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Trent University launches hybrid criminology degree with community work placement

June 3, 2021 – Trent University introduces a new Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Criminology that gives students the opportunity to study both in-person on campus and online while benefiting from a full-year work placement with community organizations.

“Trent University is excited to launch this new Criminology program that builds on its culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and commitment to student success,” said Mark Skinner, dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Two aspects make this program truly unique. First, it will be offered in a hybrid format with a robust hands-on learning component, which responds to students’ interest in high quality, engaging online education. Secondly, its focus on critical thinking and the integration of Indigenous perspectives and experiences. This speaks to Trent’s leadership in liberal arts programming, as well as Indigenous education and scholarship.”

In this hybrid degree, students can opt to take all their classes online or choose to complete some courses in-person at Trent’s Peterborough campus. This model supports the university’s commitment to accessible higher education through the availability of open education resources and flexible learning options. Its online course design and learning outcomes aim to cultivate strong digital competency skills, which are critical in today’s fast-evolving business environment.

The program also features a full-year hands-on learning component through a range of options, including a fourth-year community placement course. In the placement, students will volunteer with community or ministry agencies, like the Elizabeth Fry Society, Canadian Mental Health Association, Correctional Services or the Crown Attorney, and will be encouraged to engage with their communities and academic peers to make significant contributions to social justice and community development.

“Students are encouraged to look at criminalization within a real-world context—how we see it at work in society and institutions,” said Kristy Buccieri, Criminology program coordinator and associate professor of Sociology at Trent. “The aim is to get them thinking about the bigger impact and how criminalization fits into our legal and social structures.”

The program approaches criminalization through the unique lens of both ‘the criminal’ and ‘the prisoner’, which offers students disciplinary breadth and focuses on how social inequality intersects with rates of victimization, criminalization and punishment, especially for Indigenous peoples.

Applications for the new Criminology B.A. degree remain open for fall 2021.