Student Learning Objectives
Students who graduate with a B.A. or B.S. degree in criminology offered at Kansas State University should be able to meet the following learning outcomes:
Understanding Crime, Crime Control, and Victimization stands as the bedrock of criminology. The criminology student will demonstrate proficiency in understanding crime, crime control, and victimization as follows:
- Identify the various causes of crime and victimization
- Describe the social contexts of crime and victimization
- Explain processes of criminalization
- Describe the components of and processes involved in criminal legal systems
- Explain the social consequences of criminal legal operations and crime control policies
- Identify the role of inequality, discrimination, and oppression in crime causation, victimization, and criminal legal operations
- Interpret crime control policy effectiveness
Analyzing Crime, Crime Control, and Victimization distinguishes criminology as a scientific discipline. The criminology student will demonstrate proficiency in understanding crime, crime control, and victimization as follows:
- Identify distinct criminological theories and perspectives
- Describe how theories emerge in specific social and historical conditions
- Assess links among theories, concepts, and methods of research
- Illustrate basic levels of research techniques
- Discuss ethical issues in social science research
- Assess credible sources of information
- Judge evidence used to support an argument
- Compare opposing viewpoints
- Propose solutions to problems
Communicating about Crime, Crime Control, and Victimization provides a vital role in modern society, affording links between scientific and lay communities, between knowledge and policy, and among professional groups. The criminology student will demonstrate proficiency in communicating about crime, crime control, and victimization as follows:
- Prepare a clear and focused account of a criminologically-relevant event, issue, topic, or problem
- Create written accounts integrating criminological concepts with empirical findings
- Assemble (verbally or in writing) research results appropriate for a general audience
- Produce output describing criminological knowledge to diverse populations