May 08, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Criminal Justice Major, BA/BS

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Students who major in Criminal Justice have the option of pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree or the Bachelor of Art degree (language required). This major provides students with 39 semester hours of a “core” that emphasizes training in theory and research methodology. Students then focus their studies in forensic science, community based- corrections, restorative justice, computer forensic, and social Justice (21 hours). The concentrations provide students with 24 hours, including a practicum or field experience course. All students are required to enroll in CRJU 418 Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice during their senior year.

Majors are required to earn at least a “C” grade in all Criminal Justice courses in their major program.

Exception to, or substitutions for the following major requirements are considered only through a formal process of department recommendations.

In order to earn a degree, a student must complete 120 hours.  Of these, 40-41 are General Education Requirements and 6 are Institutional Requirements as follows:

General Education Requirements (40-41 semester hours)

English Composition (6 semester hours)

Arts and Humanities (6 semeser hours) - One course in each of two disciplines

DISCIPLINE COURSES: Philosophy, Speech, Theatre, Art, Music (except workshops), Modern Languages, Interdisciplinary African-American Studies.

  • ____ ____ Arts/Humanities Electives 3 Credits
  • ____ ____ Arts/Huamnities Electives 3 Credits

Social Science and Behavioral Sciences (6 semester hours)

Criminal Justice Majors must take Sociology 101

Must include 3 semester hours of African American History and 3 Semester hours Introduction to Sociology

Natural Science (7-8 semester hours) - Two science courses, at least one of which shall be a laboratory course

DISCIPLINE COURSES: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Physical Science.  Students may not take two courses from the same area, and a Biology course must have an associated lab.

  • ____ ____ Science 4 Credits
  • ____ ____ Science 3-4 Credits

Mathematics (3 semester hours) - One course in mathematics

Technology (3 semester hours) - one course in technology

DISCIPLINE COURSES: Business Information systems or Computer Science
 

Free General Education Elective (9 semester hours)

Departmental advisement, chosen from any category within the General Education Course List.

Courses numbered “100” or less in Communication Skills and in Mathematics are developmental courses and as such are not included in the 120 credit hour graduation requirement, and thus constitute additional semester hours beyond 120 hour requirement.
 

Institutional Requirement (6 semester hours)

Note:

Transfer students not taking Freshman Seminar MUST SUBSTITUTE THREE (3) OTHER SEMESTER HOURS TO BE INCLUDED IN THEIR TOTAL OF 120 HOURS.

Criminal Justice Major Requirements

Core major requirements (39 Semester hours)

Note:

*CRJU 418 - All Criminal Justice Majors must enroll in this 3 credit Seminar in Criminal Justice during their senior year 

*SOCI 400 CRJU Practicum - Students are also required to complete an internship in their respective field by taking SOCI 400 practicum in Criminal Justice prior to graduation.  Students will work closely with SOCI 400 Internship coordinator and BSU Career Services Office, to identify internship and future employment opportunities. 

Criminal Justice Concentrations

All Criminal Justice majors must select one of the following concentration areas as a requirement.

Forensic Science Concentration (24 hours)

Courses for Forensic Science concentration (Student must select six courses along with the Practicum in Criminal Justice-24 hrs)

Community-Based Corrections Concentration (24 hours)

Courses for Community Based Corrections Concentration (Student must select seven courses along with the Practicum in Criminal Justice-24 hrs)

Computer Forensics Concentration (24 hours)

Restorative Justice Concentration (24 hours)

Social Justice Concentration (24 hours)

Courses for Social Justice Concentration (Student must select seven courses along with the Practicum in Criminal Justice-24 hrs)

Free Electives:

Free Electives: 16/17 Credits for Criminal Justice Majors.  * Transfers students must take an additional 3 credits of electives if able to omit the Freshman Seminar course in the Institutional Requirement section.

         *ENGL 361 Technical and Report Writing or SOCI 201 Writing for the Social Sciences is strongly recommended.

*For Bachelor of Arts Program, Twelve (12) of these free elective hours are in Foreign Language (French or Spanish).

Foreign Language Requirement*

SPAN 101-102 First-Year Spanish I and II                                6

SPAN 201-202 Second-Year Spanish I and II or                      6

FREN 101-102 First-Year French I and II                                  6

FREN 201-202 Second-Year French I and II                             6

Sample Program

Freshman Year

First Semester

Total: 15

Second Semester

Total: 16

Sophomore Year

First Semester

Total: 15

Second Semester

Total: 15

Junior Year

First Semester

Total: 15

Second Semester

  • ____ ____ Criminal Justice Electives 3 Credits
  • ____ ____ Criminal Justice Electives 3 Credits
  • ____ ____ General Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ____ General Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ____ General Elective or Foreign Language 3 Credits 
Total: 15

Senior Year

First Semester

Total: 15

Second Semester

Total: 14

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