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 or Human Resource Management
Required Courses
Research Methods
RES 200 | Research, Writing, and Analysis | 1 |
Note: RES 200 is required for students completing a fully-online program.
Communications - 15QH
ENG 101 | Beginning English Composition | 5 |
ENG 201 | Intermediate English Composition | 5 |
ENG 203 | Effective Speaking for the Undergraduate | 5 |
Humanities and Fine Arts - 15QH
ART 101 | Basic Art Appreciation | 5 |
HIS 103 | History Across the Globe | 5 |
PHI 107 | Ethics, Logic and Critical Inquiry | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any general education course in humanities or fine arts.
Quantitative Reasoning - 5QH
MTH 101 | Introduction to Mathematical Concepts | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any college-level mathematics course.
Physical and Life Sciences - 10QH
One course must have a lab:
SCI 101 | Physical Science | 5 |
| and | |
SCI 102 | Survey of Biological Science with Lab | 5 |
| or | |
SCI 225 | Human Impact on Environment | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use one course in any physical science and one course in any life science.
Social and Behavioral Sciences - 15QH
Choose two Social Science courses from the list below:
ECO 200 | Macroeconomics for Today’s Professional | 5 |
HIS 102 | Introduction to Political Science | 5 |
SOC 101 | Foundational Sociology | 5 |
SOC 222 | Culture and Identity | 5 |
| and | |
PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any general education course in social and behavioral sciences.
Additional General Education Requirements
Students must complete GEN 103 and one of the following course options:
Pathways Students
GEN 210 | Think Global-Perspectives from the Field | 3 TO 5 |
BRV 200 | Braven Leadership and Career Accelerator | 5 |
| or | |
CAR 215 | Career Planning | 3 |
| and | |
CAR 216 | Career Practice | 2 |
BRV 201 | Braven Leadership and Career Accelerator: Capstone Challenge | 2 |
| or | |
CAR 217 | Career Application | 2 |
Transfer Students
Note: GEN 103 may be waived for on-campus 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. GEN 210 is required for Pathways students only.
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 |
Electives
Choose additional courses to total 180 QH. These hours may be satisfied by completing a concentration listed above.
For more information about this program, visit http://www.nl.edu/academics/socialbehavioralsciencesbachelors/bacriminaljustice/