Criminal Justice Major (BA)
The criminal justice major provides preparation for professional and graduate studies in law, criminology, criminal justice, sociology, public administration, and other related fields.
The criminal justice major is also available in an asynchronous online, 7-week format. Students in the online program will select courses from a select set of general education, elective and major courses.
Program Level Outcomes
- Improve the Justice System - by communicating the results of criminal justice concepts and criminological theories to articulate methods and strategies to improve our justice system.
- Advance the Scientific Basis - exercise reasoned judgment to advance the scientific basis of criminal justice practices, policies and procedures by identifying and evaluating research needs and priorities of our justice agencies.
- Promote Ethical Principles and Practices - demonstrate social and personal responsibility by evaluating evidence, acting ethically, and reflecting the values that are the underpinnings of criminal justice as an academic discipline.
Requirements for the Criminal Justice Major
This 42-credit major includes a core of 27 credits of criminal justice courses and 15 credits of upper-level electives. At least 15 credits of upper-level courses in the major must be completed at UW-Parkside. An internship is strongly recommended.
Courses are selected in consultation with your academic advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| CRMJ 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRMJ 200 | Criminal Justice Research Methods | 3 |
| or SOCA 295 | Social Science Research Methods | |
| CRMJ 233 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRMJ 234 | Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| CRMJ 235 | Police and Society | 3 |
| CRMJ 316 | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| CRMJ 363 | Corrections | 3 |
| CRMJ 365 | Race, Crime, Law | 3 |
| CRMJ 380 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| Required Core Courses Subtotal | 27 | |
| Upper-Level Electives | ||
| Select five of the following suggested 300-level electives relevant to possible career tracks: | 15 | |
| Law Enforcement | ||
| Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Family Violence | ||
| Introduction to Cyber Crime | ||
| Organized Crime | ||
| White Collar Crime | ||
| Street Gangs and Crime | ||
| Forensic Evidence | ||
| Women, Crime and Criminal Justice | ||
| Victimology | ||
| The Criminal Mind | ||
| Violence | ||
| Terrorism and Security | ||
| Ethics in the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties | ||
| Courts/Law | ||
| Law and Society | ||
| The Criminal Mind | ||
| Criminal Court Process | ||
| Ethics in the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties | ||
| Constitutional Law: The Structure and Power of U.S. Government | ||
| Corrections | ||
| Family Violence | ||
| Restorative Justice | ||
| Community Corrections | ||
| Capital Punishment | ||
| Women, Crime and Criminal Justice | ||
| The Criminal Mind | ||
| Violence | ||
| Value Theory | ||
| Ethics in the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Juvenile Justice | ||
| Family Violence | ||
| Women, Crime and Criminal Justice | ||
| Violence | ||
| The Criminal Justice Profession | ||
| Ethics in the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Criminal Justice/Social Justice | ||
| Criminal Justice/Social Justice | ||
| Law and Society | ||
| Latinos(as) and the Law | ||
| Crime and Human Rights | ||
| Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice | ||
| Comparative and International Criminal Justice Systems | ||
| The Criminal Justice Profession | ||
| Criminal Justice Research Seminar | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship 1 | ||
or SOCA 492 | Internship in Sociology | |
| Diversity Law: African Americans | ||
| Upper-Level Electives Subtotal | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
- 1
Only 3 credits of CRMJ 494 Criminal Justice Internship will count toward criminal justice upper-division elective credits
Degree Requirements (Bachelor's Degree)
In addition to individual program requirements, students must also fulfill the following requirements.
- Complete 120 credits of college work. This must include 36 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. Certain elementary courses are identified in the catalog and/or course schedule as not counting toward the 120 credits required for graduation. In addition, only the first 8 credits of physical education activity courses (100-level) may be counted toward graduation or grade point averages (GPA).
- Earn a minimum of 30 credits toward their undergraduate degree at UW-Parkside. Individual departments and programs may require that certain courses must be taken at UW-Parkside. Students must complete all course work to be counted toward graduation by the end of the semester/subscription period in which they graduate.
- Attain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale. Some programs have higher GPA requirements. Transfer students must also have a cumulative 2.00 GPA on the combination of transfer credits accepted and credits attempted at UW-Parkside.
- Complete an approved major program of study with the minimum major GPA as specified by the program or department. Usually, the minimum GPA is 2.00 on a 4.00 scale, but some majors require a higher GPA. Students who apply transfer credits to their majors must also meet the minimum major GPA requirement on the combination of transfer credits and UW-Parkside credits. At least 15 credits of upper level course work (courses numbered 300 or higher) must be completed at UW-Parkside. A student may not graduate with an incomplete grade in major course work if failure in that course would reduce the GPA in the major below the minimum GPA.
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Minimum Total Credits | 120 |
| Upper Level Credits (300 level or above) | 36 |
| Residency | 30 |
Cumulative Degree GPA: 2.0 minimum
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Skills | 7-8 |
| General Education | 36 |
| Foreign Language** | 6-8 |
| Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| Total | 52-55 |
** Transfer students in sustainable management, and health information management and technology collaborative, online degree-completion programs, the business management online degree-completion program, and the flexible option degree-completion program will be exempt from the university’s foreign language requirement. See appropriate academic section for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| Computational Skills | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| College Mathematics with Applications | ||
| College Algebra I | ||
| Total Credits | 7-8 | |