Criminal Justice Major

BACHELOR'S DEGREE (BS)

» Program Prerequisite: Not required.
 
» Minor: A minor or a double major is required. Students wishing to pursue careers in Federal criminal justice agencies are highly recommended to minor in a foreign language. In lieu of a minor, an 18 hour specialization may be selected in consultation with the chair and only in those instances where a specific minor is not offered by WSU. Students in the Forensic Science/Investigation concentration are exempt from the minor requirement.
 
» Grade Requirements: A grade of "C" or better in all courses required for this major in addition to an overall GPA for these courses of 2.50 or higher. Also refer to the general grade requirements for graduation under General Requirements.
 
» Credit Hour Requirements: A total of 120 credit hours is required for graduation; a minimum of 45 of these is required within the major. A total of 40 upper division credit hours is required (courses numbered 3000 and above); 18 of these are required within the major.

Advisement

All Criminal Justice students are encouraged to meet with a faculty advisor at least annually for course and program advisement. Call 801-626-6146 for more information or to find an advisor.  (Also refer to the Department Advisor Referral List.)

Admission Requirements

Declare your program of study. No special admission or application requirements are needed for this program.

General Education

Refer to General Requirements for Bachelor of Science requirements. The following course required for the Criminal Justice major will also satisfy general education requirements: CJ SS1010. The diversity requirement can be met by completing CJ 3040 or CJ 3360.

Major Course Requirements for BS Degree

Students obtaining a major in Criminal Justice are required to complete 45 credit hours in courses with a CJ prefix. Of these, 18 credit hours must be upper division courses numbering 3000 or above.

Core Courses Required (21 credit hours)

    * Will meet the core requirement but may not be counted if used in another department (will not receive CJ credit).
  ** Statistics prerequisite.
*** Senior standing required.
CONCENTRATIONS
Select one concentration and complete 15 credit hours or select a general concentration of 15 credit hours from any combination. The Forensic Science concentrations have additional requirements. Courses taken in one concentration cannot be used to fill the requirement in another concentration.
° Law Enforcement (15 credit hours)
° Corrections (15 credit hours)
° Law and Justice (15 credit hours)
° Forensic Science

Those students wishing to pursue a concentration in forensics will have the option of choosing one of two tracks:

  1. Forensic Science I / Laboratory - for those wishing to predominantly work in a crime lab, including chemical analysis, serology and DNA analysis.
     
  2. Forensic Science II / Investigation - for those wishing to have a more general background and training in order to work in the field, including crime scene investigation, pattern analysis and photography.

Requirements for a concentration in Forensic Science/Laboratory:

This concentration requires a double major: one in Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, or Microbiology and a major in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensic Science. No minor is required. The CJ major requires all of the core courses and other requirements for other CJ majors as well as the following 14 credit hours for a concentration.

Requirements for a Concentration in Forensic Science/Investigation:

Complete all of the following 60-62 credit hours of Criminal Justice and support courses.

Criminal Justice Courses (30 credit hours)

Support Courses (30-32 credit hours)

This concentration requires the student to also complete the Criminal Justice Core Courses (21 hours) listed previously. The Forensic Science/Investigation student does not need to complete a minor or a double major. The student also does not need to complete the additional 9 credit hours of elective courses. Students are encouraged to take CJ4860 Field Experience during their senior year.

° General (15 credit hours)

Students selecting this option will be required to propose a total of 15 credit hours selected from a combination of the above. Students will be expected to provide a rationale for the specific combination of courses they select.

ELECTIVE COURSES
In addition to the 21 credit hours of core courses and the 15 credit hours in each area of concentration, students are required to complete an additional 9 credit hours of criminal justice courses (with CJ prefixes - courses may not be counted twice) to be selected from the following:
* Requires Department Chair approval.
 
Additional credit for P.O.S.T. certification may be obtained but does not count toward major, minor or BIS.

 

Weber State University 2012-2013 Catalog