Criminal Justice B.A.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Contact: Donna J. Bottenberg, Ph.D., Interim Chair
Location: Candelaria 2285
Telephone: 970.351.2186
Fax: 970.351.1527
Website: www.unco.edu/criminaljustice
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The field of Criminal Justice is interdisciplinary in nature and draws theories and research methodology from disciplines such as sociology, psychology, political science, and public administration. With continuous interaction from faculty advisors, students choose courses from a variety of disciplines depending on interests and career plans. With the support and cooperation of law enforcement, community corrections, victim assistance, and other agencies, the school offers internship opportunities to qualified students seeking practical experiences to assist them in career decisions.
The faculty will educate students to be critical thinkers who can communicate their thoughts effectively in oral and written form. An important ingredient of the criminal justice program is teaching students to use ethical behavior in applying their knowledge as problems and situations change. Graduates will have a comprehensive knowledge of the criminal justice field.
All students meeting UNC admission requirements are eligible for admission to the Criminal Justice degree program. Currently enrolled UNC students changing their major from undeclared or from another major qualify for admission provided they are not on academic probation.
NOTE: Seniors, with permission from instructors, may register for 500-level courses.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- The Criminal Justice degree requires a grade of “C” or better (C- is not acceptable) for all courses (regardless of prefix) counting toward the major.
- No more than three semester credits of internship (including field experience, practicum, etc.) from a prefix other than CRJ may be used toward the major.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
Degree Requirements
1. Required Specified LAC — 3 credits
LAC area 2 — Mathematics
| STAT 150 | Introduction to Statistical Analysis | 3 |
Other math classes also meet the LAC area 2 requirement but do not substitute for STAT 150 Introduction to Statistical Analysis as a required course for the B.A. in Criminal Justice.
Remaining LAC — 37 credits
See “Liberal Arts Core”.
2. Required Major — 40 credits
Take all of the following courses:
| CRJ 110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 220 | Policing Systems | 3 |
| CRJ 230 | Judicial Process | 3 |
| CRJ 240 | Correctional Systems | 3 |
| CRJ 350 | Victim Studies | 3 |
| CRJ 360 | Theories of Crime | 3 |
| CRJ 380 | Justice Research and Statistics I | 3 |
| CRJ 410 | Comparative Justice Systems | 3 |
| CRJ 470 | Justice Professionalism and Ethics | 3 |
| CRJ 475 | Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Class in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 480 | Justice Research and Statistics II | 3 |
| LIB 160 | Criminal Justice Library Research | 1 |
Choose six credits from the following courses:
Other 300-level or above courses from departments such as Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Geography, Human Services, Anthropology, and foreign languages may also be used to fulfill elective requirements, upon advisor’s approval.
3. University-Wide Credits — 40 credits
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 40 credits.