Majors, Minors, and Certification
Criminal Justice
Criminal justice majors may graduate with either a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in criminal justice or an Associate (A.S.) degree in criminal justice. Upon graduation, students in criminal justice and/or corrections will be equipped with knowledge of basic criminal justice and corrections, its
current and specific areas and problems within the system.
Students majoring in criminal justice mustcomplete 30 hours in the major of which 24 hours are in required courses. These courses include Introductionto Criminal Justice, Introduction to Law Enforcement, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justicein a Changing Society, and Basic Constitutional Lawand the American Justice I and II. In addition, studentsmust complete a three hour practicum consisting of supervised placement in criminal justice agencies, and Methods of Criminal JusticeResearch, providing exposure to applied researchin the subjectarea. Practicum areas include police agencies, courtsand corrections environments at local, state andfederal levels. Practica also exist in the areas of counseling treatment and casework at halfway houses and runaway shelters.
In addition to the 24 required hours in criminal justice, students select an additional six hours from elective courses such as Criminal Law, Crime and Personality, Psychology of Delinquency and Private Security.
Corrections
Criminal justice students may graduate with an associate (A.S.) degree in corrections. In addition, students may minor in corrections. Requirements for the Associate of corrections include 28 hours of core curriculum requirements as well as 18 specified hours of corrections courses. In addition, a 2.000 cumulative average must be maintained in the corrections courses.
Criminalistics
A criminalistics concentration was recently added to the curriculum. Courses include areas of forensic science/criminalistics. Areas of study are: fingerprinting, crime scene investigation, DNA testing, drug testing procedures, etc. 15 hours are required for the concentration.
Required courses for the concentration in criminalistics includes Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Law Enforcement, Criminalistics I, Criminalistics II and Criminalistics III.
Criminal Justice Minor
A minor in criminal justice is earned by completing 15 credit hours of required criminal justice courses. Also, an 18 credit hour certification in corrections or criminal justice is available for practitioners in the field who need to be updated on contemporary trends or for others with interest in obtaining basic knowledge of the field. Students should consult the department chair concerning specific requirements for the minor.
Corrections Minor
To minor in corrections, 18 specified hours of corrections courses must be completed. For more information on minors and associate's degrees, contact the department chair.
Certifications
Students wishing to pursue criminal justice or corrections certification need only complete 18 hours. This includes those pursuing Associate degrees. Bachelor's degree students in criminal justice are automatically certified upon completion of the four-year program.
Required courses for certification in criminal justice include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Law Enforcement, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Basic Constitutional Law and American Justice I, Juvenile Justice in a Changing Society, and Overview of Contemporary Corrections.
Required courses for certification in corrections include Introduction to Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Overview of Contemporary Corrections, Basic Constitutional Law and American Justice II, Understanding Juvenile & Adult Offender Behavior, and Correctional Counseling & Communications.