This Program is offered at the following campus locations:
Dawson Creek, Fort St. John
Description:
A Diploma in Criminology will be awarded to students who complete the equivalent of two years of required first and second-year courses at Northern Lights College. The diploma is intended to prepare students for entry-level employment positions and for continued studies in academic and professional programs. Relevant areas of work and additional education include Corrections, Criminology, Criminal Justice, Forensic Studies, and Law Enforcement.
Certification: Diploma in Criminology
Program Contact: Lisa Verbisky
Dean: Steve Roe
Admission Requirements:
To apply to the University Arts and Sciences Program or to register for individual courses within the Program:
- Prospective learners need to complete a College “Application for Admission” form. Admission forms can be obtained in person from Northern Lights College (NLC) Student Services or downloaded in PDF format from nlc.bc.ca/pdfs/application.pdf. A one-time application fee is required.
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Where available, secondary school and/or post-secondary transcripts should be provided to indicate that prerequisites for specific courses have been met.
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Applicants who do not have at least a “B” in English 12 (or equivalent) or at least a “C” in a university-level English course must complete the Northern Lights College Writing Assessment before registering in English courses. Feedback on the Writing Assessment is provided to help students make informed decisions about course selection.
- Applicants who do not have secondary school and/or post-secondary transcripts that provide documentation of prerequisites should speak with a Northern Lights College Recruiter. In these situations, entry-level skills may be evaluated as required through the Writing Assessment, the College and Career Preparation Math Assessment, or other assessments.
Program Length (Weeks): 60 weeks (two years of full-time study, may also be taken on a part-time basis)
Program Length (Hours): 900
Program Intake Start: September, January, May
Program Intake Finish: December, April, June
Available Seats: 30
Application Deadline: First week of classes in any term.
Career Prospects:
By taking a planned combination of Northern Lights College courses, students may gain entry-level employment in or prepare for continued study in the following fields: lawyer, sheriff, police officer, correctional services, parole officer, probation officer, border services, aboriginal liaison officer, or detachment clerk.
Affiliations:
- Under the terms of an amended block-transfer agreement with Royal Roads University, Northern Lights College students who complete the Diploma will be eligible for block transfer into the third year of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Justice Studies at Royal Roads, provided all other entrance criteria are met and space remains available. NLC students should understand that entrance to all programs at Royal Roads University is on a competitive basis.
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Northern Lights College does not have a block transfer agreement with Simon Fraser University's (SFU) School of Criminology. However, the NLC diploma has been designed to meet lower-division requirements for SFU's BA in Criminology. In this case, transfer credit is awarded on a course-by-course basis. Accordingly, NLC students who complete the diploma may also be eligible for admission into upper division course work in SFU's School of Criminology.
Students planning to transfer to SFU should choose courses that receive direct, course-equivalent transfer credit.
SFU's formal admission statement reads as follows: "Students transferring to Simon Fraser University from a two-year college that has articulated the first 60 units of study in criminology with the School of Criminology will be considered on the basis of their college cumulative GPA (recalculated on the basis of grades received in courses transferable to the University), as well as other relevant materials."
Note: NLC students are responsible for confirming admission requirements, application procedures, transfer credit, and graduation requirements at all receiving institutions.
Additional Requirements and Supplies: Not applicable
Eligibility for Canada Student Loans: Yes
Visit StudentAid BC to apply for financial assistance online.
Required Minimum Grade:
A minimum of C- must be obtained for all courses counting towards a diploma. See additional information.
Residency Requirements: 25%
Additional Information:
- Students must also maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in each semester of study at Northern Lights College.
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Note that Simon Fraser University requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25.
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*Note that Northern Lights College students are encouraged to choose a Women's Studies course and a course that deals with Aboriginal peoples of Canada. Also note that Northern Lights College's CHEM 170: Introduction to Forensic Chemistry is relevant to the field of Criminology. Chemistry 170 articulates to SFU as unassigned 100-level Chemistry credits.
Courses:
Year One:
Plus a second 100-Level English course.
Year Two:
Plus an additional 3 electives at the 100 or 200 Level, chosen from a variety of disciplines. *See Additional Information