Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Criminal Justice Program
Mission
The mission of the Criminal Justice Program is to create the academic environment which will provide future criminal justice professionals with the skills needed to critically examine the world around them, the ability to understand and embrace the diversity of the society in which they serve and live, and the continuing desire to learn more about themselves, society, and the criminal justice field.
Program Goals
- Provide students with substantial knowledge of how the criminal justice system works on the local, state, and federal level;
- Create an awareness of the impact of different social forces on the types and rates of criminal conduct; and
- Develop an understanding of the changing nature of interactions between criminal justice institutions and the people in these environments; and
- Prepare students for smooth integration into the broad area of criminal justice.
Criminal Justice Program Materials
Proposal for Criminal Justice Program Description
Course Plan for Criminal Justice Major with Law Enforcement Minor
Course Plan for Criminal Justice Major with Forensic Science Minor
Course Plan for Criminal Justice Major with Legal Studies Minor
In order to better prepare our students to meet the needs of a changing profession, the department seeks to strengthen and diversify the Criminal Justice major by offering program minors in three areas, Law Enforcement, Legal Studies and Forensic Science. The department offers options combining coursework in Criminal Justice with Biology, Business, English, Philosophy, Political Science and Chemistry for the Forensic Science minor.
The Law Enforcement minor will focus on criminal law and law enforcement and require students to complete the university’s Criminal Justice major course work.
The Legal Studies minor will require Criminal Justice students to complete the university’s Pre-Law Certification courses along with the Criminal Justice major course work.
The Forensic Science minor will prepare students to meet the growth in careers that relate to criminal investigation and evidence analysis. Students will be required to complete Criminal Justice major course work along with additional courses in the science department.
All options will take Critical Reasoning, Legal Analysis, and Race and American Law along with other courses in the Criminal Justice core.
Criminal Justice- 42 credits
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 207 Criminal Law I
PHL 217 Critical Reasoning
SOC 305 Research Methods
SOC 306 Social Statistics
SOC 314 Criminological Theory
SOC 315 Court and Corrections
ENG 314 Legal Analysis and Writing
PSY 101 General Psychology
POL 310 Race and American Law
POL 201, 101 State and Local Government OR American Government
Two (2) Departmental Electives
One of the following emphases must be selected for Criminal Justice majors:
Law Enforcement Emphasis 15 Hours
Courses Required for Law Enforcement
SOC 320 Introduction to Law Enforcement
PSY 301 Social Psychology
PSY 314 Abnormal Psychology
SOC 322 Forensic Science
SOC 345, 353 Criminal Investigation or Criminal Evidence
Legal Studies Minor 15 Hours
Courses Required for Legal Studies
POL 400 Legal Problem Solving
POL 401 Supreme Court and Constitutional Law
PHL 303 Legal Philosophy
SOC 301 Law & Society
Select one of the following:
POL 204 Legal Systems
ECO 334 Business Law
COM 404 Media Law and Ethics
Forensic Science Minor 15 Hours
Courses Required for Forensic Science
FOC/CHE 101 Intro to Chemistry
CHE XXX Intro to Forensic Science*
BIO 305 Biological Techniques
SOC 322 Forensic Science
SOC 353, SOC 345 Criminal Evidence OR Criminal Investigation
• An elective in Chemistry, CHE 208 Intro to Forensic Science, is being processed for adoption through the normal channels of the Department, the School and the Curriculum Committee. |
