Bachelor of Science in Criminological Sciences

Choosing the Criminology programme means opting for a challenging theoretical study programme, which is a far cry from training to become a police officer or a crime scene investigator (CSI). Instead, you will learn to reflect on criminological phenomena at a policy level. The multidisciplinary Criminology programme combines the study of sociology, criminal law, historical criticism, and psychology in order to understand criminal behaviour.

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Bachelor's Programme

3 year 180 credits

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Dutch

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About the programme

Programme summary

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Off to a good start

Postgraduate studies

Study programme content subject to change

First year

(version 12 )

1 General Courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Public Law of Belgium	1	sem 1	nl	Liesbeth Todts	5

Encyclopaedia of the Criminological Sciences	1	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	4

Principles of (Criminal) Law	1	sem 1	nl	Sebastiaan Vandenbogaerde	5

Introduction to criminology	1	sem 1	nl	Charlotte Colman	6

Moral Philosophy	1	sem 1	nl	Jan Verplaetse	5

Sociology	1	sem 1	nl	Bart Van de Putte	5

General Psychology	1	sem 2	nl	Wim Notebaert	5

Belgian Politics	1	sem 2	nl	Herwig Reynaert	5

Biological Anthropology	1	sem 2	nl	Lieven Pauwels	4

Historical Criticism	1	sem 2	nl	Griet Verhenneman	3

Police and Judicial Organisation	1	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	6

Statistics for Criminology	1	sem 2	nl	Lieven Pauwels	7

2 Elective Courses

Subscribe to 23 credit units from no less than 1 and no more than 2 modules from the following list. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Distributed over the first standard learning path as follows:

11 credit units in year 2,
12 credit units in year 3.

2.1 Study-specific Elective Course List

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the following list.

Elective courses with reference a cannot be taken in the period 2 of the first model track. In the period 3 of the first model track, all courses can be taken from the list.

edu: These courses appear in the educational master's programme. Students who have followed these three courses successfully, can after obtaining the Bachelor's degree, enter directly into the educational Master's programme.

Course	Ref	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Study of Specific Criminal Offences	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Selected Issues: Critical Criminology and the Criminal Justice System I	a	sem 2	en	Tom Decorte	5

English for Criminologists		sem 2	en	Geert Jacobs	5

French for Criminologists		sem 2	fr	Ludivine Crible	5

Forensic Medicine		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

International Criminal Law	a	sem 1	nl	Gert Vermeulen	5

Medical Criminalistics		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

Private Security and Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Pieter Leloup	5

Public Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	5

Children's Rights	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Powerful Learning Environments	edu	sem 1	nl	Bram De Wever	6

Introduction to Teaching Methodology: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	6

Reference Internship: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	3

2.2 Study Programmes Ghent University

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the Ghent University courses. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Students can take these elective courses from one of the following bachelor's programmes of Ghent University: economic sciences, political sciences, public administration, psychology, philosophy, sociology, history, communication sciences, law, pedagogical sciences or from the Ghent University Elective Course List.

Second year

(version 12 )

1 General Courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Criminal Justice Criminology	2	sem 1	nl	Charlotte Colman	6

Etiological Criminology	2	sem 1	nl	Lieven Pauwels	5

Quantitative Methodes and Techniques in Criminology	2	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	5

Substantive Criminal Law	2	sem 1	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Social and Political Systems	2	sem 1	nl	Sami Zemni	4

European and International Justice, Home Affairs and Security Policy	2	sem 2	en	Gert Vermeulen	4

Forensic Welfare Studies	2	sem 2	nl	Louis Favril	6

Criminal Procedure	2	sem 2	nl	Stéphanie De Coensel	5

Qualitative Methods and Techniques in Criminology	2	sem 2	nl	Tom Decorte	5

Social Psychology	2	sem 2	nl	Alain Van Hiel	4

2 Elective Courses

Subscribe to 23 credit units from no less than 1 and no more than 2 modules from the following list. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Distributed over the first standard learning path as follows:

11 credit units in year 2,
12 credit units in year 3.

2.1 Study-specific Elective Course List

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the following list.

Elective courses with reference a cannot be taken in the period 2 of the first model track. In the period 3 of the first model track, all courses can be taken from the list.

Course	Ref	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Study of Specific Criminal Offences	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Selected Issues: Critical Criminology and the Criminal Justice System I	a	sem 2	en	Tom Decorte	5

English for Criminologists		sem 2	en	Geert Jacobs	5

French for Criminologists		sem 2	fr	Ludivine Crible	5

Forensic Medicine		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

International Criminal Law	a	sem 1	nl	Gert Vermeulen	5

Medical Criminalistics		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

Private Security and Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Pieter Leloup	5

Public Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	5

Children's Rights	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Powerful Learning Environments	edu	sem 1	nl	Bram De Wever	6

Introduction to Teaching Methodology: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	6

Reference Internship: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	3

2.2 Study Programmes Ghent University

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the Ghent University courses. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Third year

(version 12 )

1 General Courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Drug Phenomena	3	sem 1	nl	Louis Favril	5

Forensic Psychiatry	3	sem 1	nl	Kurt Audenaert	4

Youth Criminology and Youth Law	3	sem 1	nl	Wendy De Bondt	6

Data analysis and Reporting	3	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	5

Victimology	3	sem 2	en	Jelle Janssens	3

Deontology and Integrity Control	3	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	3

Management in Criminal Justice	3	sem 2	nl	Jelle Janssens	6

Research design in criminology	3	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	4

Project Contemporary Criminology	3	year	nl	Christophe Vandeviver	6

Bachelor Thesis	3	year	nl	Christophe Vandeviver	6

2 Elective Courses

Subscribe to 23 credit units from no less than 1 and no more than 2 modules from the following list. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Distributed over the first standard learning path as follows:

11 credit units in year 2,
12 credit units in year 3.

2.1 Study-specific Elective Course List

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the following list.

Elective courses with reference a cannot be taken in the period 2 of the first model track. In the period 3 of the first model track, all courses can be taken from the list.

Course	Ref	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Study of Specific Criminal Offences	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Selected Issues: Critical Criminology and the Criminal Justice System I	a	sem 2	en	Tom Decorte	5

English for Criminologists		sem 2	en	Geert Jacobs	5

French for Criminologists		sem 2	fr	Ludivine Crible	5

Forensic Medicine		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

International Criminal Law	a	sem 1	nl	Gert Vermeulen	5

Medical Criminalistics		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

Private Security and Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Pieter Leloup	5

Public Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	5

Children's Rights	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Powerful Learning Environments	edu	sem 1	nl	Bram De Wever	6

Introduction to Teaching Methodology: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	6

Reference Internship: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	3

2.2 Study Programmes Ghent University

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the Ghent University courses. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Full programme

(version 12 )

Print

1 General Courses 157

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Public Law of Belgium	1	sem 1	nl	Liesbeth Todts	5

Encyclopaedia of the Criminological Sciences	1	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	4

Principles of (Criminal) Law	1	sem 1	nl	Sebastiaan Vandenbogaerde	5

Introduction to criminology	1	sem 1	nl	Charlotte Colman	6

Moral Philosophy	1	sem 1	nl	Jan Verplaetse	5

Sociology	1	sem 1	nl	Bart Van de Putte	5

General Psychology	1	sem 2	nl	Wim Notebaert	5

Belgian Politics	1	sem 2	nl	Herwig Reynaert	5

Biological Anthropology	1	sem 2	nl	Lieven Pauwels	4

Historical Criticism	1	sem 2	nl	Griet Verhenneman	3

Police and Judicial Organisation	1	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	6

Statistics for Criminology	1	sem 2	nl	Lieven Pauwels	7

Criminal Justice Criminology	2	sem 1	nl	Charlotte Colman	6

Etiological Criminology	2	sem 1	nl	Lieven Pauwels	5

Quantitative Methodes and Techniques in Criminology	2	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	5

Substantive Criminal Law	2	sem 1	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Social and Political Systems	2	sem 1	nl	Sami Zemni	4

European and International Justice, Home Affairs and Security Policy	2	sem 2	en	Gert Vermeulen	4

Forensic Welfare Studies	2	sem 2	nl	Louis Favril	6

Criminal Procedure	2	sem 2	nl	Stéphanie De Coensel	5

Qualitative Methods and Techniques in Criminology	2	sem 2	nl	Tom Decorte	5

Social Psychology	2	sem 2	nl	Alain Van Hiel	4

Drug Phenomena	3	sem 1	nl	Louis Favril	5

Forensic Psychiatry	3	sem 1	nl	Kurt Audenaert	4

Youth Criminology and Youth Law	3	sem 1	nl	Wendy De Bondt	6

Data analysis and Reporting	3	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	5

Victimology	3	sem 2	en	Jelle Janssens	3

Deontology and Integrity Control	3	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	3

Management in Criminal Justice	3	sem 2	nl	Jelle Janssens	6

Research design in criminology	3	sem 1	nl	Wim Hardyns	4

Project Contemporary Criminology	3	year	nl	Christophe Vandeviver	6

Bachelor Thesis	3	year	nl	Christophe Vandeviver	6

2 Elective Courses 23

Subscribe to 23 credit units from no less than 1 and no more than 2 modules from the following list. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Distributed over the first standard learning path as follows:

11 credit units in year 2,
12 credit units in year 3.

2.1 Study-specific Elective Course List

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the following list.

Elective courses with reference a cannot be taken in the period 2 of the first model track. In the period 3 of the first model track, all courses can be taken from the list.

Course	Ref	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Study of Specific Criminal Offences	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Selected Issues: Critical Criminology and the Criminal Justice System I	a	sem 2	en	Tom Decorte	5

English for Criminologists		sem 2	en	Geert Jacobs	5

French for Criminologists		sem 2	fr	Ludivine Crible	5

Forensic Medicine		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

International Criminal Law	a	sem 1	nl	Gert Vermeulen	5

Medical Criminalistics		sem 2	nl	Evy De Boosere	4

Private Security and Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Pieter Leloup	5

Public Police Studies	a	sem 2	nl	Antoinette Verhage	5

Children's Rights	a	sem 2	nl	Wendy De Bondt	5

Powerful Learning Environments	edu	sem 1	nl	Bram De Wever	6

Introduction to Teaching Methodology: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	6

Reference Internship: Social Sciences	edu	year	nl	Tony Valcke	3

2.2 Study Programmes Ghent University

Subscribe to no more than 23 credit units from the Ghent University courses. Subject to approval by the faculty.

Learning outcomes

Competence field 1: Competences in one/more scientific discipline(s)

Having knowledge about and insight into criminological frameworks, different paradigms and research traditions.
Having knowledge about and insight into the role and function of the different actors on the different levels within the criminal justice-chain.
Having knowledge about and insight into the European and international context of institutions and policy development, relevant for criminology and criminal justice.
Having insight into the multidisciplinary approach to criminology (sociology, social psychology, philosophy, current political affairs and criminal law-theory ) and the contributions of supporting sciences ((moral) philosophy, political science, anthropology, forensic psychiatry).
Knowing the qualitative and quantitative methods of scientific criminological research.
Having knowledge about and insight into relevant criminological scientific domains.
Be familiar with and master course-specific terminology.
Having knowledge of the basic concepts, models, theories and issues of deontology and integrity control.
Having knowledge and insight into the relevance of the criminological sciences in the concept and the pursuit of sustainable development.

Competence field 2: Scientific competences

Identifying, selecting and valuing relevant criminological sources and using them critically and with scientific integrity.
Critically analyzing crime and deviance phenomena (and societal responses to these phenomena), starting from different theoretical frameworks and translating them into criminological questions.
Operationalizing a practical problem into a relevant criminological research question.
Using quantitative and qualitative (social sciencitific) data collection and analysis of criminological research with scientific integrity.

Competence field 3: Intellectual competences

Evaluating a certain criminological viewpoint or the result of criminological research based on a well-founded argumentation.
Critically reflecting on one’s own thinking and (if necessary) adapting it.
Demonstrating an attitude of permanent development of knowledge and life-long learning.
Being open to innovative and creative ideas, including ideas stemming from other domains of sciences.
Being aware of the own national and cultural frame of reference when reflecting on criminological issues.

Competence field 4: Competences in cooperation and communication

Clearly communicating, in written documents, about a relevant theoretical or practice-oriented criminological subject.
Clearly communicating, in oral communications, about a theoretical or practice-oriented relevant criminological subject.
Working in a team on the scientific analysis and syntheses of a relevant criminological question.
Working in a team on a practice-oriented relevant criminological question.
Having insight and using management methods and techniques within the police and judicial policy.

Competence field 5: Societal competences

Having insight into the societal role and responsibility of a criminologist, including related to sustainability issues.
Critically reflecting on the relation between different approaches of crime and deviance phenomena and their social, economic, historic and political context.
Being aware of the importance of deontological principles and integrity control within the criminological field.
Demonstrating a sense of pluralism, diversity and tolerance when approaching crime and deviance phenomena.

Competence field 6: Profession-specific competences

Being open to insights from other scientific fields in the practical approach to criminological issues.
Having insight into one’s qualities and central values through self-management and dialogue and the ability to link this to employability and personal growth towards a professional identity.
Being aware of the benefit of networks for one's own study and career process (profiling).