Criminology is a social science focused on studying crime, its roots, and how society reacts to it.
Why isn’t criminology considered a science?
Criminology doesn’t meet the ‘content’ standard for science—it lacks a single, unified set of findings everyone agrees on.
Compare it to physics, where gravity works the same way every time. Crime? Not so neat. Human behavior’s unpredictable, and no one theory explains every case. Sure, criminologists use scientific tools like surveys and data analysis, but their results often clash or only fit certain situations. Britannica points out criminology mixes social sciences (sociology, psychology) with humanities (philosophy, ethics), so it’s more of a hybrid than a hard science. Take the “broken windows” theory—it claims small disorders lead to bigger crime, but real-world tests? Hit-or-miss. That’s why criminology’s answers feel more like educated guesses than ironclad laws.
Does a criminology degree come as a BA or BS?
A criminology degree can be either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS), depending on what the program emphasizes.
BA programs lean into liberal arts—think writing, ethics, and history—while BS programs dig into stats, research methods, and forensic science. A BA might cover criminal justice ethics or constitutional law, but a BS could include crime mapping software or SPSS training. Arizona State University offers both, for example. Want to go to grad school or dive into research? A BS could give you an advantage. More interested in policy or law? A BA might suit you better.
