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.
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 | 51 | |
| Program Requirements | 24 | |
| Criminal Justice Major Requirements | 45 | |
| 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, 6, and 7 | 19 | |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 31 | |
| Total Hours | 51 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology (GEF 4) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to American Government (GEF 8) | ||
| State and Local Government (GEF 8) | ||
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (GEF 3) | 3 |
| ECON 225 | Elementary Business and Economics Statistics (GEF 8) | 3 |
| SOC 311 | Social Research Methods | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| HUMS 489 | Practicum Capstone Internship | 6 |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
Criminal Justice Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 202 | Principles of Criminal Law | 3 |
| CJ 320 | Courts and Judicial Systems | 3 |
| CJ 324 | Drugs, Crime and Society | 3 |
| CJ 455 | Ethics/Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CRIM 232 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRIM 302 | Deviant Behavior | 3 |
| HUMS 320 | Public Administration | 3 |
| POLS 313 | American Constitutional Law | 3 |
| Restricted Electives in CJ, CRIM or SOC (6 credits must be 300-400 level) | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CJ 101 | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | SOC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 |
| WVUE 191 | 1 | Select one of the following POLS courses: | 3 |
| MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | POLS 102 (GEF 8) | |
| GEF 2 (A/B) | 4 | POLS 220 (GEF 8) | |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective or 2nd F2A | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CJ 202 | 3 | CRIM 232 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | 3 | ECON 225 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| GEF 7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | GEF 5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 |
| Restricted Elective | 3 | Restricted Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CRIM 302 | 3 | CJ 320 | 3 |
| HUMS 320 | 3 | CJ 324 | 3 |
| SOC 311 | 3 | Restricted Elective (300 or 400 level) | 3 |
| Restricted Elective | 3 | Restricted Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS 313 | 3 | HUMS 489 | 6 |
| CJ 455 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| GEF 6 - Arts & Creativity | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| Restricted Elective (300 or 400 level) | 3 | ||
| General 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.