Program Overview

Introduction to the Criminal Justice Program

The Criminal Justice Program leads to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and supports the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree with courses applicable to the Criminal Justice, Community and Mental Health, and Legal Studies tracks.

Program Description

The program has two main objectives: to provide an advanced understanding of the criminal justice system and its components and to provide either a concentration of knowledge and application of skills in a specialized subfield of study or a broad exploration of the discipline based on individual student needs through the selection of disciplinary electives. The curriculum is planned to offer preparation for a professional career by integrating a core of Criminal Justice courses into a general program of the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Program Modality

The Criminal Justice Program is a hybrid program, which means that courses may be offered in face-to-face, hybrid/blended, and fully online formats. The hybrid designation gives students the flexibility to complete 50-85% of their coursework online. Students should be aware that not all courses will be offered in their desired modality in every semester. Students are advised to consult with their Academic Advisor to ensure timely progress to degree completion.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the operation and purposes of the major components of the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections)
• Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze the criminal justice system and its aims and objectives
• Demonstrate the ability to apply professional standards of writing and research to criminal justice issues

Program Requirements

The Criminal Justice major requires a minimum of 45 semester hours, 27 semester hours of which must be at the upper-division level. Supporting courses related to essential skills totaling 3 hours are also required.

General Requirements

• Core Curriculum Program: 42 hours
• University Seminar (when applicable): 0-2 hours
• Criminal Justice Major Requirements: 45 hours
• University Electives: 24 hours
• Foreign Language Requirements: 6 hours
• Required Supporting Courses: 3 hours
• Total Credit Hours: 120-122 hours

Criminal Justice Major Requirements

• CRIJ 1301: Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 hours)
• CRIJ 1306: Court Systems and Processes (3 hours)
• CRIJ 1310: Fundamentals of Criminal Law (3 hours)
• CRIJ 2313: Correctional Systems & Practices (3 hours)
• CRIJ 2328: Police Systems and Practices (3 hours)
• CRIJ 4335: Criminology (3 hours)
• CRIJ 4345: Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3 hours)
• Advanced Understanding in Criminal Justice:
  • Theoretical Perspectives: CRIJ 4325 (Diversity in Criminal Justice) or CRIJ 4331 (Juvenile Delinquency)
  • Corrections: Select one of the following - CRIJ 3325 (Community-Based Corrections), CRIJ 4320 (Offender Rehabilitation), or CRIJ 4321 (American Prisons and Prisoners)
  • Courts: CRIJ 4312 (Law and Evidence) or CRIJ 4313 (Criminal Procedure)
  • Law Enforcement: CRIJ 3315 (Police Methods of Crime Control) or CRIJ 4351 (Police Supervision and Management)
• Criminal Justice Electives: Select 12 hours from the list of available electives

Required Supporting Course

• ENGL 3301: Technical and Professional Writing (3 hours)

University Electives

Select 24 hours of university electives.

Foreign Language Requirements

See the College of Liberal Arts for the college language requirement (6 hours).

Course Sequencing

A plan of study grid is provided to guide students through their four-year program, outlining the courses to be taken each semester.

Courses

A detailed list of courses is provided, including:

• CRIJ 1301: Introduction to Criminal Justice
• CRIJ 1306: Court Systems and Processes
• CRIJ 1310: Fundamentals of Criminal Law
• CRIJ 2313: Correctional Systems & Practices
• CRIJ 2314: Criminal Investigation
• CRIJ 2328: Police Systems and Practices
• And many more, each with a detailed description of the course content and credit hours.