Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice program focuses on the study of crime and the administration of the justice system. Students study law enforcement, courts and corrections with the applicable city, county, state and federal laws and procedures. The program will endow students with the skills necessary for critical knowledge, communication, personal growth and real-world application opportunities within the Criminal Justice discipline. Receive your degree today to advance your career in the judicial system.
Total BACJ Credit Requirement = 120 Credits
BACJ Curriculum = 51 Credits/86 weeks
General Education Curriculum = 40 Credits
Elective/Transfer Curriculum = 29 Credits
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To be considered for enrollment into the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice cohort, an applicant must show an ability to benefit from college-level, upper-division studies as demonstrated by:
• 50 transferable semester hours completed at a college or university with regional, national, professional, or specialized accreditation, or with candidacy status as documented via official transcripts.
– If needed to meet admission credit requirements, CLEP/PEP/DANTES transcripts, Joint Service Transcrips (JST), a DD214 or DD295, and CCRS (formerly ACE/PONSI) transcripts are required.
– There is no age limit to the transfer credits. All relevant coursework will be transferred within the guidelines of the program.
• Overall college transfer grade-point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• One year of full-time work experience
• Students who speak English as a second language (ESL) shall present evidence of proficiency in the English language by scoring 500 or higher on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or 61 or higher on the Internet based TOEFL. ESL students may be exempt from the TOEFL exam if they have graduated from a U.S. high school or attended a U.S. college with an acceptable GPA on non-developmental coursework of 6 credits or more.
• A student seeking to earn the bachelor’s degree must complete the required cohort of study as prescribed in the program. In cases where comparable courses have been completed within the last five years, a student may request a course transfer for a maximum of two courses. The request to transfer courses within the cohort of study must be made in writing prior to beginning the bachelor’s degree program. The individual student’s schedule and financial aid package must be factored in to the approval process for transferred coursework within the cohort of study.
Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for a BACJ degree, students must have satisfactorily completed the following:
• Complete all courses in the criminal justice major with a grade of “C” or higher.
• Fulfill all required general education credits as described herein.
• Earn a minimum of 120 credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, to include the 50 credit-hour major and 40 general-education credits.
• Payment of all tuition and fees.
COURSES OFFERED IN (BACJ)
Note: Each course meets once weekly for four hours. Total weekly study time expected of the learner outside of class sessions is approximately 20 hours.
CRIJ 3313 | Professional Development
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is designed to facilitate team-building, as well as the process of adapting to the academic environment. Emphasis will
be placed on group interaction, understanding and appreciating the views of others, and personal growth. In addition, students will be introduced to available resources such as the library and Internet tools which will be critical to their success in the academic setting.
CRIJ 1301 | Introduction to Criminal Justice
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This is an introductory course designed to familiarize students with the history, philosophy, and progress of the criminal justice system in the United States. Included is an overview of the ethical
considerations, crime defined, law enforcement, court system, prosecution and defense, trial process and corrections. The responsibilities of various agencies of the Criminal Justice System
will also be delineated.
CRIJ 1312| Community Policing
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This is a basic introductory course treating the broad field of police and community relations, focusing particularly on police and community response. Included in this course will be discussion of the philosophy of community policing, its impact on police administration and personnel, and implementation and evaluation issues.
CRIJ 2328 | Police Practices and Procedures
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is an overview of the history and philosophy of law enforcement in a democratic society in accordance with the Constitution. Emphasis is given to the police profession:
organization of law enforcement systems, the police role, police discretion, ethics, police-community interaction, and current and future issues.
CRIJ 2304| Criminal Law and Procedures
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is a study of the nature of criminal law: philosophy and historical developments, major definitions and concepts, classification of crime, elements of crimes and penalties using
Texas Statutes as illustrations, and justifications of and defenses to criminal responsibility. Criminal procedure also addresses prosecution, right to counsel, pre-trial release, grand juries,
the adjudication process, types and rules of evidence, and sentencing.
CRIJ 2336 | Criminology
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is a study of the nature and causation of crime, crime typologies, and the extent of criminality. Specific topics to be addressed may include crime as a form of deviant behavior;
nature and extent of crime; past and present theories; evaluation and prevention, control, and treatment programs. (This course is the same as SOCI 2336.)
CRIJ 3306 | Juvenile Justice
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is designed to review the nature and extent of delinquency; explanatory theories; the juvenile justice system; history, philosophy, and evaluation of the juvenile court; juvenile
courts and procedures; the role of a police officer and the correctional officer.
CRIJ 3308 | American Court System
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is a study of the judiciary in the criminal justice system of the American court system including its legal basis, structure, jurisdiction and operation. It also involves an analysis
of the legal transactions involved in the accusation, arrest, adjudication, and disposition of criminal offenders.
CRIJ 3329 | Methods in Social Research
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course presents the application of scientific methods of investigation in the social and behavioral sciences. (This course is the same as SOCI 3329.)
CRIJ 4310 | Corrections and Rights
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is a systematic study of the official ways in which society reacts to persons who have been convicted of committing criminal acts, including persons handled by the
juvenile courts. The rights of the accused are also addressed.
CRIJ 3316 | Blacks in Criminal Justice
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course addresses issues that have culminated in African Americans warranting closer examination/study on issues of
social change, economics, education and what may be biases of the criminal justice system that serve to disenfranchise blacks, i.e., disparities in adjudication outcomes both at the criminal and
juvenile justice levels as well as other phases of criminal justice processing. This course also examines the contributions made by blacks to the field of criminal justice.
CRIJ 4311 | Ethics and Criminal Justice
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is designed to explore moral decision-making. Basic moral or ethical frameworks are applied to ethical decisions which often need to be made in the Criminal Justice System by police officers, judges, prosecutors, and correctional officers.
CRIJ 4318| Probation and Parole
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is a study of the philosophy, evaluation, and functions of probation and parole. Specific topics include differentiation between probation and parole, the processes involved in the consideration for granting probation and parole and the related conditions. This course also looks closely at how probation and parole are impacted by recidivism (or the effectiveness of probation and parole).
CRIJ 3307 | Criminal Investigation
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is a study of the fundamentals of investigation; duties and responsibilities of the investigator; interrogation techniques
of protecting the crime scene; collection and preservation of evidence, scientific aids and other sources of information; court preparation and case follow up. Students gain basic knowledge of forensic evidence development in crime scene techniques including some practical experience with techniques concerning various types of evidence including fingerprint, impressions, hair, fiber, trace, firearms, biological, accelerant, explosives and drugs.
PSCI 2313 | Social Science Statistics I
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course introduces concepts and methods used in social science statistics and helps students learn how to use statistical tools wisely.
CRIJ 4317 | Crime Prevention
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This course is designed to review the nature, causation, and extent of personal, business, and property crimes and proven methods and techniques and experimental means of dealing with
criminal activity. This course also address as the human and civil resources necessary to engage in an effective and comprehensive crime prevention program.
CRIJ 4313 | Senior Seminar
(3 credits/5 weeks)
This capstone course synthesizes the key factors of the major courses taken during the students’ previous years of study.
Students prove knowledge of research methods, theory and policy through a term project. This course includes a lecture series providing and allowing students to hear criminal justice professionals address important career related issues. Other seminar components include interviewing, resume construction, financial security, recognition of job security and professionalism. An exit exam covering undergraduate study in the major will be given.
