Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

Program Overview

Study the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that influence definitions of crime, explain offending and crime rates, sway societal reactions, influence policy, and shape the criminal justice system. With a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, you will be qualified to pursue careers in law enforcement, government, research, and non-profit agencies. You may also consider graduate or law school as your next step.

Program of Study

Delve into the philosophy and structure of the American criminal justice system by examining the intersection between laws, enforcement agents, legal personnel, criminal offenders, victims, and average citizens. You will also study the individual and social causes of crime and the fundamentals of successful crime prevention programs.

Core Courses

• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Introduction to Law and Criminal Justice
• Criminology

Statistics

Choose one:

• Introduction to Statistics in Criminal Justice
• Statistics for Sociologists
• Statistical Methods in Psychology
• Elementary Statistics

Research Methods

Choose one:

• Introduction to Research Design in Criminal Justice
• Introduction to Social Research
• Experimental Psychology

Capstone Seminar

One 400-level, writing-intensive senior Capstone Seminar

Electives

16-18 additional credits from any 300 or 400-level criminal justice courses

Admission Criteria

Current UAlbany Students

• A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher following completion of at least 56 credits (of which 30 credit hours must be taken at the University at Albany)
• A grade of B or better in two of the following courses: RCRJ 201, 202, or 203 or equivalents
• Completion of the statistics and research methods classes required of majors (RCRJ 281 and 282, or equivalents) with a grade of B or better

Transfer Students

• A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher following completion of at least 56 credits (of which 30 credit hours must be taken at the University at Albany)
• A grade of B or better in two of the following courses: RCRJ 201, 202, or 203 or equivalents
• Completion of the statistics and research methods classes required of majors (RCRJ 281 and 282, or equivalents) with a grade of B or better

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Options

You can save time and money by beginning your graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so you’ll complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately. Choose to combine your Criminal Justice undergraduate degree with the following graduate programs:

• MA in Criminal Justice
• MPA in Public Administration and Policy
• MIA in International Affairs
• MS in Information Science

Career Paths

Criminal Justice degree alumni have gone on to pursue successful careers in positions including:

• City or state police officer
• Federal agent
• Crime analyst
• Policy analyst
• Community organizer
• Crime victim specialist
• Legislative aide
• Asset protection manager

Student Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of causes of crime and society’s response to crime.
• Demonstrate familiarity with research design.
• Demonstrate familiarity with descriptive statistics and the logic of inferential statistics.
• Ability to think critically about crime and crime policy.
• Demonstrated writing skills.