Criminal Justice (B.S.C.J.)

Program: B.S.
Department of Criminal Justice & Public Administration
College of Liberal Arts

Neff Hall 260 ~ 260-481-6351

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) degree program puts our students on a fast-track for careers in the dynamic field of criminal justice. It also equips students with the skills necessary for graduate school and guarantees sufficient exposure to a foreign language to enrich career paths and broaden professional opportunities. The program also features a minor in criminal justice for students who are majoring in other fields. It provides an opportunity for internships, during which students engage with potential employers and hone career skills in the lead up to graduation. The internship program is designed for maximum flexibility; internships can be full or part time, paid or unpaid.

Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this degree, students will be able to:

Describe the theories that explain observed patterns in the criminal justice system.
Apply research and analytical skills used in policing, courts, and corrections.
Demonstrate effective written, oral, and multimedia communication skills for diverse settings.
Evaluate current practices in policing, courts, and corrections.

Program Delivery:

This program is available on-campus.

Declaring this Major:

Declare this major within the Department of Criminal Justice and Public Administration

General Requirements:

Program Requirements:

Criminal Justice (BSCJ) 4-Year Plan :

A grade of C- or higher and an overall GPA of 2.3 or higher in all Criminal Justice core courses
A 2.0 overall GPA of higher for all courses required in the major

General Education Requirements: Credits 33

Click on the Purdue Fort Wayne General Education Requirements link above for details.
Check with your advisor for recommended courses as some majors may require particular General Education courses as specified in their program description. Up to six credits of approved General Education courses satisfying requirements in Areas A and B, and three credits satisfying requirements in Area C, may originate in the major. A grade of C- or higher in each course, and an overall GPA of 2.0 is required to satisfy the Purdue Fort Wayne General Education Requirements.

College of Liberal Arts Course Requirements

Click on the PFW College of Liberal Arts link above for detailed information on college requirements.

Introduction to the Liberal Arts: Credits 3

IDIS 10605 - Introduction To The Liberal Arts Cr. 3

Second Semester Writing, Research, and Methods Class: Credits 3

ENGL 23301 - Intermediate Expository Writing Cr. 3.
or choose one of the following equivalent courses:
ENGL 20201 - Literary Interpretation Cr. 3.
HIST 21700 - The Nature Of History Cr. 3.
ILCS 30000 - Methods Of Research And Criticism Cr. 3.
POL 20700 - Elements of Political Analysis Cr. 3.
WOST 23000 - Writing for Social Change Cr. 3.

International Language: Credits 12

You must complete two courses at the first-year level and two courses at the second-year level in a single international language or in American Sign Language (or demonstrate equivalent proficiency). Click on the PFW College of Liberal Arts link above for more details.

Thematic Requirements: Credits 15

Students will take one course in each of these five areas to ensure that they have an opportunity to deepen their traditional liberal arts education while also preparing for a culturally diverse, technologically advanced, and increasingly globalized and complex world:

Gender, Sexuality, Race, and/or Ethnicity: Credits 3
Conflict and Cooperation: Credits 3
Institutions and Behavior: Credits 3
Regional/Geographic Study: Credits 3
Digital Humanities/Public Humanities: Credits 3

A single course may not be used to fulfill more than one of the five thematic requirements.
Courses taken to fulfill the five thematic requirements must come from courses offered under at least three different course prefixes.
At least one course must come from the list of courses approved as dealing exclusively or primarily with a Non-Western culture or cultures.

List of Courses for the COLA Thematic Requirements

Criminal Justice Core Courses: Credits 45

CRIM 10100 - The American Criminal Justice System Cr. 3.
CRIM 20100 - Theoretical Foundations Of Criminal Justice Policies Cr. 3.
CRIM 20200 - Research Methods In Criminal Justice Cr. 3.
CRIM 20600 - The Criminal Courts Cr. 3.
CRIM 22900 - Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice 3 cr.
CRIM 23100 - Corrections Cr. 3.
CRIM 24600 - Substantive Criminal Law Cr. 3.
CRIM 30500 - Juvenile Justice Cr. 3.
CRIM 32100 - American Policing Cr. 3.
CRIM 33900 - Victimology 3 cr.
CRIM 34800 - Criminal Investigation Cr. 3.
CRIM 37000 - Seminar In Criminal Justice Cr. 3.
CRIM 43900 - Crime And Public Policy Cr. 3.
CRIM 48000 - Internship In Criminal Justice Cr. 1-6.
Choose one statistics course from the following list:
CRIM 30000 - Statistical Techniques Cr. 3.
ECON 27000 - Introduction To Statistical Theory In Economics And Business I Cr. 3.
SOC 35100 - Social Statistics Cr. 3.
STAT 30100 - Elementary Statistical Methods I Cr. 3.

General Electives

Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 120
These free elective credits can be chosen from any discipline
Students may consider adding a minor to satisfy this credit requirement

Total Credits: 120

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all graduation requirements specified for each selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career. If you cannot complete all program requirements by your stated graduation date but fail to remove those from your plan of study, the Registrar’s Office in consultation with your academic advisor will remove unmet pursuits from your plan of study. Changing curricular records during the graduation term of application may affect state or federal financial aid awards. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean.