The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a combined degree program that affords students the opportunity to combine their undergraduate and graduate studies. With the approval of their academic advisor and the program director, students can take up to two designated graduate courses that fulfill the requirements for both undergraduate and graduate degrees, thus accelerating completion of their Master of Arts in Criminal Justice.

Admission requirements

Students opting for the combined degree program must meet the minimum admission requirements for students applying to the graduate program in criminal justice as set forth in the current issue of the Graduate Studies Bulletin; the only exception of having obtained their baccalaureate degree.

It is recommended that students interested in the combined degree program declare their candidacy upon successful completion of 64 credits and/or upon entering their junior year; however, no later than having completed 90 undergraduate credits. This affords students the opportunity to collaborate with their advisor in the timely and appropriate selection of undergraduate and graduate courses.

To qualify for the combined program in Criminal Justice, students must possess and maintain a minimum of a 3.00 overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA), a 3.25 grade point average (GPA) within the criminal justice major, and be able to demonstrate a proficiency in writing. Students in the combined degree program must maintain a minimum of a 3.00 GPA in the graduate courses for which they have been approved.

Degree Plan

NOTE: All students are required to complete the General Education Requirements of their campus in fulfillment of their Bachelor degree requirements.

Required courses (39 credits)

Major electives (12 credits)

Students in the BA/MA Combined Degree Program are advised to confer with their advisor before registering for major elective courses.

Master’s degree courses (27 credits)

  • CRIM 6005   Advanced. Criminological Theory
  • CRIM 8000   Critical Analysis of Criminal Justice
  • Graduate Electives (21 credits)

Graduate courses CRIM 6000, CRIM 6010, and CRIM 6025 will be taken in a student’s senior year with the following conditions:

  • 21 credits of Graduate Electives may be selected from the following: CRIM 6015, CRIM 6020, CRIM 7020, CRIM 7025, CRIM 7030, CRIM 7060, CRIM 7065, CRIM 7070, CRIM 7080, CRIM 7084, CRIM 7085, CRIM 7090.
  • Professional Seminar in Criminal Justice (CRIM 6000) must be taken within a student’s first 6-9 credits of graduate courses.
  • Statistics and Data Analysis (CRIM 6020) serves as a prerequisite to Research Methods (CRIM 6015).

Course Descriptions

  • CRIM1101 The objective of this course is to provide a comprehensive overview and understanding of the United States Criminal Justice System. In context to the philosophical underpinnings of the U.S. Constitution and the historical, social, and political development of the United States, this course will examine the three major components of the criminal justice system: (1) police and law enforcement, (2) courts and adjudications, and (3) corrections. The framework of the course will evolve about the concepts of social order and control, theories of criminality, the legislation, enforcement, and adjudication of criminal laws, the remediation of criminal behavior, and the influence of public policy in the administration of justice.

  • CRIM1102 This course examines the theoretical perspectives on the nature and causes of crime, criminal behavior and criminality. Topics include the nature of law, types of crimes, deviancy and examina- tion of biological, psychobiological, psychological and socio- logical theories of crime causation.

  • CRIM2100 This course is designed to prepare students for the characteristic style and format of writing letters and reports within the various professions of the criminal justice system. Emphasis will be on developing cogent, analytical, and legally sustainable documents with particular attention to format, structure, grammar and literary style. This course meets the requirements of the law school preparation curriculum.

  • CRIM2201 The objective of this course is to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding of the role, responsibility and interdependent relationship of the police and law enforcement within American society. Inherent to the responsibility for maintaining order and public safety, enforcing society's laws, preventing crime and providing social related services, there exist dichotomy, controversy and challenges. Beginning with an historical perspective, contemporary policing will be examined from a variety of operational, managerial and administrative perspectives taking into consideration the many social, cultural, legal, political, economic and technological changes that in- fluence a free, democratic and capitalistic society. Replacement for SOCI 3331.

  • CRIM2202 This course encompasses an analysis of formal institutions involved in the correction, punishment, and rehabilitation of criminal offenders. Topics include the prison as sociocultural system, the efficacy of penal institutions, and the emergence of alternative systems of punishment and control. In addition, the course will examine the functions of probation, parole, and community corrections within the context of the rehabilitative, crime prevention, and reintegration models.

  • CRIM2204 The objective of this course will be to offer the student a comprehensive overview of juvenile delinquency and its impact on society. It will examine the demands that delinquency places on schools, police, the courts, corrections and the community. Attention will focus on the history, trends, patterns, and extent of delinquency, along with the role gangs, family, peers, gender, and schools play in its development. The impact of the police, the courts, and juvenile corrections on reducing juvenile delinquency will also be examined.

  • CRIM2205 An introduction to research design and methodology within the frame of criminal justice studies. Hypothesis development, experimental design, surveys, testing, and the gathering and presentation of information are covered. Participants will develop facility in using the library's on-line database. They will critically analyze theoretical materials and review bibliographic information. Using written assignments, participants will be expected to hone their logical, analytical and grammatical skills.

  • CRIM2208 This course will focus on the criminal event from both the perspective of the victim and the motive of the offender. It will examine victimization patterns, typologies, lifestyles, causal factors, consequences and analyze the criminal justice system?s procedures, treatment and resources for crime victims. Also, it will utilize numerous case scenarios and analyze the dynamics of various violent crime for warning signs, criminal purpose/selection and strategies for individuals to reduce their risk of becoming crime victims.

  • CRIM3319 This course will provide the student with an understanding of the purpose, organization, and operation of the judicial branch of government. The judiciary is more than courtrooms, judges, lawyers, and trials. There is a vast behind the scenes structure composed of numerous employees and programs which are not fully understood by the public, police, attorneys or other users of the court system. The divisions of court and these programs will be examined in detail as well as the corresponding job opportunities they provide to criminal justice majors.

  • CRIM6000 This course provides a comprehensive review, critique, and analysis of the United States Criminal Justice System in context to examining the concepts of social order and control, the philosophical underpinnings of the U.S. Constitution and the influence of public policy. Emphasis will be placed on examining the independent and causal relationships of police and law enforcement, courts and adjudications, and the correctional system.

  • CRIM6005 This course will take a vertically integrative perspective on criminological theory, to include examining crime and crime theory, and various forms of criminal behavior. Taking an implicitly system theoretical look at crime and delinquency, it will provide tools for determining which theories provide the most explanatory power in specific criminal contexts. The course will also examine criminological thought in areas such as cyber-crime, terrorism, human trafficking, environmental crime, hate crimes, and other current and thematic emerging issues.

  • CRIM6010 This course examines emerging issues as they influence the U.S. Constitution, public policy, and the criminal justice system. Topics such as criminal procedure, individual rights, gun control, decriminalization of drugs, social justice, crime prevention, juvenile justice, sentencing policies, incarceration, and capital punishment will be addressed.

  • CRIM6015 This advanced course in social research exposes students to the methods and techniques associated with identifying and defining problems and developing hypotheses, experimental design, surveys, testing instruments, gathering and analyzing data, and preparation of reports.

  • CRIM6020 This course addresses the basic concepts and methods of statistics applied within criminal justice and social science research. Topics covered include basic statistical methodology, exploratory data techniques, experimental design, sample distributions, interval estimation, inference, comparative analysis by parametric, nonparametric, and robust procedures, analysis of variance (one-way), linear and nonlinear regression, analysis of covariance, correlation and regression, and an introduction to statistical analysis using SPSS.

  • CRIM6025 This course will emphasize the conceptual foundations and methodological approaches used in social science research. This course introduces tools of quantative reasoning and statistics that can be used to address problems in basic research and policy within social sciences, particularly in the criminal justice field. The primary objectives of the course are to build familiarity with the fundamentals of probability and statistical analysis, central concepts of research design and norms of ethical behavior in research.

  • CRIM7020 This course examines classical and contemporary theories and philosophies relevant to ethical thought and behavior in relationship to the administration of justice. Ethical issues confronting criminal justice practitioners, to include the role and influence of politics, are explored through the use of case studies and critical incidents, and examining appropriate and applicable strategies.

  • CRIM7025 This course will conduct a comparative analysis between the criminal justice system of the United States with those of other major countries throughout the world. The similarities and differences between the policing, adjudication and penal systems will be discussed. Issues such as alternatives to incarceration, technologies utilized and legal mandates will be examined.

  • CRIM7030 The objective of this course will be to examine the principles, practices, and complexities of effective leadership. The course will examine the skills and competencies needed to be an effective leader. The benefits of effective leadership and the consequences of ineffective leadership in an organization will be studied.

  • CRIM7060 Practitioners in the criminal justice system are often placed in the position of ensuring that their clients have access to services and proper treatments as they move through the system. Working and aspiring probation and parole officers, social workers, victim advocates and others will receive practical guidance in creating access to justice and services for their clients in criminal, social, and service oriented contexts.

  • CRIM7065 This course will focus on crime victims in terms of factors leading up to and consequences of criminal events. It will examine victimization patterns, typologies, resources, consequences, the criminal justice response, restorative justice and legal rights. Also, it will analyze the dynamics of various violent crimes for warning signs, criminal purpose/selection and strategies to reduce the risk of victimization.

  • CRIM7070 This course provides a critical examination and analysis of contemporary issues related to crime, criminal justice, and public policy. Examples of topics include juvenile justice, police operations, sentencing, community-corrections, capital punishment, decriminalization of drugs, transnational crime, terrorism, cyber-crime, and the implication of emerging technologies in the administration of justice.

  • CRIM7080 Topics will include the Constitution of the United States and how the safeguards in the Bill of Rights have evolved over time. The course will also focus on how laws and Criminal Justice policies are formulated, as well as why certain acts are considered serious crimes and other are not. Issues of how money and power affect policies in criminal justice will be examined. Topics of victims'rights police brutality, court process, sentencing, prisoner treatment and other policy matters in the criminal justice system will be reviewed.

  • CRIM7084 This course will examine the systemic problem of crime that transcends international borders that capitalizes on the use of violence and corruption in a technologically advancing global society. Transnational crime includes but is not limited to gambling, money laundering, human smuggling, prostitution, cyber-crime, terrorism and the trafficking of humans, drugs, weapons, endangered species, body parts and nuclear materials. The course will examine the legal,economic, tactical, technological and geopolitical dynamics to combat transnational crime with a specific focus on coordinating domestic and international public policy.

  • CRIM7085 The course provides individually designed internships within federal, state and local police/law enforcement agencies, courts and adjudication, corrections & probation, private security, juvenile justice, crime victims? advocacy and child protection. Students develop hands-on experience in all facets of the respective agency that they select. The internship provides the students with insight, experience and an available network of professional colleagues.

  • CRIM7090 This course addresses key thematic areas critical to recognizing and developing one's professional effectiveness. Topics covered include effective communication, emotional and social intelligence, negotiations and conflict management, problem-solving, decision making, and strategic planning.

  • CRIM8000 This course represents a synthesis and critical analysis of key concepts and principles address within the criminal justice graduate program. Topics covered include, but are not limited to: social order and control, social contract theory, social justice and crime, statistics and social research, U.S. Constitution and government, politics and public policy, crime prevention and analysis, criminological theory, victimization, criminal law, police and law enforcement, the courts and adjudication system, and the correctional system. The course culminates with successful completion of: (1) a Master's Research Project, or () Comprehensive Examination. Details and requirements for both are addressed at the commencement of the course.