Student majoring in history or any of the philosophy or religion majors will receive the B.A. degree. Students majoring in the behavioral sciences have the option of receiving a B.A. or B.S. degree. All students receiving a B.A. degree must complete the modern language requirement.
The Criminal Justice Program provides an overview of the criminal justice system including the three basic components: the police, courts, and corrections. Criminological theory and research examine criminal behaviors and crime causation. The combination of substantive criminal justice coursework and field experience will prepare students for careers in law enforcement, the law, and corrections or to pursue graduate and professional education. Students majoring in criminal justice are encouraged to complete a minor or second major in a closely-related field or program.
Students completing the major in criminal justice will:
• demonstrate general knowledge of the criminal justice system including the core components of the police, the courts, and corrections;
• explicate crime and criminal behavior by examining criminological theories of crime causation;
• demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing and discussing criminal justice issues;
• demonstrate knowledge of research skills by writing scholarly papers on criminal justice topics;
• connect substantive areas of academic coursework to real-life application in a criminal justice field.
Required Courses for the Major in Criminal Justice
CJ 231 Introduction to Criminal Justice.................3 hrs.260 Criminal Law and Individual Rights...............3 hrs.
307 Criminology......................................3 hrs.
316 Introduction to Corrections......................3 hrs.
355 Law Enforcement..................................3 hrs.
380 Topics in Criminal Justice.......................3 hrs.
416 Crime and Punishment..............................3 hrs.
SSC 347 Research Methods...................................3 hrs.
HUMST 499 Senior Seminar....................................1 hr.
Field Experience...........................................6 hrs.
Electives in Criminal Justice*.............................6 hrs.
Total 37 hrs.
* CJ courses only. CJ/SOC 308 Juvenile Delinquency may be used as an elective in either Criminal Justice or Sociology.
Support Courses
Institutional:
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to four semesters of college courses. For criminal justice Majors, Spanish is recommended in meeting this requirement.
All CJ majors (BS or BA) must complete:
MATH 171 Elementary Statistics
HUMST 499 Senior Seminar
With a grade of C- or better.
Recommended Divisional Support Courses:
ENG 311 Expository Writing
COMM 147 Introduction to Public Speaking
Recommended Departmental Support Courses:
Choose one:
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
or
243 Social Problems...........3 hrs.
Elective
One course from the Human Studies Division..............3 hrs.
Required Courses for the Minor in Criminal Justice
CJ 231 Introduction to Criminal Justice............3 hrs.260 Criminal Law and Individual Rights..........3 hrs.
307 Criminology.................................3 hrs.
355 Law Enforcement.............................3 hrs.
Electives in Criminal Justice.................. 6 hrs.
Total 18 hrs.
