Criminal Justice Major

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Description

Criminal justice is both a professional and a liberal arts program. Specifically, the criminal justice major consists of three components: non-criminal justice courses (corequisites), many in related liberal arts disciplines, which can be taken during the first two years of college; criminal justice proficiency courses; and criminal justice electives, which can be grouped into specialty areas or not, at the student’s option.

Program Requirements

Students in the Criminal Justice major pursue a Bachelor of Science degree, and must complete the corresponding degree's requirements.

I. General Education Program courses required of all bachelor of science students.

II. Corequisite Courses (Required)

  • SOC100 Introduction to Sociology
  • PLS110 Introduction to American Politics

AND ONE of the following:

  • PSH110 General Psychology
  • PSH112 General Psychology with Lab

Minorities Course - variety of interdisciplinary offerings.

Statistics - variety of interdisciplinary offerings.

Two upper-division (300/400 level) courses in sociology, psychology or political science.

III. Criminal Justice Core Proficiencies (required)*

  • CRJ101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CRJ203 The Police Process
  • CRJ207 The Corrections Process
  • CRJ471 Research Methods
  • CRJ494 Criminology

AND ONE of the following:

  • CRJ205 Criminal Courts and Law
  • CRJ305 The Adjudication Process
  • PLS320 Law and Legal Process

IV. Criminal Justice Electives (choose 6)*

  • CRJ304 Investigations
  • CRJ311 Criminal Law
  • CRJ313 Constitutional Criminal procedure
  • CRJ323 White Collar Crime
  • CRJ331 Community Based Corrections
  • CRJ343 Juvenile Justice Process
  • CRJ365 Terrorism
  • CRJ371 Introduction to Forensic Science
  • CRJ375 Forensic Law
  • CRJ431 Crime Prevention
  • CRJ434 Security Administration
  • CRJ451 International Criminal Justice
  • CRJ477 Family Violence
  • CRJ479 Victimology
  • CRJ481 Women and Criminal Justice
  • CRJ485 Issues in Juvenile Justice
  • CRJ489 Problems in Policing
  • CRJ490 Internship in Criminal Justice
  • CRJ491.01 GIS/Crime Mapping
  • CRJ491.02 Race and Crime
  • CRJ491.03 Death Penalty
  • CRJ499 Independent Study in Criminal Justice

*Grade of C or above required.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Understand how crime is defined and measured.
  • Develop a sound understanding of the causes of crime and society's response to crime.
  • Be able to apply critical thinking when evaluating issues in criminology and criminal justice.
  • Develop skills in expressing themselves clearly and coherently in oral and written language.
  • Understand some of the important ethical and cultural competencies required by those who wish to work in the criminal justice area.
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