The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major advisor or view it and other current advising information at http://em.csuchico.edu/aap/ProgramSearch.

Please see General Education, Diversity, U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals, and Literacy Requirements under the BA in Political Science.

For more information on courses that may double count in the major and General Education, please see your advisor.

Course Requirements for the Major: 55 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.

Major Core Requirements: 21 units

7 courses required:

POLS 250 Introduction to Criminal Justice 3.0 FS
POLS 257 Juvenile Justice Process 3.0 Inq
POLS 259A Introduction to Criminal Law 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: POLS 250 or faculty permission.
POLS 352 Policing in America 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: POLS 250.
POLS 353 Corrections 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: POLS 250.
POLS 459D Senior Capstone Seminar in Criminal Justice 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
SOCI 384 Criminology 3.0 FS

Criminal Justice

4 courses selected from:

ANTH 311 Survey of Forensic Science 3.0 FS
HCSV 370 Drugs in Our Society 3.0 FS *
POLS 259 Chico Police Service Learning Practicum 3.0 SP
POLS 312 Issues in Criminal Justice 3.0 Inq
Prerequisites: POLS 250 or concurrent enrollment
POLS 354 Community Corrections 3.0 Inq
POLS 426 Women and the Law 3.0 Inq

This course is also offered as WMST 426.

POLS 459A Criminal Procedure 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: POLS 250.
POLS 459B Policy Issues in Criminal Justice 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: POLS 250.
POLS 460E Police Administration and Management 3.0 Inq
POLS 465 The Administration of Justice 3.0 Inq
POLS 489E Internship in Criminal Justice 1.0 -3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
SOCI 484 Youth, Crime, and Delinquency 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: SOCI 384 recommended.
SOCI 487 Sociology of Gangs 3.0 Inq

Research Methods

2 courses required:

POLS 331 Introduction to Political Inquiry 3.0 FS WP
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher.
POLS 331X Techniques in Political Science Research 1.0 FS

Ethical Questions

1 course required:

PHIL 332 Criminal Justice Ethics 3.0 FS

Criminal Justice and the Individual

1 course selected from:

PSYC 381 Abnormal Psychology 3.0 FS
PSYC 391 Psychology of Prejudice, Hate, and Violence 3.0 FS * USD
SOCI 380 Social Deviance 3.0 FA *

Criminal Justice and American Society

1 course selected from:

PSYC 395 Social Psychology 3.0 FS
SOCI 330 Sociology of Gender 3.0 Inq

This course is also offered as MCGS 330.

SOCI 350 Ethnic and Race Relations 3.0 Inq * USD

This course is also offered as MCGS 350.

SOCI 486 Sociology of Law 3.0 Inq

Understanding Criminal Justice Bureaucracies

1 course required:

POLS 460A Introduction to Public Administration 3.0 FS

Theoretical Foundations of the American System

1 course selected from:

POLS 431 American Political Thought 3.0 FA
POLS 432 Recent American Political Thought 3.0 SP
POLS 436 Liberal and Conservative Traditions 3.0 FA

This course is also offered as PHIL 436.

POLS 437 Contemporary Political Thought 3.0 Inq

This course is also offered as PHIL 437.

POLS 438 Jurisprudence: Philosophy of Law 3.0 FS

This course is also offered as PHIL 438.

Courts and the Criminal Justice System

1 course selected from:

POLS 451A Constitutional Law: Powers and Restraints 3.0 Inq
POLS 451B Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 3.0 FS

This course is also offered as MCGS 451B.

POLS 453 Legal Process and Behavior 3.0 Inq
POLS 464 Administrative Law 3.0 FA