Criminal Justice, B.A.
The B.A. in Criminal Justice from Georgian Court University is a multidisciplinary degree designed to maximize student preparation for a rapidly expanding field of professional opportunities and research.
Students who pursue a major in Criminal Justice at GCU will find that our faculty members are passionate about their areas of scholarship and professional experiences in the field. We aim to instill in our students the ability to think critically about criminal justice systems and a desire to act with extraordinary integrity and professionalism. Our curriculum is designed with social justice and the development of concrete and translatable skills in mind. Such skills include the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, to understand strategies and tools of effective problem solving, and to evaluate the impact of diversity on criminal justice systems.
Upon successful completion of studies for Criminal Justice, the student will receive a B.A. in Criminal Justice and will have given evidence of the following outcomes and goals.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge across required content areas (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences standards, B.5): administration of justice, corrections, criminological theory, law adjudication, law enforcement, and research methods through course exams and papers, and in a self-designed major field test to be taken both in their first year and their last year.
- Students will demonstrate an ability to present information in regards to criminological and/or legal questions in course presentations evaluated by common rubric.
- Students will identify and apply ethical decision making as it applies across criminal justice theory, research, practice and policy. Competency in socially responsible and equitable behavior will be evidenced in case studies evaluated by common rubric.
To earn this degree, you must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including your General Education requirements and the major requirements below.
Major Sequence
A minimum of 42 core credits, plus courses in related areas, is required for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Students who have no applied experience in the field must also complete an additional 3-credit internship.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| CJ111 | The Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ167 | Race, Ethnicity & Criminal Justice | 3 |
| or AN112 | Cultural Anthropology | |
| CJ/SO200 | Theories of Crime | 3 |
| CJ210 | Introduction to Law Enforcement | 3 |
| or CJ212 | Introduction to Corrections | |
| CJ213 | Criminal Law & Practice | 3 |
| CJ325 | Gender & Crime | 3 |
| CJ331 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ435 | Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ495 | Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| PS320 | Forensic Psychology | 3 |
| SO101 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| SO201 | Social Statistics | 3 |
| 2 CJ electives. PS321 may be used as a CJ elective. | 6 | |
| Additional Course 1 | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| General Education Course 2 | ||
| MA103 | Introduction to Statistical Thinking | 3 |
| World Language 2 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
| 1 | Students who have no applied experience in a work or voluntary capacity in a criminal justice agency or related organization will also be required to complete a 15th course, CJ333 Internship in Criminal Justice. |
| 2 | World Language is required; Spanish is strongly recommended. Another language may be substituted with the approval of the student’s advisor. |
Concentrations in Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice majors who would like to focus on courses specific to their career or academic interests may elect to do a concentration in one of three areas: Cyber Crime, Global Justice & Society, or Law Enforcement & Corrections. Students wanting to add a concentration take courses as listed in the groups below; two of the courses in the concentration may count toward the electives required for the major. Concentrations are an elective part of their major. Students may request to take alternate courses (e.g. in other departments, special topics courses) relevant to the concentration upon department chair and advisor approval. Note: Several Special Topics courses that are regularly offered will also count toward these concentrations.
Cyber Crime
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJ301 | Contemporary Crime Analysis & GIS | 3 |
| CJ302 | Cyber Crime | 3 |
| CS123 | Computer Programming I | 4 |
| IS320 | Management Information Systems | 3 |
| IS422 | Enterprise Cybersecurity | 3 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
Global Justice & Society
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | ||
| Victimology | ||
| Political Crimes & Terrorism | ||
| International Human Rights Law | ||
| Global Justice & Law | ||
| Selected Topics in Criminal Justice | ||
| Globalization & Sustainability | ||
| American National Government | ||
| Human Rights & Social Justice | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Law Enforcement & Corrections
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Introduction to Forensic Science | ||
| Juvenile Justice | ||
| Criminal Investigation | ||
| Victimology | ||
| Integrative Stress Management & Health | ||
| State & Local Government in America | ||
| American National Government | ||
| Criminal Profiling | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| GEN101 | Pathway to the Bridge 1 | 2 |
| EN111 or EN221 |
Academic Writing and Research I 1 or Honors Argument: Rhetoric & Research |
3 |
| Modern Language (Spanish is strongly recommended) 1 | 3 | |
| SO101 | Principles of Sociology 1,2 | 3 |
| CJ111 | The Criminal Justice System 1,2 | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GEN199 | WI:Discovering Self in the Universe 1 | 3 |
| History 1 | 3 | |
| Literature 1 | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology 1,2,3 | ||
| Race, Ethnicity & Criminal Justice 2 | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| MA103 | Introduction to Statistical Thinking 1,2 | 3 |
| CJ212 or CJ210 |
Introduction to Corrections 2 or Introduction to Law Enforcement |
3 |
| CJ200 | Theories of Crime 2 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Social Science 1,3 |
||
Elective |
||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Natural Science w/ Lab 1 | 4 | |
| Religious Studies 1 | 3 | |
| CJ213 | Criminal Law & Practice 2 | 3 |
| SO201 | Social Statistics 2 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PL245 | Philosophical Inquiry 1 | 3 |
| WS311 | Shaping Lives: Women & Gender 1 | 3 |
| CJ331 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice 2 | 3 |
| CJ333 | Internship in Criminal Justice 2 | 3 |
| Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Ethics 1 | 3 | |
| Visual & Performing Arts 1 | 3 | |
| CJ325 | Gender & Crime 2 | 3 |
| PS320 | Forensic Psychology 2 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CJ435 | Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice 2 | 3 |
| GEN400 | WI:Visioning a Future 1 | 3 |
| CJ Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CJ495 | Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice 2 | 3 |
| CJ Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| 1 | General Education |
| 2 | Major |
| 3 | If SO101 Principles of Sociology and AN112 Cultural Anthropology are taken, social science requirements are fulfilled and an elective can be taken in the fall of the second year. CJ167 Race, Ethnicity & Criminal Justice does not fulfill the general education requirement for social science. |