Master of Arts in Criminology

The 33 credit hour online Master of Arts in Criminology at WKU exposes students to the empirical study and evaluation of crime patterns in society using a social scientific perspective.

The program's primary emphasis is in the development of strong research skills to gather and analyze criminological data. In addition to a research and analysis emphasis, course work is directed toward the exploration of the causes of offending and victimization in violent and property crimes.

Courses in the curriculum examine the major correlates of crime, delinquency, and deviance, including an analysis of the effects of gender, age, race/ethnicity, and social class. Students are exposed to historical and contemporary macro and micro level theories of offending and victimization, and they are challenged to think about how prior and current research in the field of Criminology can be used to inform social and public policies.

Several courses provide students with the opportunity to examine the institutions that have evolved to respond to crime and delinquency in our society. These courses provide insights and perspectives into punishment and correction systems, penology, criminal law, rehabilitation and recidivism. At the end of the program, students must complete a criminological research project in the format of a peer-reviewed journal article and pass an oral examination.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should submit the following pieces of information to the WKU Office of Graduate Studies and Research in order to apply for this program.

1. Graduate Studies Application (also called "Form A"). You may download and complete the form before mailing it with your application fee to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, or you can apply on-line at the following website: www.wku.edu/graduate/ (click "Apply on-line")
2. Official transcripts from all universities and colleges previously attended. These should also be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. Former WKU students/graduates do not need to submit official transcripts. The address for the Office of Graduate Studies and Research is: Graduate Studies - Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd. #11010, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1010.
3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores. Information on the GRE exam and how one registers to complete this exam can be found at this website: www.gre.org.

Admission to the program requires a minimum GAP score of 2,200. The GAP score is calculated by multiplying the applicant’s undergraduate grade point average (GPA) by the applicant’s GRE score (the sum of the verbal and quantitative sections).

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester:

May 1 for priority consideration

Spring Semester:

Contact Department

Program Requirements

The MA in Criminology requires students to complete a total of 33 credit hours, including 30 credit hours of graduate work plus a 3 credit hour research tool. The program only provides a non-thesis option, and all courses are taught online.

Required Courses:

The following 15 credit hours of courses are required:

• SOCL 514 Advanced Social Statistics
• SOCL 525 Survey of Criminal Justice Studies
• SOCL 532 Criminology
• SOCL 596 Applied Research Project

Elective Courses:

Students must also complete 18 credit hours of elective courses. A minimum of 6 elective hours must be taken from this list of electives in the Department of Sociology at WKU.

• SOCL 530 Penology
• SOCL 531 Deviant Behavior
• SOCL 533 Criminology and Law
• SOCL 534 Neighborhoods and Crime
• SOCL 535 Family Violence
• SOCL 536 Juvenile Delinquency
• SOCL 537 Comparative Criminology
• SOCL 538 Victimology
• SOCL 546 Gender, Crime and Justice
• SOCL 547 Life-course Criminology
• SOCL 548 Race, Class and Crime
• SOCL 572 Environmental Criminology
• Research Tool: SOCL 513 - Quantitative Research Methods

*Students must pass an oral examination after completing all course work in the specified curriculum.

Courses Outside of Department

Students may complete a maximum of twelve credit hours of graduate course work outside of the Department of Sociology with approval from the graduate advisor.

With the approval of the graduate advisor in the Sociology Department, students may complete or transfer twelve graduate credit hours of electives from other departments at Western Kentucky University or from courses completed at other institutions.

Recommended Sequence of Courses

Courses are offered on a rotating two year cycle. Please contact Dr. Kate King, the graduate advisor for the program, for additional information on course offerings or visit the courses posted at www.wku.edu/sociology/ma_criminology/. You can also see a list of current and past offerings by viewing the schedule of courses posted on the website.

Department Contact Information

Graduate Advisor: Dr. Kate King
Phone: (270) 745-2023
Website: www.wku.edu/sociology/ma_criminology/