Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science degree with a major in criminal justice prepares students to work in the areas of municipal, state, and federal law enforcement; corrections; and juvenile justice and probation. This degree program also provides a firm foundation in the analytical, communication, and research skills needed for law and graduate school.

Area A: Essential Skills
ENGL 1101English Composition I3
ENGL 1102English Composition II3
MATH 1001Quantitative Skills/Reasoning3
or MATH 1101 Intro to Mathematical Modeling
or MATH 1111 College Algebra
or MATH 1113 Precalculus Mathematics
or MATH 1401 Elementary Statistics
Area B: Intitutional Options
Beginning Fall 2022, incoming (entering) students with 29 hours or fewer college credits will take only a Perspectives course for their one-hour Area B credit.
COMM 1110Fundamentals of Speech3
One of the following electives:1
Intro to Greek Mythology
Creative Writing
Natural Hazards
Appalachian Hist-Special Topic
Sports Hist & Amer Character
Health and Wellness Concepts
Mystery Fiction in Pop Culture
Christian Fiction/Pop Culture
Race and Ethnicity in America
PRSP Elective (See advisor)
Area C: Humanities/Fine Arts
Choose one to two ENGL course(s):3-6
Topics in Literature & Culture
World Literature I
World Literature II
British Literature I
British Literature II
American Literature I
American Literature II
Intro to Film as Literature
If only one ENGL course chosen, add one of the following:0-3
Art Appreciation
Expressions of Culture I
Expressions of Culture II
Music Appreciation
World Music
American Music
Theatre Appreciation
Area D: Science/Mathematics/Technology
Eight Credit Hours of Lab Science Electives:8
Astronomy of the Solar System
and Astronomy of Solar Sys. Lab
Stellar and Galactic Astronomy
and Stellar & Galac. Astronomy Lab
Environmental Studies
Principles of Biology I
Principles of Biology II
Botany
Principles of Entomology
Survey of Chemistry
Principles of Chemistry I
Principles of Chemistry II
Principles of Geology
Historical Geology
Geology & the Environment
Introductory Physics I
Introductory Physics II
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics II
One of the following electives:3-4
Astronomy of the Solar System
Stellar and Galactic Astronomy
Environmental Studies
Principles of Biology I
Principles of Biology II
Botany
Principles of Entomology
Survey of Chemistry
Principles of Chemistry I
Principles of Chemistry II
Principles of Programming I
Principles of Programming II
Introduction to Data Science
Environmental Hazards
Principles of Geology
Historical Geology
Geology & the Environment
Precalculus Mathematics
Elementary Statistics *
Applied Calculus
Calculus and Analytic Geom I
Calculus and Analytic Geom II
Introductory Physics I
Introductory Physics II
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics II
Area E: Social Sciences
HIST 2111United States History to 18773
or HIST 2112 United States Hist since 1877
POLS 1101American Government3
Two of the following electives:6
Intro to Cultural Anthropology
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Introduction to Geography
Intro to Human Geography
Intro to Physical Geography
World Civilization to 1500 CE
World Civilization since 1500
United States History to 1877
United States Hist since 1877
Intro to World Religions
Intro to Philosophical Issues
Logic and Critical Thinking
Intro to Political Science
State and Local Government
Comparative Politics
International Relations
Introduction to Psychology *
Psychology of Adjustment
Human Development
Introduction to Sociology *
Social Problems
Area F: Major Related
Required Courses (All CRJU classes require a grade of C or better)
CRJU 1100Intro to Criminal Justice3
CRJU 2100Intro to Law Enforcement3
CRJU 2200The Judicial Process3
CRJU 2300Crime and Justice Studies3
Two of the following electives:6
Human Communications
Logic and Critical Thinking
State and Local Government
Social Problems
Elementary Spanish I (or Spanish 1003)
Spanish for Criminal Justice
Upper Level Criminal Justice Core:
CRJU 3100Criminal Law3
CRJU 3110Criminal Procedure3
CRJU 3200Criminology3
CRJU 3300Corrections3
CRJU 3400Juvenile Delinquency & Justice3
CRJU 3700Crim Just Research Methodology3
CRJU 4700Ethical Issues in Crim Justice3
CRJU 4800Senior Capstone in CRJU3
Choose One Concentration 36
NOTE: Concentration must be declared through the Registrar's Office.
Criminal Justice Generalist Concentration: Twelve of the following electives:
Crime and the Media
Drugs in America
White Collar Crime
Criminal Investigation I
Criminal Investigation II
Comparative Criminology
Criminal Justice Admin
Special Topics in Crim Just ( may be taken for a total of nine credit hours when topics vary.)
Race, Ethnicity & Crim Justice
Victimology
Deviance, Soc Cntrl&Collec Vio
Internship in Criminal Justice
The Law of Criminal Evidence
Profiling the Serial Offender
Terrorism & Crim Just System
Community Corrections
Family Violence
Management of Forensics
Police Practices and Issues
Readings in Criminal Justice
Advanced Criminological Theory
Writing for Educ/Soc Sciences
Const Law: Civil Rights
Abnormal Psychology
Social Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Intro. Social Justice
Politics in Social Justice
Social Justice Culture
Law and Social Justice
Soc. Justice Policy Analysis
Sociology Latino Family/Cultur
Development of Crim Behavior
Social Justice Concentration
SJUS 3000Intro. Social Justice3
Three of the following SJUS courses: 9
Politics in Social Justice
Social Justice Culture
Law and Social Justice
Soc. Justice Policy Analysis
Eight of the following electives: 24
Crime and the Media
Drugs in America
White Collar Crime
Criminal Investigation I
Criminal Investigation II
Comparative Criminology
Criminal Justice Admin
Special Topics in Crim Just
Race, Ethnicity & Crim Justice
Victimology
Deviance, Soc Cntrl&Collec Vio
Internship in Criminal Justice
Community Corrections
Family Violence
Management of Forensics
Police Practices and Issues
Readings in Criminal Justice
Advanced Criminological Theory
Writing for Educ/Soc Sciences
Const Law: Civil Rights
Abnormal Psychology
Social Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Sociology Latino Family/Cultur
Development of Crim Behavior
Total Hours120-121
*

MATH 1401, PSYC 1101, and SOCI 1101 are strongly recommended.

Criminal Justice Minor

A minor in Criminal Justice must include 15 credit hours of criminal justice course work, with at least 9 hours at the 3000-level or above. Please see /minors/criminaljustice/

Courses

CRJU 1100. Intro to Criminal Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Introduces the structure, functions, and operations of criminal justice agencies, including the police, the courts, and corrections. A minimum grade of C is required for students majoring in the AS or BS degree in Criminal Justice.(F,S)
Prerequisites: ENGL 0999 unless exempt.

CRJU 2100. Intro to Law Enforcement. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an overview of law enforcement in a free society and the relationship of police to the criminal justice system as a whole. History, organization, operations, and selected issues are examined. A minimum grade of C is required for students majoring in the AS or BS degree in Criminal Justice. (F) Completion of or exemption from co-requisite Learning Support English 0999.

CRJU 2200. The Judicial Process. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an overview of the judicial component of the criminal justice system which focuses on the structure, role, jurisdiction, and operation of the courts and the courtroom workgroup in the adjudicatory and appellate process at the local, state, and federal levels. A minimum grade of C is required for students majoring in the AS or BS degree in Criminal Justice. Completion of or exemption from Learning Support English.

CRJU 2300. Crime and Justice Studies. 3-0-3 Units.

This course explores the roles of oral and written communication in criminal justice. Emphasis will be placed on examining the body of literature in criminal justice and criminology, identifying sources of discipline-specific literature and information, understanding writing styles, writing and properly formatting papers in APA style. Emphasis will also be placed on developing other skills including, critical thinking, oral presentation and research skills.
Prerequisites: Criminal Justice major and ENGL 0999 unless exempt.

CRJU 3100. Criminal Law. 3-0-3 Units.

Offers an overview of both substantive and procedural law related to the definitions, investigations, processing, and punishment of crimes. The course will introduce students to the legal idea of criminal responsibility, the concept and elements of criminal responsibility, required state of mind (mens rea), and prohibited conduct (actus reus). The course discusses the substantive content, structure, and sources of major crimes against persons and property and provides a comprehensive evaluation of various legal defenses to criminal liability under both common law (case law) and statutory law (legislative law) approaches.
Prerequisites: CRJU 2200 or 4100.

CRJU 3110. Criminal Procedure. 3-0-3 Units.

A study the nature and function of the law regulating the criminal processes, policies, and procedures in the administration of criminal justice. Special attention will be given to United States Supreme decisions.(F)
Prerequisites: CRJU 2200 or CRJU 4100.

CRJU 3200. Criminology. 3-0-3 Units.

A study of the nature and scope of crime in society with an emphasis on criminological theories.(S)
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100 and CRJU 2300.

CRJU 3250. Crime and the Media. 3-0-3 Units.

Analyzes the role the mass media has on human behavior, subsequently affecting human judgment, attitudes, perceptions of crime, and societal reactions to crime in general. This course analyzes how the general public processes the "criminal event" and other pertinent information regarding crime and how this process is fundamentally derived from the media and is an instrumental element in the creation of fear of crime.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3300. Corrections. 3-0-3 Units.

A study of the history, structure, and functions of corrections as well as the legal and philosophical basis for the punishment of criminal offenders.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3350. Drugs in America. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores and analyzes the complex experience of illicit drug use in America from multiple angles with specific attention to the ways that our culture understands drugs, drug use, and drug policy as a social/criminal justice problem. Topics include punishment, interdiction, prevention, and or rehabilitation.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3400. Juvenile Delinquency & Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Reviews the juvenile justice system, including the impact of Supreme Court decisions, and examines the theories of juvenile delinquency and the implication of those theories for preventing and controlling juvenile deviance.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3450. White Collar Crime. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an introduction to white-collar crime in the United States. Topics include definition of and various types of white-collar crimes, who commits this type of crime and why they engage in white-collar crime, as well as how perpetrators are dealt with by the criminal justic system.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3500. Criminal Investigation I. 3-0-3 Units.

An overview of principles, techniques, law and procedure involved in the criminal investigative process from its inception to culmination.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3501. Criminal Investigation II. 3-0-3 Units.

Continues information introduced in CRJU 3500, with special focus on the investigation of the crimes of burglary, robbery, forgery, homicide, assault, and bombings. Providing testimony in court, assessing modus operandi, and developing personality profiles will also be examined, as well as obtaining fingerprints and other types of latent evidence.
Prerequisites: CRJU 3500.

CRJU 3550. Comparative Criminology. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an overview and analysis of criminal justice systems-police, courts, and corrections-in selected eastern and western nations, as well as an analysis of the causes of crime in selected nations.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3600. Criminal Justice Admin. 3-0-3 Units.

Introduction to criminal justice management theory, practice, and policy. This course includes a review of traditional schools or organizational theory, including bureaucracy, scientific management, human relations, and the behavioral approach, with particular emphasis on how each applies to criminal justice agencies.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3700. Crim Just Research Methodology. 3-0-3 Units.

An introduction to criminal justice research methodologies, with a focus on research design, ethical concerns, conceptualization, sampling, data analysis, interpretation of research results, report writing, and application of research findings.
Prerequisites: CRJU 3200.

CRJU 3710. Special Topics in Crim Just. 1-0-1-3 Unit.

An intensive study of a specific topic relevant to criminal justice, including sex crimes, terrorism, drug law, or capital punishment. This course may be taken for a total of nine credit hours when topics vary.(F)
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3800. Race, Ethnicity & Crim Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Addresses the racial impact of criminal laws enacted by the people's elected representatives, the actions and policies of law enforcement agencies, the courts, correctional institutions, the juvenile justice system, and the death penalty. Raises awareness and promotes critical thinking about the problems that exist in our system, how those problems originated and evolved, and possible solutions for these problems.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3810. Victimology. 3-0-3 Units.

Addresses the physical, emotional, and financial impact of crime victimization; the relationship between victims and offenders; how the criminal justice system interacts with crime victims; and the policies designed by the government to offer assistance to individuals who are victimized by crime. Raises awareness and promotes critical thinking and problem solving about the most effective strategies for interaction with crime victims, the measurement of crime victimization, and victim trends.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3850. Deviance, Soc Cntrl&Collec Vio. 3-0-3 Units.

Reviews the nature of deviance and social control, including terrorism, riots, lynching, vigilantism and genocide, in three segments: collective deviance, collective violence and the theoretical models, including Pure Sociology, associated with collective deviance and collective violence.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4000. Internship in Criminal Justice. 0-12-3 Units.

Supervised, practical experience in an appropriate criminal justice agency. This course allows students the opportunity to discover the integration between theory and practice. This course may be taken three times for a total of nine hours of credit.
Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and 12 credit hours of upper-level Criminal Justice courses.

CRJU 4110. The Law of Criminal Evidence. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the rules of evidence used in criminal prosecutions, including burden of proof, presumptions, inferences and stipulations, relevancy of evidence and competency of witnesses, expert testimony, hearsay, and constitutional limitations.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4200. Profiling the Serial Offender. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the type and patterns of crimes committed by serial offenders and the process by which profiles are developed to solve these crimes.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4210. Terrorism & Crim Just System. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the motives and actions of terrorists, the governmental response to terrorism, especially in the wake of 9/11, and the legal and constitutional restraints on the government. Included will be issues such as surveillance of American citizens, detention of suspected terrorists, enemy combatants, limits on the methods of interrogation, and use of military tribunals.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4300. Community Corrections. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of alternatives to incarceration. Special emphasis will be given to the issues of probation and parole, as well as diversion, community service, electronic monitoring, and various treatment programs.
Prerequisites: CRJU 2261 or CRJU 3400.

CRJU 4350. Family Violence. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores a range of crimes that occur in the family setting, including violence between intimate partners, child abuse, and neglect. Theoretical factors, as well as how the criminal justice system responds to both victims and perpetrators of family violence, will be examined.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4500. Management of Forensics. 3-0-3 Units.

The scientific investigation of crime with emphasis on the collection, analysis, comparison, and identification of physical evidence.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100, CRJU 3500.

CRJU 4600. Police Practices and Issues. 3-0-3 Units.

An advanced examination of policing, exploring topics including the police subculture, the police use of discretion, the broken-windows approach, community policing, and problem-solving approaches.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4700. Ethical Issues in Crim Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the philosophical theories underlying ethics and how they relate to issues involving the police, courts, corrections, law, and principles of justice.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4710. Readings in Criminal Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Permits selected students to pursue approved topics through independent study under the direction of a faculty member. This course may be taken twice for a total of six credit hours with change of topics.
Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor.

CRJU 4750. Advanced Criminological Theory. 3-0-3 Units.

Expands on the study of criminology as examined in CRJU 3200. This course provides further and more in-depth understanding of why people engage in criminal behavior, the policies that are derived from criminological theory, and how those policies are implemented. This is an advanced class and will be taught in a fashion similar to a graduate-level class to help students prepare for graduate and/or law school. Prerequistes: CRJU 3200 and ENGL 3000. Prerequisite or co-requisite: CRJU 3700.

CRJU 4800. Senior Capstone in CRJU. 3-0-3 Units.

Serves as the comprehensive experience in criminal justice utilizing the student's knowledge and academic skills, including pursuing archival research, journal keeping, note taking and report writing to address a topic or issue of contemporary interest in criminal justice or one of its sub-fields. The course will be taught at the senior level and will focus on criminal justice issues at the national and international levels. In addition to the course requirements, students will complete a major research paper that results in an end-of-semester presentation to the class. This course serves as a capstone course for criminal justice majors.
Prerequisites: CRJU 3700, 45 hours of upper-level criminal justice courses, senior standing.