Bachelor of Arts
This major is offered in the traditional and AU Online format.
The criminal justice program has two aspects to its mission. First, it provides a broad academic background for students in the area of criminal justice so that they have maximum flexibility while in college and after they graduate, regardless of whether they intend to undertake a career in law enforcement, corrections, probation, parole, homeland security, federal service, or attend graduate school. Second, the program provides criminal justice practitioners with related and pertinent college courses to assist them in the performance of public service.
With these purposes in mind, the goal of the criminal justice program is to provide students with opportunities to develop both a theoretical and a practical understanding of the complexities involved in the processes of the justice system. Criminal justice majors are encouraged to seek and secure internship opportunities in one or more professional capacities within the functional agencies of the criminal justice system and in other community service agencies.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CRJ-1010 | Introduction to Criminal Justice System | 4 |
| CRJ-2150 | Correctional Services | 4 |
| CRJ-2220 | Criminal Justice Report Writing | 4 |
| CRJ-2300 | Criminology | 4 |
| CRJ-2420 | Criminal Law | 4 |
| CRJ-2500 | Policing America | 4 |
| CRJ-3610 | Research Methods | 4 |
| CRJ-4800 | Strategic Planning and Ethics | 4 |
| Selected Courses | ||
| Select 8 semester hours of the following: | 8 | |
| International Crime and Justice | ||
| Principles of Emergency Management | ||
| Security Leadership | ||
| Probation and Parole | ||
| Constitutional Law and the Judicial System | ||
| Homeland Security | ||
| Courts and Justice | ||
| Criminal Investigation | ||
| Forensic Science | ||
| Juvenile Justice | ||
| Terrorism and Counterterrorism | ||
| Criminal Evidence and Procedure | ||
| Organized Crime | ||
| Cyber Crime Investigations | ||
| Forensic Investigation of Child Abuse and Neglect | ||
| Serial and Mass Murder | ||
| Criminal Profiling | ||
| Selected Topics in Criminal Justice | ||
| Selected Topics of Criminal Justice | ||
| Introduction to Intelligence Policy | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
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Students seeking additional forensic psychology coursework should consult the Supplemental Course Listing section for guidance in major and free elective course selection.
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
A student who graduates from Aurora University with a baccalaureate degree will have met the following requirements:
- Completion of all requirements for an approved major (with no grades lower than “C”).
- Overall completion of at least 120 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (a course may be utilized only once in application toward a degree requirement, unless otherwise noted in the academic regulations). The 120 semester hours of coursework must include:
- At least 52 semester hours completed at a senior college.
- Residency Requirement - At least 30 semester hours completed at Aurora University, including the last 24 semester hours in the degree, and including at least 18 semester hours in the major. (Portfolio assessment credit, life and vocational experience credit, off-campus experience credit, examination credit, participation credit, and block credit, shall not count toward the residency requirement).
- Upper-Division Requirement - A minimum of 30 semester hours numbered 3000 or above. Of these 30 semester hours, 15 semester hours must lie within the major and 15 semester hours must be completed at Aurora University.
- Completion of all General Education requirements (with no grades lower than “C”), as follows:
- Quantitative and Formal Reasoning competency requirement
- ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing
- IDS-1200 Discover What Matters or IDS-3040 Global Justice
- IDS-1150 First Year Experience - Not required for Transfer or AU Online students)
- Satisfactory participation in the junior-year mentoring and assessment process designed to guide students to successful completion of their degree and to encourage planning for next steps beyond graduation. (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II - Not required for ADC or AU Online students but may be designated electives for AU Online students admitted with fewer than 15 hours of transfer credit.)
- Distribution Requirements
Students will complete one approved course1 from each of the following categories:- Artistic Literacy
- Cultural Literacy
- Human Inquiry
- Scientific Inquiry
In addition to the above, ADC and Online students will also complete one approved course1 from the following category:
- Discovery and Reflection
- 1
Only courses that are approved to meet the distribution requirement can be used toward this requirement. See the list of approved courses for available options. Courses taken to meet distribution requirements are 4 semester hours apiece, with the following exceptions:
- An approved transfer course of at least 2.50 semester hours can be used to satisfy a distribution requirement.
- Courses with co-requisite laboratory components may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement, provided that the student successfully complete both the three-credit-hour course and the single-credit-hour lab component.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic functions of the criminal justice core areas (law enforcement, the court system and corrections).
- Students will demonstrate the ability to use the concepts, language and theories of criminology to explain criminal behavior.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, using appropriate scholarly references and technologies.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to assess the quality of research in criminology and criminal justice publications and other media.
- Students will acquire knowledge about careers in the justice system through experiential learning, resume building, leadership development, and interviewing skills.
- Students will apply collaborative skills, ethical reasoning, analytic skills, and knowledge about crime and justice to evaluate contemporary social policies and propose solutions.