Criminal Justice, B.A.
NLU’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree is designed for those wishing to enter the field of criminal justice or advance within it. The program, along with the fulfillment of additional federal, state, county or municipal requirements, prepares graduates to serve in law enforcement, courts or corrections systems, or to work in related private industries. The coursework offers a thorough overview of criminal justice and allows students to select a major in either criminal justice administration or forensic social justice. The program is conveniently offered in both online only and face-to-face formats.
Program Details:
- Requires 180 QH, including 60 QH of General Education, for completion
- Requires a minimum grade of “C” in Core and major courses
- Credit by examination and portfolio are accepted for general education and elective credit
- Students must select a major in either Criminal Justice Administration OR Forensic Social Justice
- Students may complete a concentration in Entrepreneurship
Required Courses
Student Success Seminar
Note: GEN 103 may be waived, upon student request, for students who (1) enter NLU with an associate’s degree or 90 or more quarter credit hours of transfer credit; and (2) have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or above in their previous undergraduate studies. Students will be required to complete or transfer in additional coursework in general education to meet the 60-quarter credit hour requirement.
Communications
Humanities
| LAH 120 | Logic and Effective Thinking | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any general education course in humanities.
Fine Arts
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any general education course in fine arts.
Quantitative Reasoning
| LAM 106 | Basic Statistics | 5 |
| LAM 110 | College Mathematics: Application of Mathematical Ideas | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any college-level mathematics course instead of LAM 110. LAM 106 must be completed at NLU or an equivalent course may be transferred.
Physical and Life Sciences
| CSJ 235 | Introduction to Forensic Science | 5 |
| or | |
| LAN 110 | General Biology | 5 |
| or | |
| LAN 150 | Survey of Physical Science | 5 |
| or | |
| LAN 225 | Human Impact on the Environment | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any general education course in physical and life sciences.
Social Sciences
| LAS 118 | Introduction to Politics and U.S. Government | 5 |
| LAS 203 | Survey of U.S. History | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any two general education courses in social sciences.
Behavioral Science
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any general education course in behavioral sciences.
Core Courses - 60 QH
| CSJ 106 | Law Enforcement | 5 |
| CSJ 107 | Criminal Justice System | 5 |
| CSJ 205 | Criminology | 5 |
| CSJ 206 | Criminal Law and Procedure | 5 |
| CSJ 207 | Punishment, Prisons and Corrections | 5 |
| CSJ 208 | Courts and Criminal Justice | 5 |
| CSJ 209 | Constitutional Law and Criminal Justice | 5 |
| CSJ 215 | Juvenile Justice Systems | 5 |
| CSJ 352 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 5 |
| CSJ 353 | Criminal Investigations | 5 |
| CSJ 354 | Sociology of Deviant Behavior for Criminal Justice Professionals | 5 |
| CSJ 355 | Ethics, Diversity, and Professionalism in Criminal Justice | 5 |
Criminal Justice Administration Major - 30 QH
Choose 30 QH from the courses below or other criminal justice related courses under advisement:
| CSJ 210 | Community Policing | 5 |
| CSJ 211 | Police Organization | 5 |
| CSJ 356 | Criminal Justice Administration | 5 |
| CSJ 357 | Probation and Parole | 5 |
| CSJ 465 | Human Resources Development in Criminal Justice | 5 |
| CSJ 466 | Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | 5 |
Forensic Social Justice Major - 30 QH
Choose 30 QH from the courses below or other courses under advisement:
| HSM 202 | Crisis Intervention Principles and Practices | 5 |
| HSM 306 | Legal Issues in Human Services | 5 |
| HSM 407 | Violence and Aggression in the Family | 5 |
| HSM 417 | Child Abuse and Neglect | 5 |
| LAP 306 | Theories of Personality | 5 |
| LAP 307 | Abnormal Psychology | 5 |
Electives - 30 QH
Choose 30 QH of elective courses
For more information about this program, visit http://www.nl.edu/academics/socialbehavioralsciencesbachelors/bacriminaljustice/