Program Overview

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Criminology and Justice Studies - B.A.

Overview

The Criminology and Justice Studies undergraduate major combines coursework in law, psychology, sociology, and other fields to provide a comprehensive understanding of crime and justice. With experienced faculty and opportunities for research and practical experience, this program prepares students for a successful career in a wide range of criminal justice roles.

Contact Information

• Tiffany Taylor | |

Program Delivery

• Delivery: Mostly online, In person
• Location: Ashtabula Campus, East Liverpool Campus, Kent Campus, Salem Campus, Stark Campus, Trumbull Campus, Tuscarawas Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

• First-line supervisors of correctional officers: -7.8% decline, 48,700 number of jobs, $60,910 potential earnings
• First-line supervisors of police and detectives: 5.2% faster than the average, 126,100 number of jobs, $92,970 potential earnings
• Public safety telecommunicators: 6.2% faster than the average, 98,300 number of jobs, $43,290 potential earnings

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents, and adult students.

• First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum, and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework.
• First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull, and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

• CRIM 12000: INTRODUCTION TO JUSTICE STUDIES (3)
• CRIM 26704: ISSUES IN LAW AND SOCIETY (KSS) (3)
• CRIM 36702: CRIMINOLOGY (3)
• CRIM 37311 or CRIM 37411: MINORITIES IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD) or WOMEN IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD) (3)
• SOC 12050: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) (3)
• SOC 32210: RESEARCHING SOCIETY (ELR) (WIC) (3)
• SOC 32220: DATA ANALYSIS (3)
• SOC 32221: DATA ANALYSIS LABORATORY (1)
• Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Electives (9)
• Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) (9)

Additional Requirements

• UC 10001: FLASHES 101 (1)
• Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) (10-16)
• Kent Core Composition (6)
• Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (3)
• Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) (9)
• Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) (6-7)
• Kent Core Additional (6)
• General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) (39)

Graduation Requirements

• Minimum Major GPA: 2.000
• Minimum Overall GPA: 2.000

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

• Flashes 101 (UC 10001) (1 credit hour)
• Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) (2 courses)
• Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) (varies)
• Kent Core (36-37 credit hours)
• Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) (1 course)
• Upper-Division Requirement (39 credit hours)
• Total Credit Hour Requirement (120 credit hours)

Kent Core Requirements

• Kent Core Composition (KCMP) (6)
• Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) (3)
• Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (minimum one course from each) (9)
• Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) (6)
• Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) (6-7)
• Kent Core Additional (KADL) (6)
• Total Credit Hours: 36-37

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Communicate orally and in writing.
2. Develop skills through experience.
3. Have substantive knowledge in specific areas of the discipline, namely law, law enforcement, corrections, courts, and diversity.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of ethics.
5. Describe theoretical issues related to the causes of crime and development of justice practices.
6. Find and explain research in the field.
7. Develop critical thinking skills.

Program Policies

Foreign Language Requirements

In general, students may elect any foreign language taught through the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies. However, certain majors, concentrations, and minors require specific languages or limit the languages from which students may choose.

Mandatory Outcomes Assessment

In addition to the other General Requirements of the college, candidates for an undergraduate degree in the College of Arts and Sciences are required, as a condition of graduation, to participate in an outcomes assessment. These outcomes assessments are conducted by each undergraduate degree program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Justice Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime, law, and justice. The curriculum provides a firm understanding of the basic institutions of the criminal justice system. Students are also exposed to criminological theory and diversity courses, which help them understand the complex relationship between the individual, society, and the criminal justice system. The program stresses effective writing and analytical skills. Students are afforded the opportunity to earn credit through internship placements.

Consultations with faculty and advisors enable students to make informed choices about which combination of courses will maximize their preparation for future careers and graduate education. Such specializations include policing; corrections; victimology; law and society; criminology and deviance; and justice and human relations.

Criminology and Justice Studies students may apply early to the M.A. degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information.