B.A., Criminal and Social Justice
This flexible B.A. program explores the intersection of criminal and social justice through the lenses of psychology, sociology, and data analysis. In addition to studying the foundations of the criminal justice system, students analyze systemic issues such as addiction, race, gender, and violence to understand the social and economic roots of crime and identify ethical approaches to addressing them.
Taught by experts in the field of criminal justice—including attorneys, police chiefs, academics, and practitioners—the program combines in-depth study of criminal law and criminology with electives on social change, psychology, and sociology. Boston College’s Jesuit tradition of inquiry and service prepares graduates to help build an ethical, rehabilitative criminal justice system.
A distinguishing characteristic of liberal arts education is a required core curriculum. The Bachelor of Arts programs require the following core courses:
- The Examined Life
- 2 English courses:
- College Writing
- Literary Works or other core literature course - 2 Philosophy courses (one of which should be an Ethics course)
- 2 Theology courses
- 2 Social Science courses
- 2 History courses (1 must be non-Western)
- 1 Quantitative Reasoning course
- 1 Natural Science course
- 1 Arts course
- 1 Cultural Diversity Course
- Designing Your Career
| Requirements for Major | Course Code |
|---|---|
| Principles of Criminal Justice | ADCJ 1100 |
| Criminology or Crime and Punishment | ADCJ 2000 - ADCJ 2001 |
| Criminal Law and Procedure | ADCJ 3010 |
| American Institutions | ADCJ 3051 |
| Corrections: Policies and Practice | ADCJ 2101 |
| Introduction to Psychology | ADPS 1100 |
| Introduction Social Justice | ADCJ 1100 |
| Introduction to Sociology | ADSO 1100 |
Additional electives: Select 4 courses (2 courses from Social and Systemic Challenges in Criminal Justice and 2 from Interdisciplinary Courses).
| Social and Systemic Challenges in Criminal Justice (2 courses) | Course Code |
|---|---|
| Psychology of Addiction | ADPS 2110 |
| Community Psychology | ADPS 2445 |
| Deviance and Social Control | ADSO 1030 |
| Class, Power, and Social Change | ADSO 1151 |
| Social Change in Action | ADSO 1357 |
| Law and Society | ADSO 1365 |
| Drugs and Society | ADSO 2010 |
| Sociology of Antiracism | ADSO 3019 |
| Race, Gender, and Violence | ADSO 3503 |
| Race, Surveillance, and Society | ADSO 3510 |
| The Challenge of Justice | ADTH/ADPL 2160 |
| Interdisciplinary Electives (2 Electives) | Course Code |
|---|---|
| Applied Data Analysis and Interpretation | ADBM 1771 |
| Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills | ADBM 3075 |
| Law and Morality | ADPL/ADCJ 1454 |
| Research Methods for the Social Sciences | ADPS 1153 |
| Developmental Psychology | ADPS 1261 |
| Forensic Psychology | ADPS 2220 |
| Abnormal Psychology | ADPS 2234 |
| Cognitive Psychology | ADPS 2272 |
| Cultural Anthropology | ADSO 1501 |
- Appraise the power dynamics of policy, social norms and biases in determining how criminal laws are made and enforced.
- Apply established and emerging psychological and sociological theories to explain criminal behavior.
- Identify and propose interdisciplinary approaches to resolve critical criminal and social justice issues, recognizing that these issues are both evolving and contested, as demonstrated in real-life case studies.
- Employ oral and written communication to effectively interact within a variety of audiences and contexts.
- Articulate the competing ethical issues surrounding criminality and punishment and advocate for a course of action informed by ethical principles that serve the common good.
- Explain the roles of the key components of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, the courts, and corrections.
- Integrate historic social, cultural, legal, economic, and political events into a coherent explanation of the current state of American institutions.
- Distinguish the constitutional protections of people who are suspected to have committed a crime, those who are accused of having committed a crime, and those who are convicted.
- Explain how legislation and judicial decisions affect criminal justice policies and practices.
- Apply criminal and constitutional law to specific facts employing legal reasoning skills
Careers
The B.A. in Criminal and Social Justice prepares students to work in fields and roles such as:
Law
Social Work
Corrections
Community and Victim Advocacy
Government
Law Enforcement
Nonprofit Sector
Security
Deadlines
- Fall Enrollment
- August 1
- Spring Enrollment
- December 1
- Summer Enrollment
- April 15
- Rolling Admission
- After deadlines, as space permits.
Application
If you are mailing hard copies of application materials, please send them to:
Boston College
Woods College of Advancing Studies Admissions Office
St. Mary's Hall South
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
*Current Woods College Undergraduate degree students interested in adding a certificate to their plan of study should not use the online application.
Academic transcripts
Submit the following:
- Official high school transcript with degree conferral date or official GED
- Official college transcript(s) from all previously attended colleges or universities
If you have been conferred your associate's degree, you may submit an Attestation Form in lieu of an official high school transcript. The completed form can be sent to wcasadm@bc.edu.
Please mail transcripts to:
Boston College
Woods College of Advancing Studies Admissions Office
St. Mary's Hall South
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
If your academic institution provides electronic transcripts please indicate wcasadm@bc.edu as the recipient.
Applicants whose Native language is not English are required to demonstrate English language proficiency, for required scores, visit our International Student page.
Essay
To be uploaded to your online Application Form.
Please submit one essay by responding to one of the topics listed below. The essay should be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be limited to 500 – 750 words in length.
The essay is essential to the Admissions Committee as it allows the committee to assess your personal goals, your reasons for choosing the program to which you are applying, your commitment to your educational goals, and your writing ability.
- Discuss your reason(s) for applying to the B.A. program at the Woods College of Advancing Studies at this time. Support your reasons with specific examples.
- Discuss your academic goals and how they apply to your planned career and/or life goals.
The essay must be uploaded as part of your online application.
Application Fee
Application fee: $45
- Paid through online application.
Recommendations
Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required. Letters must be sent directly from the recommender through our online application portal or sent directly to Woods College (wcasadm@bc.edu).
Please note: Letters of recommendation should be provided by recommenders who can speak to your professional or academic abilities.
If you are having difficulty securing a second letter of recommendation, please email wcasadm@bc.edu to schedule an interview with the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions. This interview will serve in lieu of the second letter of recommendation.
International Students
1. Demonstrated English Language Proficiency required (minimum TOEFL score of 90-100)
For additional information about scores, visit our International Student page.
2. Interview
For all international students and non-native English speakers, interviews are conducted as part of the application process.
The purpose of the interview is for the admission committee to gain a better sense of an applicant and how the program fits his or her academic and vocational needs. Additionally, the interview provides the committee an opportunity to assess a student’s specific information and to address the unique needs one may have in transitioning to Boston College. The interview will last no more than 15 minutes. Interviews will only be scheduled once an application has been submitted.
3. Transcript Evaluation
All students who have, or are currently attending, an institution outside of the United States must provide a detailed, course-by-course transcript evaluation indicating the following:
For BA applicants: conferral of a secondary school degree that is equivalent to a U.S. high school’s degree from an accredited institution.
For MS applicants: conferral of an undergraduate degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
This evaluation is not just an English translation, but a document provided by an accredited evaluating agency that shows all grades, course titles, credit hours, United States degree equivalency, grade-point average (GPA), and date of degree conferral.
This detailed, course-by-course transcript evaluation must be submitted to complete the application.
Please request a detailed, course-by-course transcript evaluation for all international institutions where a degree was conferred from one of the following agencies:
Educational Credential Evaluators | Center for Educational Documentation | SpanTran |
World Education Services Inc.
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Financial Aid & Scholarships
For Financial Aid and Scholarship information, please click the link below
Financial Aid and Scholarship Information
Questions
Schedule an appointment with an admissions counselor through our online calendar.