Mar 30, 2025  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
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2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Criminal Justice Major, BA/BS

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Students who major in Criminal Justice have the option of pursuing the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree (language required) or the Bachelor of Science degree.  This major provides students with 39 semester hours of a “core” that emphasizes training in theory, research methods, and statistics.

Majors are required to earn a least a “C” grade in all Criminal Justice courses.  After completing ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, Composition and Literature I and II, students must take and successfully pass the Bowie State University English Proficiency Examination.  Transfer students who completed their English composition requirements should take the English Proficiency Examination during their first semester of enrollment at the University. Majors must select and complete 21 credits in one of the three concentrations within the program: Social Justice, Community Based Corrections or Forensic Science.

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:

Criminal Justice Major

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:
 

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.

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.
 

Note:

 

Required for Major - Criminal Justice Core Courses (39 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)

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)

Forensic Science Concentration (24 hours)

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

Note:

All Criminal Justice Majors must enroll in CRJU 418 Seminar in Criminal Justice during their senior year (3 credits).

Students are also required to complete a practicum in their respective field by taking SOCI 400 Practicum in Criminal Justice prior to graduation. Students will work closely with SOCI 400 Practicum Coordinator and BSU Career Services Office, to identify practicum and future employment opportunities.

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)
 

Free Electives:

Free Electives: 13/14 Credits for Criminal Justice Majors.  Transfers students must take an additional 3 credits elective (16/17) due to the omission of Freshman Seminar in the Institutional Requirement section.

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

 

Senior Year

 

First Semester

 

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

 

Second Semester

 

Total: 14

 

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