Criminal Justice Major

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Jennifer L. Huck	Chair of Department of Communication and Sociology Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Kelly Pinter	Lecturer of Sociology and Criminal Justice

The criminal justice major is designed to meet the needs of students considering a career in the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, law and the courts and corrections. The major has an interdisciplinary liberal arts focus, emphasizing social science knowledge as well as basic communication and intellectual skills. We offer courses to help students understand the structure and philosophy of the American criminal justice system including the dimensions and causes of crime and delinquency, theories of crime prevention and control, the history, nature and theories of law enforcement, the basis and operation of criminal courts, and the philosophies and practices of various correctional institutions and programs, including corrections in the community.

Learning Outcomes for Criminal Justice

Students successfully completing the major are expected to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the structure, philosophy and administration of the criminal justice system and its components of law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
Describe and apply criminological theory to understand why individuals engage in crime, how criminals are created, and how policies connect to theoretical underpinnings.
Utilize and evaluate appropriate research and analytical methods in criminal justice.
Demonstrate the ability to develop and convey oral and written messages effectively in a professional manner.

Core Courses

CRJ 103 - Introduction to Criminal Justice 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 212 - Criminology 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 499 - Capstone - What works in criminal justice policy 2 Hour(s)
SOC 102 - Sociology of Social Problems 4 Hour(s)
SOC 266 - Methods of Social Science Research 4 Hour(s)

Two Electives from the Following:

CRJ 204 - Criminal Law 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 213 - Race and Ethnicity Studies in Criminal Justice 4 Hour(s) or
SOC 213 - Race and Ethnicity Studies in Sociology 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 224 - Dynamics of Terrorism 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 229 - Understanding Violence 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 250 - Dissecting Truths of the Criminal Justice System 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 252 - Law Enforcement and Justice 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 291 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice 4 Hour(s)

Two Electives from the Following:

CRJ 307 - Corrections, Policy and Justice 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 319 - Juvenile Delinquency 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 323 - Court processes, decisions, and ethics 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 332 - White Collar and Environmental Crime 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 340 - Victims and Victimology 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 345 - Women, Gender, and Crime 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 391 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice 4 Hour(s)
CRJ 480 - Internship in Criminal Justice 2 or 4 Hour(s)

Required Support Courses

IDS 200 - Career and Job Placement 2 Hour(s)
POL 141 - Intro to American Politics 4 Hour(s)
ENG 199 - Reading and Writing in the Sciences 4 Hour(s)

Note:

Bachelor requirements for this major may take SOC 114 instead of CMP 114 .

Bachelor of Science Requirements

The requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree are:

CMP 112 - Computational Thinking I 4 Hour(s)
and
CMP 114 - Computational Thinking II - Statistical Analysis Emphasis 4 Hour(s) or
MAT 140 - Calculus and Its Applications 4 Hour(s) or higher
and
CSC 110 - Problem Solving through Programming 4 Hour(s) or higher
ENG 170 - Writing Seminar 4 Hour(s)
Degree requirements cannot be waived.

Note:

Each major may have specific course sequencing requirements. For specific requirements, see “Required Support Courses” within each major