Criminal Justice Program Requirements

Subtitle

Fight for Justice

Intro

If you’re interested in law school, graduate level work in criminology and criminal justice, or a career in local, state, or federal law enforcement, corrections or court related agencies, this is the right major for you. The multidisciplinary criminal justice curriculum is designed to familiarize students with the complex nature of the American criminal justice system.

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Criminal Justice, Comprehensive Major

60 credits/no minor required

This program allows students to master important interdisciplinary concepts though a liberal arts-based approach. Students not only learn necessary facts, theories, and ideas, but also develop analysis and critical thinking skills that will assist them in whatever future challenges they confront. Students can choose to earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. The criminal justice program is exactly the same for both degrees. The only differences are with specific university requirements. For example, Bachelor of Arts students are required to earn competency in two semesters of a foreign language (or three semesters of American Sign Language) while Bachelor of Science students are required to earn competency in a higher-level of math (Math 111, 112, or 113).

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Pre-requisite courses

12 credits

POLS 110 - American National Politics
PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology
CRMJ 103 - Survey of the Criminal Justice System

Alongside your pre-requisites and core courses, you'll also take elective courses. With specific requirements, you'll get well-versed in the world of criminal justice.

Core courses

Minimum 27 credits

CRMJ 280 - Criminal Justice Research
CRMJ 301 - Criminology Theory
CRMJ 302 - Youth Crime and the Juvenile Justice System
CRMJ 303 - Crime Prevention
CRMJ 319 - Police in Society
CRMJ 342 - Confinement and Corrections
POLS 301 - State and Local Politics
POLS 405 - Due Process and Criminal Law
MATH 246 - Elementary Statistics

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What is the difference between a Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) and a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in criminal justice?

From the perspective of the criminal justice coursework, there is no difference. The core and elective classes are exactly the same. The differences between the degrees relate to university and college requirements, not program requirements. For example:

For a B.A. degree, students are required to complete 2 semesters of a foreign language (or 3 semesters of American Sign Language) and 15 credits of humanities coursework; but there are fewer math and science requirements.
For a B.S. degree, students need a foreign language OR foreign culture credits and less humanities credits (9-12), but are required to pass a higher level math and additional science credits as well as two lab classes (instead of just one for the B.A. degree).

Practically speaking, there is no real reason to choose one degree over the other. If students like math and science, then they should pursue a B.S. degree. If not, then the B.A. degree is more appropriate.

I'm thinking about attending graduate school and would lie experience as a research or teaching assistant. Who do I speak with about these opportunities?

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