The interdisciplinary major in Criminal Justice is designed for students interested in graduate programs in criminology or criminal justice and/or for careers in law, law enforcement, law enforcement administration, para-legal studies, case management, counseling, probation/parole, or research. Students will find their liberal arts education provides them with career opportunities in the various county, state, and federal agencies charged with the administration of justice in the United States.
The Criminal Justice interdisciplinary major requires a minimum of 12 courses, not counting internships, and distributed as follows:
I. Nine core courses required of all majors. These courses must be graded "C" or better.
1) General Psychology (PSY-100) or U.S. Government (POL-110) or
Principles of Sociology (S/A-112).
2) Social Problems (S/A-113) or Social Inequality (S/A-235)
3) Ethical Theory (PHI-246) or Applied Ethics (PHI-247) or Christian Social Ethics (REL-233) or Ethics in Business (E/M-251).
4) Methods of Research (S/A-247) or Analyzing Politics (POL-200) or Research Methods (PSY-225).
5) Social Psychology (PSY-232) or Personality and Society (S/A-234).
6) Abnormal Psychology (PSY-241) or Drugs and Society (S/A-242).
7) Criminology (S/A-264) and Jurisprudence (POL-290) and Constitutional Law (POL-390).
II. Three courses from list A or list B, chosen in consultation with an advisor. Courses not listed may be substituted with an advisor's approval. Courses from list A (research and theory concentration) will advance students' ability to understand theory and research on particular topics related to criminal justice. Courses from list B (human-services concentration) will prepare students to understand how human services and organizations work in the criminal justice system.
A. Research and Theory
Crime and Punishment in Europe (HIS-311)
Classics in Political Thought (POL-165 or POL-175)
U.S. Public Policy (POL-220)
Psychological Testing (PSY-324)
Sociological Theory (S/A-375)
Seminar in Sociology/Anthropology (S/A-399)
B. Human Services and the Criminal Justice System
Organizational Behavior (E/M-261)
Human Resource Management (E/M-350)
U.S. Public Policy (POL-220)
Learning (PSY-242)
Topics in Psychology (PSY-344)
Sociology of Social Welfare (S/A-373)