Criminal Justice BA
Total Units Required: 120
The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice explores the institutions involved in the administration of justice (e.g., policing, corrections) as well as a multidisciplinary examination into the social and psychological issues associated with criminal behavior and crime control. Students who are interested in why individuals commit crime, how governments respond to behaviors they deem undesirable, and the effects of the criminal justice system's actions on different communities will find the criminal justice major a perfect academic home. Graduates pursue careers in various aspects of public safety, private enterprise, social welfare, and law and graduate school.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 51 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ||
| CRIM 250 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIM 332 | Criminal Justice Ethics | 3 |
| CRIM 439W | Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice (W) | 3 |
| POLS 331W | Introduction to Research Methods (W) | 4 |
| POLS 396 | Research Symposium Experience 1 | 1 |
| POLS 399 | Independent Study 2 | 1 |
| Select one of the following: 3 | 3 | |
| Crime Prevention | ||
| Criminology | ||
| Criminal Justice Disciplinary Electives | ||
| Select 11 of the following (minimum of 7 courses from subjects CRIM, INTR, LEGL, PADM, and POLS): | 33 | |
| Survey of Forensic Science | ||
| Juvenile Justice Process | ||
| Chico Police Service Learning Practicum | ||
| Issues in Criminal Justice | ||
| Policing in America | ||
| Corrections | ||
| Community Corrections | ||
| Crime Prevention | ||
| Restorative Justice | ||
| Criminology | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice | ||
| Pop Culture and Criminal Justice | ||
| Hate Crimes | ||
| Police Administration and Management | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice 4 | ||
| War, Conflict, and Security | ||
| International Law | ||
| Politics of Terrorism | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Theories, Practices, and Administration of Justice (W) | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| Constitutional Law: Powers and Restraints | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Issues in Racial and Ethnic Equity | ||
| Introduction to Public Administration | ||
| Drugs in Our Society | ||
| Applied Research Methods | ||
| Black Political Thought | ||
| Contemporary Political Thought | ||
| Jurisprudence: Philosophy of Law | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Prejudice, Hate, and Violence | ||
| The Sociology of Racial Inequality | ||
| Sociology of Deviant Behavior | ||
| Youth, Crime, and Delinquency | ||
| Sociology of Law | ||
| Sociology of Gangs | ||
| Social Welfare Institutions: A Response to Power and Scarcity | ||
| Total Units | 51 | |
- 1
One unit of credit will be assigned for POLS 396 when enrolled in CRIM 439W.
- 2
One unit of credit will be assigned for POLS 399 when enrolled in CRIM 439W.
- 3
The course not selected may be used as a disciplinary elective.
- 4
Must be taken for three units and may only be counted once.
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
One of the following GE Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B4) courses is recommended to support the student in the criminal justice major:
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- CRIM 439W Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice (W)
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.