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The Major: The Center for Studies in Criminology and Law supports the largest interdisciplinary degree program at UF. The number of students seeking to pursue interests in criminology, criminal justice and legal studies at the undergraduate level exceeds the resource base of the Center.

To ensure the quality of the degree program, the Center has adopted a selective policy for continuation in the major beyond semester four. Students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.80 or higher, and complete at least 12 hours of criminology-related foundation courses with a 2.75 GPA on those courses. Foundation courses include any course coded GE-S in anthropology, criminology/criminal justice, economics, political science, sociology or psychology, or courses coded GE-H in philosophy or history or any courses coded GE-M in statistics. Center courses are not open to lower-division majors until the drop-add period.

Core Requirements: The criminology major requires 34 semester hours. A maximum of 12 semester hours toward the major may be transferred from another college or university and no more than six hours of 1000- or 2000-level course work (including CJL 2000) may be applied toward the major. At least 22 of the 34 hours must be from criminology-listed courses taken at UF.

The following courses are required of all majors: CCJ 3024, Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice; CCJ 3038, Law and Society; CCJ 3701, Research Methods in Criminology; and CCJ 4604, Criminological Theory. In addition, all majors are required to complete either CJL 4110, Criminal Law; CJL 4410, Criminal Procedure, or CJL 4050, Juvenile Law.

CCJ 4905, Individual Work, and CCJ 4940, Internship in Criminology, may be repeated, but no more than three hours of each may be used to satisfy major requirements or the minimum credit hour requirements for graduation.

Interdisciplinary Emphasis: Interdisciplinary breadth in the study of criminology and law is essential for those majoring in criminology. Majors may enroll in relevant courses offered outside the center. A student can satisfy up to nine hours of the total 34 hours required for the major with courses (with grades of C or higher) taught in various departments outside criminology. Students should consult the center for a list of non-criminology approved courses or refer to www.crim.ufl.edu/int.html for additional information. These courses may be counted toward criminology even if a student is also majoring or minoring in the department that offers the course. A minimum of 25 semester hours must be completed with a CCJ, CJC, CJE, CJJ, or CJL prefix.

Honors: To graduate cum laude, a student must have an overall junior-/senior-level grade point average of 3.5 or higher. To graduate magna cum laude or summa cum laude, students must apply in writing to the center and complete and successfully defend an honors thesis under the supervision of a three-member honors thesis committee. The distinction between high and highest honors is made from assessment of the senior thesis.

Ordinarily honors program students apply to the center’s honors program at least two semesters before graduation. They can register for up to six hours of CCJ 4970 Senior Thesis. Alternatively, honors students may develop a seminar or research paper from an approved graduate course or individual work into a senior thesis independently or in conjunction with CCJ 4970.

To remain ‘on track’ for this major, a student must meet the following critical-tracking criteria.

• Complete 1 criminology-related course
• 2.3 UF GPA required

• Complete 1 additional criminology-related course
• 2.5 UF GPA required

• Complete 1 additional criminology related course with 2.65 GPA on all critical-tracking course work
• 2.65 UF GPA required

• Complete 1 additional criminology related course with a 2.75 GPA on all critical-tracking course work
• 2.8 UF GPA required

• Maintain 2.75 GPA on all critical-tracking course work
• 2.80 UF GPA required

* Not required, only suggested.

** Any CCJ elective or any approved elective with a non-CCJ prefix (see dept. or Web page).

*** CCJ 3038 (Law and Society) 3 cr; CCJ 3701 (Methods) 4 cr; CJL 4110 (Criminal Law), CJL 4410 (Criminal Procedure) 3 cr, or CJL 4050 (Juvenile Law); CCJ 4604 (Theory) 3 cr.