Criminal Justice (B.S.) – 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. CRJ 100 is considered a Prerequisite to all 300 and 400-level CRJ courses unless waived by instructor or Department Chair.

Four foundational core courses (12 Credits)

CRJ 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice
CRJ 101 Criminal Law
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
SSC 107 Social Science Writing

Eight core courses (24 Credits)

CRJ 200 Principles of Correctional Operations
CRJ 201 Juvenile Justice
CRJ 202 Criminal Procedure
CRJ 205 Criminology
CRJ 309 Evidence
SOCY 311 Research Methods for Social Scientists

CRJ 499
(or)
SOCY 499 Senior Seminar

(and either)

CRJ 491
(or)
CRJ 3xx or 4xx (another 300- or 400-level CRJ course)

Three concentration courses (9 Credits)

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

Law Administration/Legal Theory (9 Credits)

CRJ 341 Admininstrative Law
CRJ 344 Legal Decision Making
(and either)
CRJ 441 Judicial Administration
(or)
CRJ 444 Constitutional Law

Law Enforcement (9 Credits)

CRJ 306 Law Enforcement Administration
CRJ 366 Criminal Investigation
CRJ 466 Community Policing

Corrections (9 Credits)

CRJ 351 Probation, Parole and Community Corrections
CRJ 371
CRJ 451

Criminological Theory (9 Credits)

CRJ 377 Juven Delinq, Theories & Challenges
CRJ 303 Special Populations in Criminal Justice
CRJ 410

Juvenile Justice (9 Credits)

CRJ 371
CRJ 377 Juven Delinq, Theories & Challenges
CRJ 471 Law, Justice, and the American Family

Forensics (9 Credits)

CRJ 321
CRJ 421
PSYC 323 Forensic Psychology

Intelligence and Security Studies (9 Credits)

CRJ 388 International and Domestic Terrorism
CRJ 381 Homeland Security
CRJ 481

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.