Drury offers a BA in Criminology and a BA in Criminal Justice. Criminology and criminal justice are closely related disciplines that overlap in some areas but are distinct in meaningful ways. Criminology focuses on the study of criminal behavior. It is an interdisciplinary field that studies the causes and consequences of crime and the origins and efficacy of crime prevention policies. Criminal justice is focused on examining the institutions that respond to crime and the relationships, behaviors, and responsibilities of the individuals who work for criminal justice agencies.
The BA in Criminal Justice is an appropriate degree for students who plan to go straight into the workforce after graduating. Students who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in criminology or criminal justice, going to law school, or working as a researcher or analyst for a criminal justice agency should consider completing the BA in Criminology.
The BA in Criminal Justice requires 46-47 credit hours of coursework.
Students should complete all 100-and 200-level requirements before accumulating 60 credit hours (junior status).
All prerequisites must be completed prior to enrollment in the following courses.
Students enrolled in BSCI 493 are required to take a comprehensive examination over topics covered in the major as well as a nationally-normed exit exam.
Because of curricular overlap, students majoring in Criminal Justice are not permitted to major simultaneously in Criminology.
