Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
The Criminal Justice program is designed to provide a multidisciplinary understanding of crime and the criminal justice system, while increasing the student's ability to critically analyze issues associated with the field of criminal justice. The program prepares students for local, state, and federal law enforcement, corrections, courts, homeland security, investigation, and related careers. The program also offers an excellent background for those wishing to pursue graduate studies or law school. Among its notable features are courses in criminal law, law enforcement administration, criminal investigations, corrections, juvenile justice, research methodology, and a semester-long capstone practicum internship.
Faculty
Chair
- Andi Kent - Ph.D. - Political Science
Assistant professors
- Dr. George Coroian - JD & PhD
Criminology - Crosby Hipes - Ph.D.
Social Psychology, Military Sociology - Joshua Price - PhD
Applied Microeconomics
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Foundations | ||
F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
Total Hours | 31-37 |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
University Requirements | 26 | |
Program Requirements | 36 | |
Criminal Justice Major Requirements | 58 | |
Total Hours | 120 |
University Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 5, and 6 | 16 | |
WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
General Electives * | 9 | |
Total Hours | 26 |
Program Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ECON 225 | Elementary Business and Economics Statistics | 3 |
MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications | 3 |
POLS 220 | State and Local Government | 3 |
POLS 313 | American Constitutional Law | 3 |
PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
SOC 221 | Families and Society | 3 |
SOC 235 | Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 |
SOC 311 | Social Research Methods | 3 |
SOC 360 | Women and Men in Society | 3 |
SOC 430 | World Religions | 3 |
WRIT 305 | Technical Writing | 3 |
Total Hours | 36 |
Criminal Justice Major Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
CRIM 232 | Criminology | 3 |
CRIM 302 | Deviant Behavior | 3 |
CJ 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ 202 | Principles of Criminal Law | 3 |
CJ 310 | Law Enforcement Administration | 3 |
CJ 320 | Courts and Judicial Systems | 3 |
CJ 475 | Seminar in Criminal Justice-Capstone | 3 |
HUMS 100 | Community Service | 1 |
HUMS 210 | Introduction to Welfare | 3 |
HUMS 320 | Public Administration | 3 |
HUMS 489 | Practicum Capstone Internship | 6 |
Restricted Electives (6 credits must be 300-400 level) | 24 | |
Fraud Management: Legal/Ethical Issues | ||
Introduction to Anthropology | ||
Juvenile Justice | ||
Correctional Counseling | ||
White Collar and Economic Crime | ||
Community Based Corrections | ||
Drugs, Crime and Society | ||
Criminal Investigations | ||
Gender and Crime | ||
Mass Media, Crime and Deviance | ||
Special Topics | ||
Interviewing Theory | ||
Crime Scenes | ||
Introduction to American Government | ||
Terrorism and National Security | ||
Introduction to Abnormal Psychology | ||
Social Problems in Contemporary America | ||
Social Stratification and Power in American Society | ||
Total Hours | 58 |
- *
Students choosing to minor in Political Science or Sociology will need to take extra coursework in order to earn 9 unique credit hours toward each respective minor, exclusive from coursework toward Program Requirements or Major Requirements including Restricted Electives.
Suggested Plan of Study
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
WVUE 191 | 1 | SOC 101 (GEF 8) | 3 |
ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
CJ 101 | 3 | HUMS 210 | 3 |
MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | CRIM 232 | 3 |
GEF 2B | 4 | Elective | 3 |
GEF 5 | 3 | ||
17 | 15 | ||
Second Year | |||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | HUMS 100 | 1 |
CJ 202 | 3 | POLS 220 (GEF 8) | 3 |
WRIT 305 | 3 | SOC 221 | 3 |
Restricted Elective | 3 | ECON 225 (GEF 8) | 3 |
Elective | 3 | Restricted Elective | 6 |
15 | 16 | ||
Third Year | |||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
CRIM 302 | 3 | SOC 235 (GEF 7) | 3 |
SOC 311 | 3 | CJ 310 | 3 |
SOC 360 | 3 | CJ 320 | 3 |
HUMS 320 | 3 | SOC 430 | 3 |
Restricted Elective | 3 | Restricted Elective (300-400) | 3 |
15 | 15 | ||
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
POLS 313 | 3 | HUMS 489 | 6 |
CJ 475 | 3 | Restricted Electives | 6 |
GEF 6 | 3 | ||
Restricted Elective (300-400) | 3 | ||
Elective | 3 | ||
15 | 12 | ||
Total credit hours: 120 |
Areas of Emphasis Offered:
Corrections Area of Emphasis
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
CJ 233 | Juvenile Justice | 3 |
CJ 240 | Correctional Counseling | 3 |
CJ 316 | Community Based Corrections | 3 |
SOC 207 | Social Problems in Contemporary America | 3 |
Total Hours | 12 |
Law Enforcement Area of Emphasis
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
CJ 233 | Juvenile Justice | 3 |
CJ 324 | Drugs, Crime and Society | 3 |
CJ 410 | Criminal Investigations | 3 |
POLS 400 | Terrorism and National Security | 3 |
Total Hours | 12 |
Major Learning Outcomes
Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice program has the following learning outcomes:
- The student will be able to critically analyze decision points and outcome potentials at each stage of the criminal justice process.
- The student will be able to apply scientific methods to criminal justice research issues.
- The student will be able to effectively communicate in written and verbal form.
- The student will become culturally competent and know the importance of diversity within the criminal justice system and the community.