Criminal Justice Studies

Criminology/Criminal Justice is a broad field of study that includes the contributions and approaches of many of the social and behavioral sciences, as well as areas of study such as law and ethics, as they relate to the phenomenon of crime. The Criminal Justice Studies major prepares students for employment in a wide variety of criminal justice agencies, under local, state and federal jurisdictions, as well as the private sector. This major can also serve as a foundation for graduate study in criminology, law, social work, sociology, psychology, and government including public administration.

Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in CJS 101, CJS 240, CJS 342, SOC 301, SOC 303, and all capstone courses. Courses may be retaken once to meet this requirement. If, after taking the course a second time, a student has not achieved the required grade, the student should meet with the student's advisor or the department chair to discuss implications.

Integrative Studies Requirements

40 credits minimum

Major Requirements

44 credits

Criminal Justice Studies Required Courses

28 credits

CJS 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies
CJS 240 Criminology
CJS 342 Advanced Criminology
SOC 301 Sociological Research Methods
SOC 303 Sociological Quantitative Analysis

Select one of the following:

• CJS 330 Criminal Law and Procedure
• POSC 316 Constitutional Law
• SOC 372 Law and Justice in Society

Select one of the following capstone courses:

• ANTH 478/CJS 478 Order, Chaos, and Violence
• CJS 455 Special Populations and the CJS
• CJS 461 White-Collar Crime
• CJS 465 Terrorism
• CJS 469 The Sociology of Punishment
• CJS 471 Women and Crime
• CJS 473 Race and Crime in the Media
• CJS 490 Advanced Special Topics in Criminal Justice Studies
• SOC 470 State Crimes

Criminal Justice Studies Elective Courses

16 credits minimum

Students must select Four (4) additional courses (or courses totaling 16 credits) from the CJS Elective Courses list. Two (2) of these courses must be at the 300 level or higher. Note that special topics courses may be available. Contact the Criminal Justice Studies coordinator for a list of qualified topics courses. Furthermore, the student should be aware that some of the courses listed below have prerequisites that must be met or waived by the instructor of record before they can be registered for the course.

Topics in Criminal Justice Studies

• CJS 201 Corrections
• CJS 250 Homeland Security
• CJS 290 Topics in Criminal Justice
• CJS 310 Perspectives on U.S. Policing
• CJS 320 Case Studies in Violence
• CJS 352/SOC 352 Sociology of Deviance
• CJS 365 Juvenile Delinquency
• CJS 372 Criminal Justice Administration
• CJS 390 Studies in Criminal Justice
• CJS 465 Terrorism
• IHPHIL 220 Ethics

Courts, Law and Politics

• CJS 340/WGS 340 Gender and the Law
• HGS 313/PHIL 313 Philosophy and the Holocaust
• PHIL 360 Philosophy of Law
• ISPOSC 211 State and Local Politics
• SAFE 304/ENST 304 Environmental Law and Regulation

Topics in Sociology and Anthropology

• ISANTH 323 Anthropology of Conflict and Violence
• ISSOC 310 Social Problems
• SOC 328 Social Policy
• ISSOC 357 Global Ethnic Relations
• ISSOC 386 Race, State, and Justice
• SOC 375 Sociology & Social Justice
• SOC 475 Social Stratification

Topics in Psychology and the Human Services

• PH 200 Alcohol and Other Drugs: The Fundamentals
• PSYC 221 Social Psychology
• SOC 234 Introduction to Social Work

Topics in Forensics

• ANTH 332/CJS 332 Forensic Anthropology
• INCHEM 201 Forensic Science

Electives

Select courses to reach a total of 120 credits for the degree.

Degree Requirements

120 credits
40 credits at the upper-level