Program Overview
Overview of the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice is offered by the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University. The mission of the Criminal Justice program is to foster a comprehensive understanding of the nature of crime and the effectiveness and fairness of society's efforts to prevent and control it. Students engage in a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of crime, offenders and victims, and the agencies, goals, laws, policies and processes of the criminal justice system.
Course Overlap Policy
Students may overlap no more than one course between multiple certificate programs. Students may overlap no more than two courses between the major in Criminal Justice and these closely related programs:
- major or minor in Psychology
- major, minor, or certificate in Cybersecurity and Human Behavior
- certificate in Forensic Psychology
- certificate in Law and the American Criminal Justice System
- certificate in Law Enforcement, Homeland Security and Public Safety
Campus Location and Program Code
The Campus Location is Main, and the Program Code is LA-CJ-BA.
Careers
Majoring in criminal justice helps to prepare students for careers as practitioners, researchers and academics in a variety of public and private sector professions in both adult and juvenile systems of justice, at the federal, state and local levels of government. Graduates obtain positions with many different public and private criminal justice-related agencies.
Internship and Experiential Learning
Students are encouraged to enroll in the specialized internship program, earning 3 credits for CJ 4075 Criminal Justice Internship Seminar and 19 credits in CJ 4085 Criminal Justice Internship.
Accelerated BA/MA Program
High-achieving undergraduates will be invited by the faculty of the Criminal Justice Department to apply for the +1 BA/MA accelerated program. Students admitted to this program begin taking graduate courses, along with their undergraduate curriculum, in their last three undergraduate semesters.
Student Organizations
There are several student organizations available, including:
- Criminal Justice Society
- Forensic Psychology Club
- Temple Ignite Organization
- The Law Enforcement & Government Service Club
Distinction in Major
Criminal Justice majors may graduate with distinction in the major if they have earned a GPA of 3.5 in the major and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.
Summary of Degree Requirements
University Requirements
- MATH 0701 and/or ENG 0701, if required by placement testing
- All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major
- Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program
College of Liberal Arts Requirements
- Completion of a minimum of 123 credits
- A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major
- Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements
Major Requirements
- Specifically Required Courses:
- CJ 1001 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CJ 2401 Nature of Crime
- CJ 2501 Introduction to Criminal Law
- CJ 2597 Criminal Justice Research Methods
- CJ 2602 Criminal Justice Statistics
- CJ 4097 CJ Capstone Seminar
- Electives in Major: Select three Criminal Justice electives numbered 2000+ and three Criminal Justice electives numbered 3000+
Suggested Academic Plan
The suggested academic plan for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice is outlined in a four-year plan, with specific courses and credit hours for each semester.
Accelerated Programs
Students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route. The following accelerated programs may be of interest to students in the Criminal Justice BA:
- Criminal Justice MA
- Information Technology Auditing and Cyber Security MS