Criminal Justice Degree Online

Entry Requirements
At ‘A’ Level the typical offer is ABB in any combination of subjects. In addition, the School welcomes applications from students with ‘A’ Level equivalent qualifications, and from mature and other students with non-standard qualifications.

Degree Structure
The degree is grounded in the discipline of sociology. Essentially, it is the study of crime, deviance, social control and criminal justice from a sociological perspective. However, the teaching programme will have an interdisciplinary dimension to it, in that it will incorporate relevant contributions from other disciplines, such as psychology, law, political science, social policy and biology.

The degree is based on a modular structure, and in each year of study students will be required to take the equivalent of six modules (some of these are double modules). As the programme develops the modules taken become increasingly specialised in terms of criminological issues and themes.

Level 1 (i.e. year 1) modules provide students with a core grounding in sociological theory and concepts, social research methods and sociological perspectives on social change and culture. Students are also introduced to the criminological field with the modules Crime, Deviance and Society and Understanding Crime.

At Level 2, the module Contemporary Criminological Theory, Crime Power and Inequalities and Policing and the Police develop the student’s understanding of deviance, crime and crime control-related issues and debates, whilst other modules explore research methods applicable to criminological research with a view to preparing students to undertake a dissertation at level 3.

At Level 3 students concentrate on criminological issues and themes, with modules addressing, for instance, different forms of crime, such as organised crime, sociology of punishment, forensic science and issues in criminal justice policy and practice. The double module dissertation provides an opportunity for students to explore a criminological area in greater depth.

[Please note that the range of modules on offer in any year may change as the degree develops over time.]

The following courses are required regardless of concentrationMajor Requirements Hours

CJS 101 Introduction to Criminology, Crime & Justice Studies
3

CJS 200 Careers, Practice and Professional Computing for Sociology and Criminology
3

CJS 201 Research Methods in the Social and
Political Sciences
3

CJS 221 Criminology
3

CJS 321 Law, Society and Social Science
3

CJS 323 Juvenile Delinquency
3

CJS 381 Understanding Modern Terrorism

or

CJS 301 Crime/Punish in Comparative Perspective
3

CJS 401 Advanced Seminar in Criminology
3

SOC 402 Program Evaluation Research Methodology & Policy Analysis
3

Other Requirements

Core requirements (click here)
39

MTH 111 Statistics
4

Foreign language:

Students must pass an oral exam at the intermediate level (104) near the end of the junior year. Four three-credit course slots are reserved for students to meet this competency level.
12

Concentration requirements
27/28

Free electives
12

Law Enforcement ConcentrationRequirements Hours

Two of the following

SOC 241 Social Inequality
3

SOC 240 Social Welfare
3

SOC 406 Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Class
3

Two of the following

SOC 121 Deviance
3

SOC 232 Family Violence
3

SOC 245 Conflict Resolution
3

CJS 324 White Collar Crime
3

Two of the following

PSY 101 Introductory Psychology
3

PSY 230 Motivation and Emotion
3

PSY 280 Abnormal/Normal Psychology
3

CJS 335 Psychology and the Law
3

One of the following

PSC 331 Public Administration
3

CSC 151 Introduction to Information Processing
3

URB 101 Introduction to Urban Studies
3

Electives from CJS/SOC/PSC/PSY/URB/CSC/MIS
6

Research ConcentrationRequirements Hours

Three of the following

SOC 265 Population/Demography
3

SOC 401 Sociological Perspectives in Social Psychology
3

SOC 408 Advanced Studies of Contemporary American Catholicism
3

PSY 101 Introductory Psychology
3

PSY 301 Psychological Testing
3

One of the following

SOC 341 Human Services Case Management: Theory and Service Learning
3

CJS 390 Independent Study in Criminology or

CJS 495 or 499
1-3

3-6

CJS 490 Internship in Criminology
1-6

Two of the following

PSC 332 Public Policy
3

PSC 331 Public Administration
3

CSC 151 Introduction to Information Processing
3

Electives from CJS/SOC/PSC/PSY/URB/CSC/MIS
9

Criminal Justice is an interdisciplinary major which does not require the completion of an additional minor. The requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree with a criminal justice major are a minimum of 58 credit hours in criminal justice and related courses and completion of the following components:

**Before any decisions are made for your selection of courses, you will need to meet with the Program Coordinator to discuss your academic plan.

A. General Education Requirements
See general education requirements.

B. General Education Requirements (Suggested) in the Major:
ART 115 Drawing: Skills and Concepts
BIO 257 Human Anatomy and Physiology
IS 324 Social Justice Seminar
IS 326C HIV/AIDS: Its Biological and Social Impact
SP 150 Elementary Spanish
PHL 276 Critical Thinking
POL/SOC 385 Community and Organizational Change
SOC 201 Sociological Perspectives
ECO 202 Economic Dimensions
PSY 205 Introductory Psychology
POL 303 Political Reality and Public Policy

C. Required Courses (46 hours):
CJ 110 Introduction to Criminal Justice
CJ 200 Sociological Theories of Crime
CJ 240 Corrections (Preq CJ110)
CJ/SOC 311 Deviant Behavior (Preq Soc. 201)
or
CJ 330 Criminal Behavior (Preq CJ200)
CJ 351 Restorative Justice (Preq. CJ110, CJ200)
CJ/SOC 352 Women in the American Justice System (Preq Soc. 201)
or
CJ/SOC 368 Inequality in America (Preq Soc. 201)
CJ 356 Police and Society (Preq CJ110)
CJ/SW 355 Social Research Methods (Preq SOC201, PSY205, MTH100)
CJ/SOC320 Juvenile Delinquency (Preq Soc. 201)
CJ 380 Criminal Law (Preq CJ110)
IS324A Social Justice: Why do we mistreat our youth?
or
CJ 400 Special Topics in Criminal Justice (Preq CJ110; CJ200)
CJ 495 Restorative Justice Practices (Preq CJ/SOC351)
CJ/SOC 496 Senior Seminar (Preq Eng. 312, SOC201; Junior or Senior standing; Permission of instructor)
CJ/SOC 498 Internship/Practicum (Preq Senior, CJ355, Permission of the Program Coordinator)

D. Related Discipline Requirements:
Students must choose 4 courses (12 semester hours) from the following:

*Students should consult their advisor and choose their allied courses based on their individual academic and career interests.

Students are responsible for checking the prerequisites for each of these courses.
ACC 224 Principles of Accounting (3)
BUS 308 Business and Professional Writing (3)
CIS 210 Microcomputer Applications (3)
CHM 140 General Chemistry (4)
ENG 209 Fundamentals of Speech (3)
CJ/FSC 140 Introduction to Forensic Science (3)
CJ/FSC 340 Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence Collection (3)
HUM 330 Asian and Arab Culture (3)
PH 225 Ethics (3)
PHL 325 Special Topics in Moral Philosophy (3)
CJ/SOC 493 Readings in Criminal Justice (3)
POL/SOC 358 Law and Society (3)
POL301 Public Administration (3)
PSY 240 Developmental Psychology (3)
PSY 305 Introduction to Statistics (3)
PSY 360 Social Psychology (3)
PSY 435 Abnormal Psychology (3)
PSY 400 Interview Techniques (3)
SW 200 Working with Substance Abusers (2)
SW 268 Child Welfare Policies and Services (2)
SW 314 Social Welfare Policy (3)
SOC 345 Sociology of the Family (3)
SOC 348 Death and Dying (3)
SOC 365 Group Dynamics (3)

The criminal justice major at Howard Payne University prepares students for a variety of careers which require a knowledge of the structure, organization, and processes of human society. To prepare majors in the field of criminal justice, emphasis will be placed on the roles of policing, courts, laws, and correctional options at the local, state, and federal levels. Psychological and sociological perspectives of offenders, victims, and professionals will be explored and reviewed.

Degrees The Department of Criminal Justice offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degrees.

Criminal Justice Major Students majoring in criminal justice are required to complete 30 semester hours.

Minor A minor in criminal justice consists of 18 semester hours.

Courses Students can choose courses from a variety of subjects, including:introduction to criminal justice
crime in America
problems of contemporary society
criminology
juvenile delinquency
American constitutional history legal evidence
introduction to criminal law
social deviance
probation and parole
correctional systems
criminal law and procedure statistics for the social sciences
social psychology
abnormal psychology
law and society
civil liberties in America
an internship program

Honors Program Criminal Justice majors may choose to apply for admission to the Academy of Freedom multidisciplinary honors program. Providing an innovative approach to the academic program, the Academy enables students to combine their specialized major with coursework grounded in an understanding of the American free enterprise system. Through advanced study in such areas as political science, history, psychology, and criminal justice, students gain a better understanding of their role in today’s society. Challenging projects enable students to hone their research and writing skills for further study in graduate school.

Beyond the Classroom At the heart of every area of social science is research. Each academic discipline provides opportunities for students to learn and apply statistical research procedures to problems and issues in their fields.

Scholarships There are a number of scholarships, grants, and loans available through the university’s financial aid program.

Careers Criminal Justice graduates play instrumental roles in the justice system, research, education, community and social services, business, and government.

Faculty Prospective students are encouraged to visit with the following faculty member regarding HPU’s criminal justice department:

Ms. Lynn Humeniuk, Director of Criminal Justice Program, Assistant Professor; M.A., Corpus Christi State University

For more information contact:
School of Humanities
Howard Payne University
1000 Fisk Avenue
Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 649-8703

Founded in 1889, Howard Payne University is a private, coeducational institution affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. HPU offers liberal arts and pre-professional undergraduate programs in a distinctive residential community. Brownwood is located near the center of Texas.

Program Scope

Drawing upon a rich urban environment, the multidisciplinary program in Criminal Justice Studies explores the connections between law, crime and justice. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking about the administration of justice, crime and delinquency, legal studies, and working with diverse communities. As part of the major, students participate in a culminating field experience at the end of their program. The program is intended for a diverse group of students whose interests range from the local to the global, from street crime to terrorism, from municipal policing to international courts.

Students seeking a major or minor begin with a foundation course that provides a cross-disciplinary perspective of criminal justice. Both majors and minors will pursue course work within and across four areas of emphasis within the field of criminal justice studies.

I. Administration of Justice. Students explore central features of criminal justice systems. Courses include treatment of distinguishing features of the U.S. criminal justice system and comparative perspectives of systems around the globe. Attention is given to recurring problems including abuse of authority, community conflict, and discrimination in case processing. Students have opportunities to learn methods and applications for studying criminal justice systems and processes.

II. Crime and Delinquency. Courses in this area expose students to major explanations of what brings about different forms of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. Students have opportunities to explore biological, feminist, economic, international, psychological, racial and sociological perspectives of crime and delinquency. In addition to addressing street crime, courses are available for learning about hate crime, organized crime, terrorism, and white collar crime.

III. Legal Studies. Attention is given to legal doctrine relevant to criminal justice, the practice of law by criminal justice agents and the experience of law by defendants, family members and victims. Courses include distinctive disciplinary perspectives of law as well as issues faced by particular populations. Students have the opportunity to learn and apply legal analysis, including case law and development of legal briefs.

IV. Working with Diverse Communities. Working in the criminal justice system in any capacity requires interacting with individuals from diverse family, cultural, social and economic backgrounds. Courses in this area expose students to a deeper understanding and appreciation of individuals and groups from backgrounds other than their own. These courses help students develop communication skills to bridge cultural differences while working toward common goals related to the pursuit of social as well as criminal justice.

Students pursuing the major will complete their coursework with a culminating field experience.

A network of criminal justice agencies and personnel in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area serves as a powerful asset for students. An active Criminal Justice Student Association plans and implements community service activities, has a guest lecture program featuring criminal justice professionals, and creates a sense of community on campus.
Career Outlook

The major and minor provide training for students who anticipate they will be engaged in their communities regarding issues of crime, law and justice as well as those seeking related careers in government, law and higher education. Career opportunities include those in law enforcement, diversion, crime analysis, probation, parole, corrections, juvenile justice, victim advocacy, corporate security, community development and justice research. Students who intend to pursue graduate education in criminal justice, justice studies, criminology and related fields as well as those planning to apply to law school are encouraged to consider the major and minor in criminal justice.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES

Students are encouraged to take introductory courses in at least two of the following six disciplines based on their academic interests prior to entering the degree program: economics, history, international relations, political science, psychology, sociology.

Few problems of government policy are as important as how to reconcile demands for law, order and national security with respect for human rights and civil liberties in an age of global transformation. This MA provides students with advanced level knowledge of contemporary developments in national and international crime, policing, security and crime control. It is an interdisciplinary study programme which means that comparative criminological, political science and sociological perspectives are used to examine key policy issues and debates.

Throughout the programme students will have the opportunity to study topic issues ranging from global crime flows and networks, terrorism, crimes against humanity, war crimes and human trafficking and exploitation through to the transnationalisation of policing and security. On successful completion of the programme students will have the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in the fields of local, national and international policing, security, peacekeeping, crime control, criminal justice and with governmental and non-governmental organisations specialising in human rights, civil liberties and conflict resolution. The MA will also benefit those students wishing to undertake specialist postgraduate research in these fields.

Three years full-time

UCAS code ML93

Study criminal issues in society

We have a long tradition of teaching applied social sciences and this course forms part of that programme of courses. We offer it in response to an increasing fascination with criminology, which has led to a high demand for the subject.

Criminology studies the many causes and effects of crime, and sociology studies the nature, structure and workings of human society.

This course will appeal if you have an interest in studying
• crime, criminality and criminal justice institutions and processes
• society, social groups and social structures

Crime is a major issue in society and it attracts a lot of political and media attention. If you choose to complete a criminology degree you are likely to be interested in how society and government respond to major issues such as • hate crime • domestic violence and other violent crime • crimes of dishonesty • the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders • different types of offenders • the police, probation service, youth justice service and the courts.

This course equips you with a thorough understanding of the relationship between criminological and sociological perspectives and criminal justice policy.

It allows you to study for a joint degree, but with a specific focus on other social science disciplines. It also equips you with the skills needed in a constantly changing labour market.

You graduate with a wide knowledge and understanding of the important theories in criminology and applied social science.

The criminology subject group has strong links with the criminal justice sector in terms of its teaching, training, research and consultancy.

The work and expertise of our Centre for Community Justice and our Centre for Research on Human Behaviour support the teaching on this course.

Visit our web pages to learn more about our criminology and sociology courses, staff and research.

Area F
18 semester hours

1.
CRJU 1100 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 hours)

2.
Foreign Language (0-9 hours): must show competence at the level of the fourth university course (FREN, SPAN, GRMN or JAPN 2002 , Intermediate Readings)

3
Selections (0-6 hours) from:

ANTH 1102
Introduction to Anthropology

GEOG 1101
Introduction to Human Geography

GEOG 1102
World Regional Geography

PHIL 2200
Survey of Philosophy

PHIL 2250
Logic and Critical Thinking

SOCI 1121
Sociological Perspectives

SOCI 1160
Introduction to Social Problems

ECON 2106
Principles of Microeconomics

ECON 2105
Principles of Macroeconomics

ACCT 2101
Accounting Principles I

ACCT 2102
Accounting Principles II

HIST 1132
World Civilization and Society II

HIST 2112
The United States since 1870

PSYC 1101
Introduction to General Psychology

PSYC 2101
Introduction to the Psychology of Adjustment

POLS 2201
State and Local Government

4.
CSCI 1000 Introduction to Computer Science and Applications (3 hours)

5.
MATH 2600 Probability and Statistics (0-3 hours) (If not used to satisfy core requirements)

6.
CRJU courses at the 1000-2000 level (0-6 hours)

(NOTES: A course taken to satisfy an Area F requirement may not also be counted to satisfy a Major Requirement. Any transfer student who has not completed the courses in Area F, or their equivalents, must take these courses at GCSU.)

Major Requirements
27 semester hours

1.
CRJU 4101
Police Systems and Practices

CRJU 4103
Correctional Systems and Practices

CRJU 4307
Criminal Law and Procedure

CRJU 3424
Criminology (12 hours)

2.
POLS 4000
Systematic Analysis or SOCI 3442 Research Methods (3 hours)

3.
Successful completion of a senior capstone experience is required. CRJU majors can choose among CRJU 4920 (Senior Seminar), CRJU 4999 (Student Research), and an appropriate study abroad course. Advisor approval is required. (3 hours)

4.
Additional CRJU courses at the 3000-4000 level (9 hours)

Degree Requirements
0-14 semester hours

Students must show competence in a foreign language at the level of the fourth university course (2002 ). (0-9semester hours)

Other Requirements
6 semester hours

1.
Two additional non-CRJU social science courses are required. Students can select from 3000-4000 level offerings in POLS, PUAD, SOCI, PSYC, ECON, and ANTH.

2.
A grade of C or better must be earned in each course that counts toward major requirements and in the senior capstone.

3.
A minimum of 39 semester hours overall must be at the 3000-4000 level.

4.
The first-year academic seminar must be completed with a satisfactory grade. Students who transfer to GCSU are exempt from this requirement.

Electives
15-27 semester hours

Criminal Justice majors who use Degree Requirement courses in Area F will have the higher number of elective hours.

Total
120 semester hours