policy | ||
| Leadership in Justice Organizations | ||
| Evaluation of Crime and Justice Policies and Practices | ||
| Conduct of Justice Organizations at the Street Level | ||
| Corrections | ||
| Crime Analysis | ||
| Politics of Crime Policy | ||
| Crime and Place | ||
A maximum of 6 credits of INTS 417 Human Trafficking and Smuggling and/or CRIM 490 Special Topics when topic is Human Trafficking can be applied to the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
|
Select 15 credits from the following:
|
||
| Introduction to Homeland Security | ||
| Introduction to the Intelligence Community | ||
| Intelligence Analysis Techniques | ||
| Counterintelligence | ||
| Law and Justice around the World (Mason Core) | ||
| Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society | ||
|
or GOVT 460
|
Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society | |
| Law Enforcement and Homeland Security | ||
| Theory and Politics of Terrorism | ||
| Study Abroad (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Special Topics (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) 1 | ||
| Honors Seminar I (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| RS: Honors Seminar II (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Research Practicum (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Independent Study (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Human Trafficking and Smuggling 1 | ||
A maximum of 6 credits of INTS 417 Human Trafficking and Smuggling and/or CRIM 490 Special Topics when topic is Human Trafficking can be applied to the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
|
Select 15 credits from the following:
|
||
| Introduction to Law and Society | ||
| Public Law and the Judicial Process | ||
|
or GOVT 301
|
Public Law and the Judicial Process | |
| Human Rights and Justice | ||
| Hate Crime | ||
| Law and Justice around the World (Mason Core) | ||
| Family Law and the Justice System | ||
| Advanced Topics in Law and Society | ||
| Criminal Courts | ||
| Guns and Crime in America | ||
| Controversial Legal Issues | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | ||
|
or GOVT 423
|
Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | |
| Criminal Law | ||
| Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society | ||
|
or GOVT 460
|
Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society | |
| Study Abroad (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Special Topics (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) 1 | ||
| Honors Seminar I (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| RS: Honors Seminar II (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Research Practicum (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Independent Study (when topic is appropriate with permission of undergraduate director) | ||
| Law and Social Control (available to students in the Accelerated Master's Pathway) | ||
| Family Law and Public Policy | ||
| Human Trafficking and Smuggling 1 | ||
A maximum of 6 credits of INTS 417 Human Trafficking and Smuggling and/or CRIM 490 Special Topics when topic is Human Trafficking can be applied to the major.
The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in criminology, law and society fulfill this requirement by successfully completing CRIM 495 Capstone in Criminology, Law and Society (Mason Core). Students should complete ENGH 302 Advanced Composition (Mason Core) before taking the writing-intensive course in the major or take the two courses simultaneously.
Students seeking a bachelor’s degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation requirements.
Any remaining credits may be completed with elective courses to bring the degree total to 120.
In addition to the Mason Core program, students pursuing a BA degree must complete the coursework below. Except where expressly prohibited, a course used to fulfill a college level requirement may also be used simultaneously to satisfy other requirements (Mason Core requirements or requirements for the major).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
|
PHIL 1
|
||
Note that the following courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement:
Additionally, PHIL 253, RELI 235, RELI 333, and RELI 339 cannot be used to fulfill both the philosophy/religious studies requirement and the Mason Core literature requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 credits of social and behavioral sciences from the following (additional to the Mason Core social and behavioral sciences requirement) 1 | 3 | |
| ANTH | ||
| CRIM | ||
| ECON | ||
| GOVT | ||
| HIST 2 | ||
| LING | ||
| PSYC | ||
| SOCI | ||
| Or choose from the following GGS courses: | ||
| Major World Regions (Mason Core) | ||
| Human Geography (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to Geoinformation Technologies | ||
| Political Geography (Mason Core) | ||
| Geography of Resource Conservation (Mason Core) | ||
|
GGS 304
|
Population Geography (Mason Core) | |
|
GGS 305
|
Economic Geography | |
| Urban Geography | ||
| Geography of the United States | ||
| Geography of Latin America | ||
| Geography of Europe | ||
| Geography of North Africa and the Middle East | ||
| Geography of Eastern Europe and Russia | ||
| Urban Planning | ||
| Geography of Virginia | ||
The two courses used to fulfill the combined college and Mason Core requirements must be from different disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.
HIST 100 and HIST 125 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language, fulfilled by: 1 | ||
|
Or achieving a satisfactory score on an approved proficiency test
|
||
|
Or completing the following ASL three course sequence:
|
||
|
EDSE 115
|
American Sign Language (ASL) I | |
|
EDSE 116
|
American Sign Language (ASL) II | |
|
EDSE 219
|
American Sign Language (ASL) III | |
Students who are already proficient in a second language may be eligible for a waiver of this requirement. Additional information on waivers can be found at the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Select 3 credits of an approved course in the study of a non-Western culture (additional to the Mason Core requirement in global understanding)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 credits (additional to Mason Core Global Understanding requirement) 1 | ||
| ANTH 114 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 300 | Civilizations | 3 |
| ANTH 302 | Peoples and Cultures of Latin America (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 307 | Ancient Mesoamerica (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 308 | Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 309 | Peoples and Cultures of India (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 313 | Myth, Magic, and Mind (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 314 | Zombies | 3 |
| ANTH 317 | East Asian Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 330 | Peoples and Cultures of Selected Regions: Non-Western | 3 |
| ANTH 332 | Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Globalization (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ANTH 381 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 396 | Issues in Anthropology: Social Sciences (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARAB 360 | Topics in Arabic Cultural Production | 3 |
| ARAB 420 | Survey of Arabic Literature | 3 |
| ARAB 440 | Topics in Arabic Religious Thought and Texts (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 203 | Survey of Asian Art (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 204 | Survey of Latin American Art (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 206 | Survey of African Art (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 318 | Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | 3 |
| ARTH 319 | Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 320 | Art of the Islamic World (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 382 | Arts of India (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 383 | Arts of Southeast Asia (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 384 | Arts of China (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 385 | Arts of Japan (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ARTH 482 | RS: Advanced Studies in Asian Art | 3 |
| CHIN 318 | Introduction to Classical Chinese (Mason Core) | 3 |
| CHIN 320 | Contemporary Chinese Film | 3 |
| CHIN 325 | Major Chinese Writers (Mason Core) | 3 |
| CHIN 470 | Special Topics in Chinese Studies | 3 |
| DANC 118 | Global Dance Perspectives I (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ECON 361 | Economic Development of Latin America (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ECON 362 | African Economic Development (Mason Core) | 3 |
| FREN 454 | Topics in Caribbean Francophone Literature and Culture | 3 |
| GGS 101 | Major World Regions (Mason Core) | 3 |
| GGS 316 | Geography of Latin America | 3 |
| GGS 317 | Geography of China (Mason Core) | 3 |
| GGS 325 | Geography of North Africa and the Middle East | 3 |
| GGS 399 | Select Topics in GGS | 3 |
| GOVT 332 | Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa | 3 |
| GOVT 333 | Government and Politics of Asia | 3 |
| GOVT 338 | Government and Politics of Russia | 3 |
| GOVT 340 | Central Asian Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 341 | Chinese Foreign Policy | 3 |
| GOVT 345 | Islam and Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 433 | Political Economy of East Asia | 3 |
| HIST 251 | Survey of East Asian History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 252 | Survey of East Asian History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 261 | Survey of African History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 262 | Survey of African History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 271 | Survey of Latin American History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 272 | Survey of Latin American History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 281 | Survey of Middle Eastern Civilization (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 282 | Survey of Middle Eastern Civilization (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 326 | Stalinism | 3 |
| HIST 327 | The Soviet Union and Russia Since World War II | 3 |
| HIST 328 | Rise of Russia (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 329 | Modern Russia and the Soviet Union (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 353 | History of Traditional China | 3 |
| HIST 354 | Modern China (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 356 | Modern Japan (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 357 | Postwar Japan (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 358 | Post-1949 China (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 360 | History of South Africa (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 364 | Revolution and Radical Politics in Latin America (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 365 | Conquest and Colonization in Latin America (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 366 | Comparative Slavery | 3 |
| HIST 387 | Topics in Global History (Mason Core) | 3-6 |
| HIST 461 | Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| HIST 462 | Women in Islamic Society (Mason Core) | 3 |
| HIST 465 | The Middle East in the 20th Century | 3 |
| JAPA 310 | Japanese Culture in a Global World (Mason Core) | 3 |
| JAPA 340 | Topics in Japanese Literature (Mason Core) | 3 |
| JAPA 380 | Japan in Motion | 3 |
| KORE 300 | Korean Culture and Society | 3 |
| KORE 320 | Korean Popular Culture in a Global World | 3 |
| KORE 385 | Introduction to Korean Linguistics | 3 |
| MUSI 103 | Musics of the World (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RELI 211 | Introduction to Religions of the "West" (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RELI 212 | Introduction to Religions of Asia (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RELI 312 | Islam | 3 |
| RELI 313 | Hinduism (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RELI 314 | Chinese Philosophies and Religious Traditions | 3 |
| RELI 315 | Buddhism (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RELI 317 | Daoism | 3 |
| RELI 318 | Korean Philosophy and Religions | 3 |
| RELI 338 | Qur'an and Hadith | 3 |
| RELI 342 | Comparative Study of Mysticism | 3 |
| RELI 344 | Muhammad: Life and Legacy | 3 |
| RELI 358 | Islamic Thought (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RELI 367 | Islamic Law, Society, and Ethics | 3 |
| RELI 368 | Islam, Democracy, and Human Rights | 3 |
| RELI 490 | Comparative Study of Religions (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RUSS 353 | Russian Civilization (Mason Core) | 3 |
| RUSS 354 | Contemporary Post-Soviet Life (Mason Core) | 3 |
| WMST 407 | Transnational Sexualities | 3 |
A course used to fulfill the Mason Core global understanding requirement may not be simultaneously used to satisfy this college-level requirement. A course used to fulfill this requirement may be used simultaneously to fulfill any other requirements (Mason Core requirements, college-level requirements, or requirements for the major). Additional information on waivers can be found at the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.
Students who have completed the following credentials are eligible for a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower level) requirement categories. The Integration category (upper level) is not waived under this policy. See Admissions for more information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| Written Communication (ENGH 101) | 3 | |
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | |
| Information Technology and Computing | 3 | |
| Exploration Requirements | ||
| Arts | 3 | |
| Global History | 3 | |
| Global Understanding | 3 | |
| Literature | 3 | |
| Natural Science | 7 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Integration Requirements | ||
| Written Communications (ENGH 302) | 3 | |
| Writing-Intensive 1 | 3 | |
| Synthesis/Capstone 2 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
Most programs include the writing-intensive course designated for the major as part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for Mason Core.
Minimum 3 credits required.