BA in Criminal Justice
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Quinnipiac's distinctive criminal justice degree program offers students a well-integrated education, placing criminal and deviant behavior within a wider sociological context. Students are exposed to courses ranging from crime response philosophy to public policy in criminal justice.
Designed to maximize a wide range of skills and knowledge, the 37-credit criminal justice major emphasizes all aspects of the criminal justice system and criminal behavior from the social conditions that foster criminal activity to the social response to crime, including policing, the correctional system, and criminal justice policy.
The program educates students to develop skills in problem-solving, communication and policy analysis, using the sociological perspective as a framework. Specific, innovative courses are offered in violent crime, investigative techniques, and criminal law. The interdisciplinary curriculum draws not only from criminal justice, but from sociology, psychology and legal studies as well.
Carefully structured internships assure students of practical applications of theoretical material. Students are prepared to continue their education or assume careers in law enforcement, corrections, law, social work, public administration, teaching and international peacekeeping.
Curriculum + Requirements
This 37-credit major focuses on courses in criminal and deviant behavior and the social response to this behavior within the context of a sociological perspective, and prepares students for careers and/or graduate school in criminal justice, law, social work or public administration.
Major Requirements (37 credits)
1. Orientation to Criminal Justice (CJ 205), Introduction to Sociology (SO 101), Crime and Society (CJ 283), Criminal Law (LE 115), Criminal Justice Systems (CJ 335), Research Methods in Criminal Justice (CJ 381) and Senior Seminar (CJ 385).
2. One internship in the community (CJ 392) is required.
3. The opportunity for an optional second internship is available.
4. One or two crime typologies courses* from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CJ 232 | Women in the CJ System | 3 |
| CJ 240 | Organized Crime | 3 |
| CJ 242 | Race, Crime and Justice | 3 |
| CJ 250 | Youth Crime | 3 |
| CJ 271 | Public Order Crime | 3 |
5. One or two criminal justice in practice courses* from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CJ 241 | Police & Policing | 3 |
| CJ 243 | Investigative Techniques | 3 |
| CJ 251 | Probation, Parole & Community Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 261 | Prisons & Jails | 3 |
* Students need a total of nine credits from crime typologies and criminal justice in practice courses. They may take one from crime typologies and two from criminal justice in practice, or vice versa.
6. Two courses from the following advanced level courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CJ/SO 241 | Racial & Ethnic Groups | 3 |
| SO 244 | Social Stratification | 3 |
| CJ/SO 260 | Social Control & Deviance | 3 |
| CJ 300 | Special Topics | 3 |
| CJ 330 | Perspectives on Violence | 3 |
| CJ 333 | Drugs, Alcohol and Society | 3 |
| CJ 340 | Practicum in Alternatives to Violence | 3 |
| CJ 343 | Forensic Issues in Law Enforcement | 3 |
| CJ 353 | Sexual Violence | 3 |
| CJ 355 | Crime & the Media | 3 |
| CJ 368 | Violent Offenders: Assessment & Treatment | 3 |
| CJ 370 | Constitution, Ethics & Policing | 3 |
| CJ 394 | Internship | 3 |
| CJ 399/499 | Independent Study | 3 |
Minor in Criminal Justice
For the minor in criminal justice, students must complete 15 credits in criminal justice studies at any level, and one 300-level criminal justice class for a total of 18 credits. Students should meet with the department chair to select courses that are most related to their major field. A student majoring in gerontology, sociology or social services cannot minor in criminal justice.