Criminal Justice, BS
Program Description
The Criminal Justice Program leads to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and supports the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree with courses applicable to the Criminal Justice, Community and Mental Health, and Legal Studies tracks. The program has two main objectives: to provide an advanced understanding of the criminal justice system and its components and to provide either a concentration of knowledge and application of skills in a specialized subfield of study or a broad exploration of the discipline based on individual student needs through the selection of disciplinary electives.
The curriculum is planned to offer preparation for a professional career by integrating a core of Criminal Justice courses into a general program of the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences. The student in consultation with faculty will determine the most desirable course offerings from core courses and recommended electives to achieve his or her particular educational goals. The program may be used as preparation for entry into graduate work or law school. Criminal Justice courses are recommended as social science electives for non-majors.
Program Modality
The Criminal Justice Program is a hybrid program, which means that courses may be offered in face-to-face, hybrid/blended, and fully online formats. The hybrid designation gives students the flexibility to complete 50-85% of their coursework online. Students should be aware that not all courses will be offered in their desired modality in every semester. Students are advised to consult with their Academic Advisor to ensure timely progress to degree completion.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the operation and purposes of the major components of the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections)
- Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze the criminal justice system and its aims and objectives
- Demonstrate the ability to apply professional standards of writing and research to criminal justice issues
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Program Requirements
The Criminal Justice major requires a minimum of 45 semester hours, 27 semester hours of which must be at the upper-division level. Supporting courses related to essential skills totaling 3 hours are also required. The Criminal Justice degree requires knowledge of basic statistical theories and applications. This requirement is fulfilled by the successful completion of MATH 1442 or MATH 1342, or transfer courses with MATH, MAT, STAT, STA, SOCI, SOC, PSYC, and PSY prefixes AND a course title that includes Statistics, Quantitative Reasoning and/or Social Science Methods. Criminal Justice majors are encouraged to take MATH 1442 Statistics for life (4 sch) to satisfy the Mathematics Core Curriculum Program requirement. Students who do not take MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 sch) in the Core Curriculum will be required to take MATH 1442 or equivalent to fulfill the supporting coursework requirement for majors. The College of Liberal Arts also requires students in Criminal Justice to take at least 6 hours of a second language.
Students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice are expected to develop a breadth of knowledge of the component parts of the criminal justice system. Through their choice of disciplinary electives, students may concentrate on Criminal Justice subfields or broadly explore the discipline and its career options. Students should select a majority of their upper-division elective hours from disciplines which support their choice of specialization.
Students may also register for CRIJ 4398 Applied Experience (3 sch) and participate in the Applied Experience Program to earn course credit while gaining practical work experience in Criminal Justice or a related field. Registration is by application. Interested students should contact the Criminal Justice Applied Experience Coordinator.
General Requirements
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Curriculum Program | 42 |
| University Seminar (when applicable)1 | 0-2 |
| Criminal Justice Major Requirements | 45 |
| University Electives | 24 |
| Foreign Language Requirements | 6 |
| Required Supporting Courses | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
Full-time, first time in college students are required to take the university seminar.
- USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time, First-Year Students | ||
| University seminar | 0-2 | |
| University Seminar | ||
| Core Curriculum Program | ||
| University Core Curriculum | 42 | |
| Students who do not take the following in the Core Curriculum will be required to do so for the major. | ||
| Statistics for Life | ||
| Criminal Justice Major Requirements | ||
| CRIJ 1301 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIJ 1306 | Court Systems and Processes | 3 |
| CRIJ 1310 | Fundamentals of Criminal Law | 3 |
| CRIJ 2313 | Correctional Systems & Practices | 3 |
| CRIJ 2328 | Police Systems and Practices | 3 |
| CRIJ 4335 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRIJ 4345 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Advanced Understanding in Criminal Justice | ||
| Theoretical Perspectives | ||
| CRIJ 4325 | Diversity in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| or CRIJ 4331 | Juvenile Delinquency | |
| Corrections | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Community-Based Corrections | ||
| Offender Rehabilitation | ||
| American Prisons and Prisoners | ||
| Courts | ||
| CRIJ 4312 | Law and Evidence | 3 |
| or CRIJ 4313 | Criminal Procedure | |
| Law Enforcement | ||
| CRIJ 3315 | Police Methods of Crime Control | 3 |
| or CRIJ 4351 | Police Supervision and Management | |
| Criminal Justice Electives 1 | ||
| Select 12 hours of the following or any other upper-level Criminal Justice course listed above that is not counting towards required major hours in another area: | 12 | |
| Criminal Investigation | ||
| Critical Issues in Policing | ||
| The Juvenile Justice System | ||
| Issues in Corrections | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice | ||
| Terrorism | ||
| Gangs and Organized Crime | ||
| Drugs, Society, and Criminal Justice | ||
| Sex Crimes | ||
| Crime in the Media | ||
| Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice | ||
| Victimology | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Crime and Punishment in Literature | ||
| Women and Criminal Justice | ||
| Understanding Criminal Behavior | ||
| Intimate Relationship Violence | ||
| White Collar Crime | ||
| Topics in Criminal Justice | ||
| Directed Individual Study | ||
| Applied Experience | ||
| Required Supporting Course | ||
| ENGL 3301 | Technical and Professional Writing | 3 |
| University Electives | ||
| Select 24 hours of university electives. | 24 | |
| Foreign Language Requirements | ||
| See the College of Liberal Arts for the college language requirement. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 120-122 | |
- 1
Students may choose to concentrate their Criminal Justice Electives in a subfield of Theoretical Perspectives, Corrections, Courts, or Law Enforcement. For more information please contact a Criminal Justice Faculty or the Academic Advisor for Criminal Justice majors.
Note: Effective immediately, and retroactively, CRIJ 4085 has been removed from the CRIJ assessment process and as a graduation requirement for CRIJ majors; therefore, students are no longer required to take CRIJ 4085 (was required in past catalogs).
Course Sequencing
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
| ENGL 1301 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
| CRIJ 1301 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIJ 1310 | Fundamentals of Criminal Law | 3 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1302 or COMM 1311 | Writing and Rhetoric II or Foundation of Communication | 3 |
| MATH 1442 | Statistics for Life | 4 |
| CRIJ 1306 | Court Systems and Processes | 3 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CRIJ 2313 | Correctional Systems & Practices | 3 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Requirements | 3 | |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| CRIJ 2328 | Police Systems and Practices | 3 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Requirements | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENGL 3301 | Technical and Professional Writing | 3 |
| CRIJ 3315 or CRIJ 4351 | Police Methods of Crime Control or Police Supervision and Management | 3 |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| CRIJ 4335 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRIJ 4321 | American Prisons and Prisoners or Offender Rehabilitation or Community-Based Corrections | 3 |
| CRIJ 3XXX/Upper Divisional CRIJ Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CRIJ 4345 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIJ 4313 or CRIJ 4312 | Criminal Procedure or Law and Evidence | 3 |
| CRIJ 4XXX/Upper Divisional CRIJ Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| CRIJ 4325 or CRIJ 4331 | Diversity in Criminal Justice or Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| CRIJ 4XXX/Upper Divisional CRIJ Elective | 3 | |
| CRIJ 4XXX/Upper Divisional CRIJ Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Courses
CRIJ 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
History and philosophy of criminal justice. Overview of criminal justice system: police, prosecution and defense, courts, trial process, and corrections as they affect the individual, as well as their impact on society. The definition, nature, and impact of crime. The functions of criminal justice agencies will be examined in relation to common analytical themes such as ethics and discretion.
TCCNS: CRIJ 1301
CRIJ 1306 Court Systems and Processes
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Examination of the civil and criminal legal systems and the roles played by political, social and economic factors in the administration of justice. Consideration of the roles and interests of litigants, defendants, police, attorneys, and the judiciary in the process.
TCCNS: CRIJ 1306
CRIJ 1310 Fundamentals of Criminal Law
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
The course will introduce students to the study of criminal law. Major topics include the sources of criminal law, the operation of the criminal courts, constitutional limitations on criminal law, the elements of criminal liability, and the classification of and punishments for different types of criminal offenses. Defenses to criminal liability will also be explored.
TCCNS: CRIJ 1310
CRIJ 2313 Correctional Systems & Practices
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course is a survey of institutional and non-institutional corrections. Emphasis will be placed on the organization and operation of correctional systems; treatment and rehabilitation; populations served; Constitutional issues; and current and future issues.
TCCNS: CRIJ 2313
CRIJ 2314 Criminal Investigation
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Critical examination of investigation methods and comparison of these to research methods. Advanced examination of investigative procedures, theory, supervision, and evaluative research. Some practical applications.
CRIJ 2328 Police Systems and Practices
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
The history and development of police in America. Topics examined include: the police profession, organization of law enforcement systems, the policing role, police discretion, ethics, police-community interaction, current and future issues, and research findings.
TCCNS: CRIJ 2328
CRIJ 3302 Critical Issues in Policing
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Analysis of contemporary developments, controversies and management concerns in the field of policing. Includes examinations of theoretical foundations of law enforcement policy.
CRIJ 3313 The Juvenile Justice System
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
The administration of the juvenile justice process. Historical and philosophical origins of the juvenile justice system. A systematic analysis of problems and procedures at each stage of the process.
CRIJ 3315 Police Methods of Crime Control
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Examination of the history and evolution of police practices intended to manage and control crime such as community policing, broken windows policing, problem-oriented policing, hot-spot policing, third-party policing, CompStat, and evidence-based policing. Includes evaluation of contemporary research and its application to policing and law enforcement.
CRIJ 3320 Issues in Corrections
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Analysis of contemporary developments, controversies and management concerns in the field of corrections. Includes examination of theoretical foundations of correctional policy.
CRIJ 3325 Community-Based Corrections
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Examination of the correctional strategies and facilities available in community settings including diversion programs, probation, parole, half-way houses, boot camps, and restitution centers.
CRIJ 3340 Comparative Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Comparison of the police in selected countries with the U.S. criminal justice system. Particular emphasis on social, political, and economic factors in the development and change in law enforcement.
CRIJ 3341 Terrorism
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
An examination of political violence from criminological, legal, and political perspectives. Application to contemporary events is emphasized. The sociology, psychology, and organization of foreign and domestic terrorist groups are also explored as well as counter-terrorism strategies, methods, and dilemmas.
CRIJ 3360 Gangs and Organized Crime
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course will provide students with an overview of gangs and organized crime. Topics will include gang organizational traits, traditions, criminal activities, violence, origin, and structure. Students will examine national, global, and transnational organized crime networks. An exploration in the connectedness between organized crime, gangs, and terror organizations will be conducted.
CRIJ 3361 Drugs, Society, and Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
An examination of the history and prohibition of drug use in the United States including an overview of drugs, drug-taking behavior, and the social problems associated with drug abuse. In depth analysis of the range of social and legal responses to the use and distribution of drugs including decriminalization, legalization, drug enforcement policy, incarceration, and treatment.
CRIJ 3365 Sex Crimes
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course analyzes the nature, etiology, and theories related to sex offenses and sex offenders. It explores the history and current practices employed by the criminal justice systems to deal with sex offending. The course also examines multiple types of sexual offenses, perpetrators and victims, as well as the legal consequences of sexual offenses and its sociolcultural ramifications to grasp the complexity of these crimes.
CRIJ 3370 Crime in the Media
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course will cover the portrayal of crime, criminals, the criminal justice system, and criminal justice practitioners in the media. Specifically, the course will address the goals of the media and how those affect their coverage of crime and the CJ system.
CRIJ 3375 Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course will teach students the step-by-step process for using statistical techniques that are most applicable in the field of criminal justice. It will teach them when, where, and why each statistical analysis is necessary and/or useful, and it will help students learn those skills by applying them to an actual project.
CRIJ 3380 Victimology
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
is the scientific study of crime victims and focuses on the physical, emotional, and financial harm victims suffer due to crime. The purpose of this course is to examine victim-offender relationships, the interactions between victims and the criminal justice system, and the connections between victims and other institutions (such as the media, advocacy groups, and government). In exploring these connections, students will address the theory, research, legislation, and policy implications related to victimization.
CRIJ 4310 Constitutional Law
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A case study of American constitutional law based on the leading decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Examination of the evolution of judicial review and the development of due process and the protection of individual rights.
CRIJ 4312 Law and Evidence
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A detailed examination of the use, admissibility, and presentation of evidence. Issues and problems dealing with the rules of evidence and the theories on which those rules are based.
CRIJ 4313 Criminal Procedure
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A detailed examination of the legal constraints on investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses. Analysis of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and of Search and Seizure Law under the Fourth Amendment, as well as other due process issues arising under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
CRIJ 4320 Offender Rehabilitation
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Theories of rehabilitation, treatment, and correction of criminal offenders. Includes analysis of the historical development of the rehabilitative ideal and contemporary controversies surrounding it, and a survey of therapeutic models and methods.
CRIJ 4321 American Prisons and Prisoners
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Analysis of the history, philosophy, and function of prisons. Examination of control and treatment of offenders in institutional settings. Focus is upon current developments, controversies and management problems.
CRIJ 4322 Crime and Punishment in Literature
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A study of selected literary classics that treat of crime and punishment. The works of literary artists from various cultures which describe experience with crime and the criminal justice system will be placed in historical and theoretical perspective.
CRIJ 4324 Women and Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
An historical and ideological analysis of the role of women in the criminal justice system as offenders, reformers, and professionals.
CRIJ 4325 Diversity in Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course is an investigation into the impact of social diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and more) on crime and the criminal justice system. Students will examine the impact of these factors on both offenders and criminal justice system employees, and will discuss and critically examine historical trends, contemporary events, and criminal justice system policies and laws.
CRIJ 4330 Understanding Criminal Behavior
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course examines various aspects of human behavior from a criminal justice perspective and is designed to give students a basic understanding of criminal behavior and psychological disorders which are encountered by criminal justice professionals.
CRIJ 4331 Juvenile Delinquency
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
CRIJ 4335 Criminology
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
CRIJ 4345 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This course is designed to help students gain a working understanding of the research process with direct application to criminal justice research. Attention will focus on various aspects of the research process including quantitative and qualitative methods. Students will complete literature reviews, create research proposals, conduct observations/interviews, and construct surveys in addition to various assignments and activities.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301 or 1313.
CRIJ 4351 Police Supervision and Management
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Study of contemporary theories of management and supervision as they relate to law enforcement. Management concerns considered include planning, motivation, organizational communication, discipline, productivity, ethics, conflict, and job stress.
CRIJ 4360 Intimate Relationship Violence
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Violence involving acquaintance, spouse, child, and elder abuse is examined within a theoretical construct relating violence to social responses. Alternative causal theories, prevention, counseling, administration, innovative programs, and inter-agency coordination are addressed.
CRIJ 4365 White Collar Crime
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Critical examination of widespread forms of offending and offenders typically omitted from traditional criminology and criminal justice courses. Critical exploration of white collar, corporate, environmental and governmental crimes/criminals.
CRIJ 4390 Topics in Criminal Justice
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
CRIJ 4396 Directed Individual Study
1-3 Semester Credit Hours
See College description.
CRIJ 4398 Applied Experience
3 Semester Credit Hours
See College description.