Criminal Justice (B.A.)

This undergraduate program is offered by the School of Professional Studies.

Program Chair

Mr. Thomas Mostowy, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice (program chair)

Description

Criminal justice is the scientific study of criminal behavior and society’s response to it. The Criminal Justice Major offers a curriculum focused upon the role of criminal justice within the broader concept of social justice in a multi-cultural, industrialized democracy. Specialized areas of study include the Administration of Justice, Criminal Law, the Principles of Correctional Operations, Juvenile Justice, Criminal Procedure, Law Enforcement, Criminological Theory, and Security Studies. The program prepares the student for a wide variety of careers in Criminal Justice, and for graduate study in Criminal Justice and related fields. It also lays the foundation for success as a criminal justice professional and as a citizen through an understanding of the integration of liberal, interdisciplinary learning with the needs of criminal justice in the 21st Century, and develops the student’s analytical and communications skills in research and writing methods for Criminal Justice professionals.

The curriculum guides the student through the historical, theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline and incorporates discussion of current issues in the field of criminal justice and challenges the student to analyze and evaluate the performance of the criminal justice system in deterring crime, protecting the public, and fostering a just society. The program also exposes the student to select specialized courses in Law and Judicial Administration, Law Enforcement, Corrections, Criminological Theory, Juvenile Justice, Forensics, and Intelligence. The curriculum has been designed in accordance with current SPS standards as well as the related professional certification standards of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).

Major Requirements

Forty-five (45) credits of course work are required for the Criminal Justice major involving thirty-six (36) credits of required core course work and nine (9) credits of required concentration course work. The concentration course work need not be in the same concentration, but must include at least one 400-level concentration course. CJUS 100 is considered a Prerequisite to all 300 and 400-level CJUS courses unless waived by instructor or Department Chair.

Four foundational core courses (12 Credits)

CJUS 100 Introduction Criminal Justice
CJUS 101 Criminal Law
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
SSC 207 Writing for the Social Sciences

Eight core courses (24 Credits)

CJUS 200 Corrections
CJUS 205 Criminology
CJUS 206 Juvenile Justice
CJUS 307 Criminal Procedures
CJUS 309 Evidence
SOCY 311 Research Methods for Social Scientists
CJUS 498 Senior Thesis in Criminal Justice
CJUS 492 Internship in Criminal Justice OR another 300 or 400 level CJUS course

Three concentration courses (9 Credits)

Concentrations will be offered in Law Administration, Law Enforcement, Corrections, Criminological Theory, Juvenile Justice, Forensics, Intelligence and Security Studies.

Law Administration/Legal Theory (9 Credits)

CJUS 341 Administrative Law
CJUS 344 Legal Decision Making: Theory and Challenges
CJUS 444 Constitutional Law

Law Enforcement (9 Credits)

CJUS 306 Law Enforcement Administration
CJUS 366 Criminal Investigations
CJUS 381

Corrections (9 Credits)

CJUS 351 Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections
CJUS 377 Juvenile Delinquency: Theories and Challenges
CJUS 410 Theories of Crime and Deviance

Criminological Theory (9 Credits)

CJUS 377 Juvenile Delinquency: Theories and Challenges
CJUS 303 Inequality, Discrimination, and Gender in Criminal Justice
CJUS 410 Theories of Crime and Deviance

Juvenile Justice (9 Credits)

CJUS 377 Juvenile Delinquency: Theories and Challenges
PSYC 402 Juvenile Forensic Psychology
CJUS 471 Law, Justice, and the American Family

Forensics (9 Credits)

BIOL 220 Introductory Forensic Science
PSYC 323 Forensic Psychology
CHEM 350 Forensic Instrumental Analysis and CHEM 351 Forensic Instrumental Analysis Lab
PSYC 402 Juvenile Forensic Psychology

Intelligence and Security Studies (9 Credits)

CJUS 381 Homeland Security
CJUS 388 International and Domestic Terrorism
CJUS 410 Theories of Crime and Deviance

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Criminal Justice major.

CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Criminal Justice major.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major. In addition, students must achieve a passing grade on the Senior Comprehensive portfolio.

Pass/No Pass:
Courses fulfilling major requirements may not be taken pass/no pass.

TELL Policy:
Students applying for credit in experiential learning should consult with the program faculty.

Transfer Credits:
Credits in courses equivalent to those required for the major from a similar institution may be accepted toward a major. Students majoring in Criminal Justice must take a minimum of four criminal justice courses at Trinity.

[department-courses dept=CJUS]