Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

Program Overview

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The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program in Criminal Justice prepares law enforcement officials and adult learners for career change, advancement, or graduate education.

Students in the BA degree in Criminal Justice program focus on the interdisciplinary study of crime and the functioning of the criminal justice system, and develop critical analytical skills, and knowledge of the research findings and methods used in the field. In addition, students develop a broad general knowledge of the traditional liberal arts disciplines while developing a greater depth of knowledge in criminal justice.

Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 18 credits must be upper level, 3000 level or above, within the area of study.

Credit Distribution

I. General Education Featured Courses (45 Credits)

TESU Featured Courses are listed as a guide. Other courses may satisfy the areas and can be viewed on our website under General Education Courses.  For more information see About Our General Education Program.  To plan your program please contact an academic advisor.

A. Intellectual and Practical Skills (15 Credits)

ENC-1010	Writing for Success	3
ENC-1020	Writing for Success II	3
COM-2090	Public Speaking	3
MAT-1050	Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics	3
SOS-1100	Fact, Fiction, or Fake? Information Literacy Today	3

For all TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Intellectual and Practical Skills.

B. Civic and Global Leadership (9 Credits)

SOC-1010	Our Changing World: An Introduction to Sociology	3
ETH-2200	Leading the Way: A Path Towards Ethical Leadership	3
POS-1100	American Government	3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Civic and Global Leadership.

C. Knowledge of Human Cultures (15 Credits)

SOC-2100	Marriage and the Family	3
HIS-1130	American History I	3
FIL-1100	Exploring American Cinema	3

Select two featured courses from the list below:

SOC-3220	Cultural Diversity in the United States	3
HIS-1140	American History II	3
HIS-1210	Introduction to World History I	3
HUM-1030	Introduction to the Humanities III: Music	3
PHI-1300	Introduction to Critical Reasoning	3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Knowledge of Human Cultures.

D. Scientific Knowledge (6 Credits)

EAS-1010	General Earth Science	3
BIO-2080	The Science of Nutrition	3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Scientific Knowledge.

II. Area of Study (45 Credits)

A. Required Courses (24 Credits)

CRJ-1020	Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
SOC-2910	Criminology	3
CRJ-1010	Introduction to Law Enforcement	3
CRJ-3580	Courts and Criminal Procedures	3
CRJ-1110	Introduction to Corrections	3
CRJ-3630	American Juvenile Justice System	3
SOS-4920	Research Methods in Social Sciences	3
CRJ-3830	Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice	3

B. Criminal Justice Electives 9 credits select three of the following:

CRJ-3030	White-Collar Crime	3
CRJ-2800	Forensic Science	3
CRJ-3100	Criminal Law	3
CRJ-3810	Victimology and Criminal Behavior	3
CRJ-4840	Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice	3
PSY-3470	Forensic Psychology	3

C. Sociology Electives (9 Credits)

SOC-3840	Gangs	3
SOC-2420	Juvenile Delinquency	3
SOS-3040	Drugs and Society	3
SOS-4400	Terrorism	3

D. Capstone (3 Credits)

LIB-4950

Liberal Arts Capstone

3

III. Electives (30 Credits)

For TESU course options, go to Elective Courses.

TESU accepts credits in transfer from accredited institutions as well as non-collegiate providers. View information and resources on where you may find additional learning experiences.

Total Credit Hours: 120

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Criminal Justice program will be able to:

• consistent with the criteria established by the Academy of Criminal Justices Sciences ACJS, apply concepts in areas of administration of justice, corrections, criminological theory, law adjudication, and law enforcement;
• communicate, both verbally and in writing, in a clear and professional manner;
• critically analyze and evaluate social science and criminal justice research, theories, and policies; and
• employ ethical perspectives and judgment and apply principles of diversity in criminal justice practice.