Criminal Justice Undergraduate Degree Curriculum: A Comprehensive Overview

A criminal justice undergraduate degree curriculum provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system, its institutions, practices, and its impact on society. It is designed for students interested in understanding the legal system and the role of law in society, criminal behavior, and public safety. These programs explore topics such as law enforcement, courts, corrections, criminology, and justice policy, while developing critical thinking, research, and communication skills. The curriculum emphasizes both theoretical foundations and real-world applications, helping students analyze crime, evaluate legal systems, and consider issues of equity and reform.

Core Components of a Criminal Justice Curriculum

A typical criminal justice undergraduate curriculum includes a combination of core courses, electives, and general education requirements. The core courses provide a foundational understanding of the key elements of the criminal justice system.

Introductory Courses

Introduction to Criminal Justice: This course provides an overview of the criminal justice system, the roles of law enforcement personnel, the courts, and correctional agencies. It also explores philosophical and theoretical views related to criminal justice. (e.g., CRMJ 110, CCJ 2020, CJ 1310)
Introduction to Psychology: An overview of the basic principles of psychology. (e.g., PSY 1300)
Introduction to Sociology: An introduction to the fundamental concepts and principles of sociology. (e.g., SOCI 1310)

System-Specific Courses

Police Systems and Practices: A critical study of the objectives, strategies, programs, institutional arrangements, roles, perspectives, and interagency relationships of police. (e.g., CJ 2310, CRMJ 320, CRMJ 330)
The Courts and Criminal Procedure: An introduction to the rules of evidence, evidence collection, preservation, and basic crime scene investigations. It also explains the laws and court decisions relating to the admissibility of evidence. (e.g., CJ 2350, CRMJ 200, CRMJ 210)
Correctional Systems and Practices: A course covering an historical view of the development of methods of offender treatment: operation of correctional systems; the effect of institutionalization upon individuals; and alternatives to incarceration. (e.g., CJ 2355, CRMJ 220)
Fundamentals of Criminal Law: This course introduces students to the basic principles of criminal law. (e.g., CJ 2360)

Advanced and Specialized Courses

Criminological Theory: An exploration of various theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior. (e.g., CCJ 4014)
Research Methods and Analysis: Training in the theories and methods of research with emphasis on research designs most relevant to Criminal Justice data and problems. (e.g., CCJ 4700, CRMJ 310)
Criminal Justice and the Constitution: An examination of the constitutional principles that govern criminal justice procedures. (e.g., CJL 4064)
Criminal Justice Policies: A course including issues relating to criminal justice policies, perspectives, techniques, roles, institutional arrangements, management, uses of research, and innovative patterns. (e.g., CRMJ 300)
Sentencing: A course that covers theories, practice and reform of sentencing. It includes the study of the philosophical justifications of punishment, the history and nature of criminal sanctions, sentencing/parole practices, and reforms of law and practice of sentencing. (e.g., CRMJ 302)
Criminal Investigation: An analytical examination of crime detection and solution. The course also covers topics such as crime scene procedures, physical evidence, interviews, field notes and reporting, follow-up investigation, interrogation, as well as rules of evidence. (e.g., CRMJ 350)
Law and Social Control: A study of resolution of social issues through the application of law as an agent of social control; nature, sanctions, and limits of law; and categories of law and schools of jurisprudence. (e.g., CRMJ 360)
Administrative Policies: A system-wide analysis of organizational structures; management and administrative policies of criminal justice agencies-law and schools of jurisprudence. (e.g., CRMJ 409, CRMJ 416)
Criminal Process: An examination of criminal liability, crimes against person, property and society; the criminal process; constitutional and legal problems associated with criminal procedures; and the due process of law. (e.g., CRMJ 410)
Discretionary Authority: An examination of the use of discretionary authority throughout all phases of the criminal justice system; and effect of discretionary authority. (e.g., CRMJ 411)
Special Topics in Criminal Justice: A course including topics chosen from various fields of criminal justice. (e.g., CRMJ 412)
Independent Study/Research: A course that provides small group-study and research for advanced students or original study or investigation in the advanced student’s field of interest under the supervision of a faculty member. (e.g., CRMJ 413, CRMJ 414)
Crime Prevention: An examination of theories of deviance and crime as they relate to social policies and specific response of the criminal justice system, including crime prevention. (e.g., CRMJ 415)
Female Crime: A study of the nature and extent of female crime, causation theories, and the treatment of female in the criminal justice system. (e.g., CRMJ 417)
Delinquency: An in depth study of delinquency, including causation theories, alternative definitions of delinquency, official statistics and the critique, and an analysis of the interaction between social institutions and youth. (e.g., CRMJ 418)
Judicial System: An examination of the process which an individual follows as he enters the federal, state or local judicial system. The strategies studied focus on the actual practices followed from the individual’s intake into the system until termination. (e.g., CRMJ 420)
Drug and Alcohol Abuse: A course designed to acquaint students with legal, judicial and enforcement procedures and how they relate to the problem of drug and alcohol use and abuse. (e.g., CRMJ 319)
Ethics in Criminal Justice: (e.g., CCJ 4054)
Senior Capstone in Criminal Justice: (e.g., CCJ 4497)

Electives

In addition to the core courses, students are typically required to complete a certain number of elective courses. These electives allow students to specialize in specific areas of criminal justice, such as:

Corrections
Law Enforcement
Criminology
Legal Studies
Drug Policy and Intervention
Geographic Information Systems

Students may select any 3000 or 4000 level courses that begin with the prefixes CCJ, CJC, CJE, CJJ, CJL, and DSC.

General Education Requirements

Criminal justice programs also include general education requirements, which are designed to provide students with a broad foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. These requirements typically include courses in:

Read also: Curriculum Overview

Communication
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Humanities
Fine Arts

Students must complete the General Education Curriculum.

Additional Requirements

Service Learning: Bachelor’s candidates must also complete three service learning courses (one of which must be from the major).
Senior Portfolio: Submit a senior portfolio after completing a certain number of credit hours.
Internship: Students are strongly encouraged to complete an internship to gain practical experience in the field (e.g., CCJ 4940, CJ 4301, CJ 4302, CRMJ 430).

Curriculum Structure and Course Sequencing

The curriculum is typically structured to ensure that students develop a strong foundation in the core concepts of criminal justice before moving on to more advanced topics. Course sequencing is often recommended to ensure that students have the necessary prerequisites for advanced courses.

Sample Course Sequence (Texas State University)

Freshman Year

First Semester: US 1100, Communication Component Code 010, CJ 1310 (TCCN CRIJ 1301), SOCI 1310 (Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 [TCCN SOCI 1301]), Communication Component Code 010
Second Semester: Mathematics Component Code 020, Component Area Option Codes 090, 091, 092, 093 and 094, POSI 2320 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305]), POSI 2310 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2306]), CJ Elective

Sophomore Year

First Semester: CJ 2310 (TCCN CRIJ 2328), CJ 2360 (TCCN CRIJ 1310), Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030, Creative Arts Component Code 050
Second Semester: CJ 2350 (TCCN CRIJ 1306), CJ 2355 (TCCN CRIJ 2313), Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030, Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040

Junior Year

First Semester: American History Component Code 060, CJ 3346, CJ Advanced Electives, Component Area Option Codes 090, 091, 092, 093 and 094
Second Semester: CJ Advanced Electives, CJ Elective, Direct Elective, Open Electives

Senior Year

First Semester: CJ 4340, CJ Advanced Elective, Open Electives
Second Semester: CJ 4310, Open Electives, CJ Elective, CJ Elective

Skills Developed

A criminal justice undergraduate degree curriculum is designed to develop a range of skills that are essential for success in the field. These skills include:

Critical Thinking: Analyzing information, evaluating arguments, and forming reasoned judgments.
Communication: Effectively conveying information and ideas in both oral and written form.
Research: Conducting research, collecting data, and analyzing findings.
Problem-Solving: Identifying problems, developing solutions, and implementing strategies.
Ethical Decision-Making: Applying ethical principles to decision-making in the criminal justice system.
Statistical and Data Analysis: Analyzing data and interpreting statistical findings.
Computer Technology: Utilizing computer technology for research, analysis, and communication.

The Criminal Justice Program seeks to educate students in the skills required for a successful professional career. These skills include critical thinking, the ability to communicate thoughts effectively in oral and written form, research methods, statistical and data analysis, and computer technology.

Career Opportunities

A criminal justice undergraduate degree can lead to a variety of career opportunities in law enforcement, corrections, the court system, and related fields. Some common career paths include:

Law Enforcement Officer
Correctional Officer
Parole Officer
Probation Officer
Court Administrator
Legal Assistant
Victim Advocate
Security Specialist
Federal Agencies

A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice is ideal for students interested in understanding the legal system and the role of law in society, criminal behavior, and public safety. Taught by expert faculty with real-world experience, you’ll gain practical knowledge and insights that prepare you for careers in law enforcement, legal studies, corrections, federal agencies, or community advocacy, as well as preparing you for either graduate or law school.

Transfer Students

For transfer students, a certain number of semester credit hours in criminal justice core curriculum (or their equivalents) may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Criminal Justice Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree with a major in Criminal Justice. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. If transferring additional criminal justice courses please contact the College of Applied Arts Academic Advising Center for assistance. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the course list.

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