Program Overview

Criminology and Criminal Justice BS

The interdisciplinary curricula unify a body of knowledge from criminology, social science, law, public administration, and corrections, and provide the student with an understanding of the assumptions, values, and processes of the system of justice. Many pre-law students choose criminology and criminal justice as an undergraduate major because of the excellent preparation offered for law school.

General Education Requirements

Majors must satisfy the university and college general education requirements. Foreign language proficiency is not required, although students are encouraged to take foreign language courses. Majors may not take the following courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis: criminology and criminal justice courses; SOC 3220, Quantitative Techniques in Sociology; or SOC 3230, Research Methods. Additionally, substitutions approved by departmental advisers for these courses may not be taken on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory basis.

Declaring the Criminology and Criminal Justice Major

Students must complete the following courses before declaring the major:

• CRIMIN 1100: Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice (3 hours)
• CRIMIN 1110: Theories of Crime (3 hours)
• CRIMIN 2210: Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice (3 hours)
• CRIMIN 2220: Statistical Analysis in Criminology and Criminal Justice (4 hours)

Students must successfully complete CRIMIN 2220 with a grade of C- or better within three attempts.

Degree Requirements

Courses used to fulfill the social science or state requirements may not be taken from courses in the major. Students may register for 4000-level courses only after completing ENGL 3100 (Advanced Expository Writing). Students may register for 5000-level courses only after prerequisites have been satisfied or after obtaining a signature from the adviser in criminology and criminal justice or consent of the instructor.

Criminology majors may not take course numbers 1100, 2260, or 3345 offered through UM-Independent Studies to fulfill degree requirements in the major.

Core Curriculum

Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice candidates must complete the core curriculum listed below:

• The following courses in criminology and criminal justice are required (22 hours):
  • CRIMIN 1100: Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • CRIMIN 1110: Theories of Crime
  • CRIMIN 1120: Criminal Law
  • CRIMIN 2130: Criminal Justice Policy
  • CRIMIN 2210: Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • CRIMIN 2220: Statistical Analysis in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • CRIMIN 4390: Seminar in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Select one of the following (3 hours):
  • CRIMIN 2240: Policing
  • CRIMIN 2250: Courts
  • CRIMIN 2260: Corrections
• Select one of the following courses in Criminology and Criminal Justice (3 hours):
  • CRIMIN 3305: Crime and Justice in a Globalized World
  • CRIMIN 4325: Gender, Crime, and Justice
  • CRIMIN 4330: Violence Against Women
  • CRIMIN 4340: Race, Crime, and Justice
• Select three additional CRIMIN courses at the 3000, 4000, or 5000 level (9 hours)
• Total Hours: 37

Candidates must earn a minimum grade of (C-) in the following courses: CRIMIN 2220 Statistical Analysis in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and CRIMIN 4390 Seminar in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Candidates must also have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in the major.

Credit for Police Officer Certified Police Academy Training

Credit may be allowed for individuals certified as law enforcement officers in the states of Missouri and Illinois, as well as certified Federal law enforcement officers/agents for police academy training. Consideration may be given to individuals certified as law enforcement officers/agents from other states on a case-by-case evaluation. Individuals who qualify as certified law enforcement officers/agents may receive up to 15 hours of credit for Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJ) coursework awarded at the discretion of the CCJ department faculty. To count toward a degree, the credit granted must be appropriate to the student’s curriculum.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate critical thinking to reflect a depth, breadth and integration of knowledge in the key areas of criminology and criminal justice, law, theory, research methods, statistics, and criminal justice policy.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the three areas of the criminal justice system: policing, courts, and corrections.
• Students will analyze the role that class, race, gender and culture play in crime and criminal justice.
• Students will be able to evaluate and report research findings and data in a professional and ethical manner.
• Graduates will be able to formulate and assess research questions, recognize the need for information and the knowledge to procure that information from relevant scholarly literature and databases, design research projects grounded in theory and scholarship, and evaluate data critically.

Sample Four Year Plan

First Year

• Fall:
  • INTDSC 1003 (1 hour)
  • CRIMIN 1100 (3 hours)
  • ENGL 1100 (3 hours)
  • CORE - Mathematics Proficiency (3 hours)
  • CORE - Communication Proficiency (3 hours)
  • EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 16
• Spring:
  • CRIMIN 1110 (3 hours)
  • CRIMIN 1120 (3 hours)
  • EXPLORE - Mathematics and Natural Sciences (3 hours)
  • EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15

Second Year

• Fall:
  • CRIMIN 2130 (3 hours)
  • CRIMIN 2210 (3 hours)
  • EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts (3 hours)
  • EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15
• Spring:
  • CRIMIN 2240, 2250, or 2260 (3 hours)
  • CRIMIN 2220 (4 hours)
  • EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences (3 hours)
  • CORE - US History and Government (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (1 hour)
  • Total Hours: 14

Third Year

• Fall:
  • CRIMIN 3000+ level course (3 hours)
  • ENGL 3100 (3 hours)
  • Global Perspectives Requirement (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15
• Spring:
  • CRIMIN 3000+ level course (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • CRIMIN 3000+ level course (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15
• Spring:
  • CRIMIN 4390 (3 hours)
  • CRIMIN 3000+ level course (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Elective or minor (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15
• Total Hours: 120