by Brad Vandenheuvel

Created on: February 03, 2009   Last Updated: March 17, 2009

As a criminal justice major in the University of Guelph, Ontario, the following is a depiction of the challenges and routines that I face on a daily basis.

Luckily this semester I have no extremely early classes, however, this is not always the case. As with any University or College program you must take classes when they are offered. This means that if you have to wake up at 7am 3 days per week to catch a bus, so be it.

Most classes involve some study of Politics, Criminal Theory, or related Sociology courses. Although I do not personally enjoy the Politics courses, my program demands that nearly half of my credits be under this field of research. These courses usually involve the study of governments or systems of government both inside and outside North America. Essays or research projects are fairly common in these courses, as are midterms involving essay answers or short answer responses. Multiple choice exams and mid terms are uncommon when it comes to Politics courses.

The Criminal Theory courses are a bit more interesting and involve the study of how laws came to be and the reasons behind these creations and amendments. These courses may involve both multiple choice and essay format exams, depending on the professor.

The remaining courses that are required in the Criminal Justice program are those that overlap with those in Sociology. These courses are by far the most interesting and usually involve learning about individuals or groups of people. There are courses like "Serial Murders" and "Social Deviance" where they teach about the internal and external rules that govern one's actions.

Seminars (students in a lecture may be broken up into smaller groups to meet once or twice a week) are common in this program. These usually involve a presentation or two, and most require students to actively participate in discussions. Debates are frequent in most of the Politics courses so those who fear public speaking may wish to choose another field of study.

Overall this program offers a wide variety of courses that draw a large crowd of students. Unlike the Science and Math majors, this program does not involve many labs or experiments, and usually homework is limited to reading or studying. While math majors may have to complete charts and study equations, those in the criminal justice program are reading chapters of books and remembering names and dates. This program offers the unique opportunity to learn subjects from a wide variety of fields, and any Criminal Justice graduate can expect a great deal of job opportunities once they are finished their degree.

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