Criminal Justice BA
Total Units Required: 120
The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice provides students with a broad understanding of justice-related questions about crime, criminalization, systems of power, and inequality. The core criminal justice courses explore theories of crime and punishment, social problems, the role of criminal justice agencies in society, and the associated ethical implications. Students also take courses in other disciplines, including but not limited to, political science, legal studies, public administration, and international relations. This unique multidisciplinary approach prepares students for a variety of justice-related careers and/or graduate study.
E-advising Tools
Use the interactive e-advising tools designed to help students graduate within four years. These tools can be accessed through the Student Center in the Portal.
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/SOCI 384 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRIM 439W & POLS 396 & POLS 399 | Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice (W) and Research Symposium Experience and Independent Study 1 | 5 |
| POLS 331W | Introduction to Research Methods (W) | 4 |
| Criminal Justice Disciplinary Electives | ||
| Select 11 of the following (minimum of 7 courses from subjects CRIM, INTR, LEGL, PADM, and POLS): | 33 | |
| American Indian Sovereignty and U.S. Federal Law | ||
| 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 | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice | ||
| Pop Culture and Criminal Justice | ||
| Hate Crimes | ||
| Police Administration and Management | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice 2 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Legal Clinic Practicum | ||
| 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
CRIM 439W, POLS 396, and POLS 399 must be taken together. One unit of credit will be assigned for POLS 396 when enrolled in CRIM 439W and POLS 399.
- 2
CRIM 489E 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: 43 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 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (2) courses is recommended to support the student in the criminal justice major:
American Institutions Course Requirements: 6 units
The American Institutions graduation requirement, as mandated in Title 5, Section 40404, requires that students satisfactorily complete courses in United States history, the US Constitution, and government and American ideals (including California state and local government). At Chico State, HIST 130 meets the US history requirement (US-1), and POLS 155 meets the US Constitution and government requirement (US-2) and the California state and local government requirement (US-3). POLS 155 also fulfills three units of GE Area 4, Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for more information.
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. Many 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 Writing and Math 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 English Composition (1A) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.
Definition of Blended Programs
A blended bachelor's and master's degree program combines an existing Chico State bachelor's degree with an existing Chico State master's degree; the blended program allows up to 12 units of the graduate program units to be double-counted at the undergraduate level, for a minimum of 138 units to receive both degrees. Students who complete a blended program will receive both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Upon completion of 120 semester units and with the completion of all requirements for the bachelor's degree, students in blended programs will be awarded the bachelor's degree. Upon completion of the requirements for the master's degree, students will be awarded the master's degree.
Students interested in applying to a blended program must be enrolled in a bachelor's degree program at Chico State and must meet and maintain the minimum GPA of the existing master's degree entrance requirements for all bachelor's coursework completed at the time of the application to the blended program, or show promise to reach this level as determined by the program. Once admitted to the blended program, students shall not be required to apply for admission to the master's program.
Blended Criminal Justice BA + Public Administration MPA
Eligibility
In order to apply to the blended program students must have completed 60 undergraduate units. A total of 15 units in the major, including CRIM 250, CRIM 384/SOCI 384, and POLS 331W must be completed before applying.
Application Procedure
Application deadlines: April 1 for fall start, November 1 for spring start.
Students who meet the eligibility criteria may submit an application for admission to the blended program. Formal application through Cal State Apply is not necessary and the student is not required to pay an application fee. GRE scores are not required. Students must meet the requirements outlined below to change to blended graduate status and continue toward the master's degree.
Grading Requirement
Once in the blended program, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA during their remaining undergraduate and graduate semesters.
Transition to Graduate Status
Students can transition to the graduate program after completing all undergraduate degree requirements with a minimum 2.5 GPA in all coursework. The Office of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Coordinator will verify graduate program eligibility at the end of the semester in which the bachelor's degree is completed. Qualified students change to graduate status effective the following semester.
Requirements for the Blended BA + MPA
The blended program allows these courses to count toward both degrees.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CRIM 476 | Police Administration and Management 1 | 3 |
| POLS 521 | Research Experience: An Introduction to Exploring Data in Politics and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| POLS 657 | The Criminal Justice System: Institutions and Public Policy | 3 |
| POLS 658 | Criminological Theory | 3 |
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
Other criminal justice elective courses may be taken if pre-approved by an advisor. An additional assignment may need to be completed by students in the blended program.