Criminal Justice Degree Online

Description:
The Corrections Administration option of the Criminal Justice Program is designed to meet the needs of individuals interested in pursuing a career in corrections. It emphasizes correctional theory, law and procedure, as well as applied social and behavioral science. Graduates may qualify for employment at federal, state, and county correctional facilities as correctional officers or supervisors, provided they meet standard physical and moral standards. These positions may also require graduates to pass a qualifying civil service exam for employment. This program includes an internship component.

(Housed in the Law and Criminal Justice Department)
Distribution Requirements Credit Hours
HUMANITIES: 9 Credit Hours
ENG 101 College Composition OR
ENG 200 Advanced Composition 3
LITERATURE ELECTIVE* 3
HUMANITIES ELECTIVE** 3
Total 9

SOCIAL SCIENCE: 12 Credit Hours
PSY 100 Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships OR
PSY 101 Introductory Psychology*** 3
SOC 101 Introductory Sociology 3
SOC 203 Criminology 3
POS 120 American National Government OR
POS 207 Urban Political Process OR
POS 230 Civil Liberties-US 3
Total 12

NATURAL SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS: 6-7 Credit Hours
MTH 130 Modern Business Mathematics (or higher)**** 3
NATURAL SCIENCE ELECTIVE 3-4
Total 6-7

CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES: 30-31 Credit Hours
CRJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice 3
CRJ 103 Constitutional Law and Rights of People 3
CRJ 104 Criminal Law 3
CRJ 105 Criminal Procedure Law 3
CRJ 170 Introduction to Corrections 3
CRJ 171 Legal Aspects of Corrections OR
CRJ 217 Community Based Corrections 3
CRJ 204 Juvenile Justice 3
CRJ 211 Community Values and the Administration of Justice 3
CRJ 121 Criminal Justice Education Internship I OR
CRJ 222 Criminal Justice Education Internship II 3-4
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE+ 3
Total 30-31

ELECTIVE: 3-4 Credit Hours
ELECTIVE OR
MTH 104 Intermediate Algebra with Trigonometry 3-4
Total 3-4

OTHER: 3-4 Credit Hours
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE OR
CRC 101 Practical Computer Literacy OR
CIS 121 Introduction to the Microcomputer 3-4
Total 3-4

PHYSICAL/HEALTH EDUCATION: 2 Credit Hours
Physical/Health Education++ 2
Total 2

TOTAL CREDITS 65-69

* ENG 105 recommended.
** SPT 141 or SPT 144 highly recommended.
*** PSY 101 highly recommended if student intends to transfer to a four-year college.
**** MTH 160 highly recommended (note prerequisites).
+ CRJ 171, 172, 201, 207, 208, 209, 217; LAW 101, 110.
++ PEJ 101 highly recommended for corrections officer careers; PEC 148 recommended for others.

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Students with a TRS 103 placement must successfully complete TRS 103 with a grade of C or better while taking LAW 101 and COS 101. Students with a TRS 105 placement must register for the CRJ Learning Community: CRJ 101, CRJ 103, TRS 105 and COS 101 if not previously completed.

Description:
This is the preferred program for students who are planning to pursue careers as a federal law enforcement agent, lawyer, probation officer, parole officer, public safety planner, legal researcher, or paralegal. Graduates who meet certain physical and moral standards may qualify for positions at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels.

The program provides the opportunity for preparation in the law process and science of criminal justice. It also enables the student to elect a credit-bearing internship experience.

(Housed in the Law and Criminal Justice Department)
Distribution Requirements Credit Hours
HUMANITIES: 9 Credit Hours
ENG 101 College Composition OR
ENG 200 Advanced Composition 3
LITERATURE ELECTIVE* 3
HUMANITIES ELECTIVE** 3
Total 9

SOCIAL SCIENCE: 12 Credit Hours
PSY 101 Introductory Psychology 3
SOC 101 Introductory Sociology 3
SOC 203 Criminology 3
POS 120 American National Government OR
POS 207 Urban Political Process OR
POS 230 Civil Liberties-US 3
Total 12

NATURAL SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS: 11 Credit Hours
MTH 160 Statistics I*** 3
NATURAL SCIENCE ELECTIVES+++ 8
Total 11

CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES: 24-25 Credit Hours
CRJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice 3
CRJ 103 Constitutional Law and Rights of People 3
CRJ 104 Criminal Law 3
CRJ 105 Criminal Procedure Law 3
CRJ 204 Juvenile Justice 3
CRJ 211 Community Values and the Administration of Justice 3
CRJ 121 Criminal Justice Education Internship I OR
CRJ 222 Criminal Justice Education Internship II 3-4
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE+ 3
Total 24-25

GENERAL ELECTIVES: 6-7 Credit Hours
GENERAL ELECTIVES 6-7
Total 6-7

OTHER: 3-4 Credit Hours
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE OR
CRC 101 Practical Computer Literacy OR
CIS 121 Introduction to the Microcomputer 3-4
Total 3-4

PHYSICAL/HEALTH EDUCATION: 2 Credit Hours
Physical/Health Education++ 2
Total 2

TOTAL CREDITS 67-70

* ENG 105 recommended
** SPT 141 or SPT 144 highly recommended
*** High School Regents Course III OR High School Regents Course II and MTH 104 OR one year high school math and MTH 098 and MTH 104 are prerequisites
+ CRJ 170, 171, 172, 201, 207, 208, 209, 217, LAW 101, 110; Probation and parole majors should take CRJ 170 and CRJ 171 or CRJ 217
++ PEJ 101 highly recommended for law enforcement, parole, or probation careers; PEC 148 recommended for others
+++Required two 4-credit hour lab sciences

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Students with a TRS 103 placement must successfully complete TRS 103 with a grade of C or better while taking LAW 101 and COS 101. Students with a TRS 105 placement must register for the CRJ Learning Community: CRJ 101, CRJ 103, TRS 105 and COS 101 if not previously completed.

Criminology and Criminal Justice Online Program

Since 2006, The Division of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University has offered an Online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Through the program, students living around the United States can earn the same bachelor’s degree as on-campus students.

Students who choose the online option can study from their homes, offices or anywhere they have access to a computer and the internet. Courses utilize a number of different technologies to deliver a challenging and rewarding curriculum backed by Portland State University’s world-renowned faculty and staff.

There are four convenient start dates for students interested in the program, so you can begin your education in winter, spring, summer or fall. Like on campus students, online students are eligible for many different kinds of financial aid and tuition assistance.

Students in the online bachelor’s degree program receive an extensive criminology and criminal justice education with courses on topics including: Crime Analysis, Policing in America, Theories of Crime, Crime Control Strategies and White Collar Crime.

In addition to the online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Portland State also offers online certificates. Students can earn certificates in the American Justice System, Advanced Crime Analysis and a Post-baccalaureate certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
For more information, please visit the online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice website at: http://online.ccj.pdx.edu or call an enrollment advisor toll free at 1-866-225-7127.

Criminology and Criminal Justice is an academic discipline that critically examines the establishment of legal norms and their use by public and private agencies to control such symptoms of social disorder as crime, delinquency, mental illness, civil wrongs, and discrimination. Criminal justice education began at Portland State University in 1949 with the offering of a limited number of professional courses for police officers. A Law Enforcement Certificate Program was implemented in 1965. This certificate program served the needs of the law enforcement community throughout the urban and campus unrest of the late 1960’s. It also provided the instructional base for the further development of a comprehensive degree-granting program which could be responsive to the total educational requirements of persons involved in the criminal justice process.

A baccalaureate degree was established in 1972. This undergraduate program has evolved over time and today provides a coordinated series of educational experiences within an interdisciplinary social science curriculum. The subject matter reflects the urban environment in which the program operates, and examines the entirety of the process by which justice is administered in modern American society. This examination includes a balanced inquiry into the nature of crime, law and social control, and the functional interrelationships of enforcement, judicial, and correctional agencies.

The Division was previously known as Administration of Justice. In 2004 the Division changed to its current name, Criminology and Criminal Justice, to better reflect the expertise of the faculty and the emphasis of the program.

The Division offers the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, an online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice, a minor, a postbaccalaureate certificate, and a Master of Science degree. It is also a participating division in the Public Administration and Policy and Urban Studies doctoral programs.

The Division hosts the Pi Sigma Upsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society.
For Pi Sigma Upsilon Membership information call 503-725-8356 or stop by the Division for an application.

The University of Maryland’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJS) is a national and international leader in research and criminal justice education. A 1998 study of the quality of faculty in doctoral criminology and criminal justice programs reported that CCJS faculty were the most frequently cited of American criminal justice programs while a more recent study reported that more than a third of the 22 most accomplished new scholars in criminology and criminal justice received their Ph.D. degrees from CCJS (Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 1998; 2001). According to a 2005 U.S. News and World Reports ranking of the quality of Criminology and Criminal Justice Doctoral programs, the Maryland program is number one out of the thirty-two programs ranked.

The mission of the department is to lead in the development of criminological and criminal justice research and theory; the training of graduate students to conduct and understand basic and applied research; and the provision of undergraduate education of the highest quality including internships and international experiences. Department members guide the highest levels of government, nationally and internationally, on the development of research based policies to prevent and control delinquency, crime, and terrorism. The department serves the campus, the local community, and the state as consultants and advisors on issues of critical importance.