BS in Criminal Justice
Units required for Major: 60
Total units required for BS: 120
Program Description
Criminal Justice encompasses multidisciplinary examinations of crime, crime control, the justice process, and justice institutions. The discipline addresses definitions, causation, prevention, investigation, legal process, treatment, rehabilitation, and research relating to crime and justice as well as the institutions of the justice system and their administration.
The Criminal Justice program at Sacramento State is one of the most highly sought after programs in Northern California. Due to the large number of applications, the program is now officially impacted. Students wishing to become Criminal Justice majors must complete a series of required lower division courses and then must apply for admission to the program. It is highly recommended that interested students speak with a Criminal Justice advisor as soon as possible.
Pre-Requisite Requirements
To become a Criminal Justice major, the student must first have successfully completed the following courses or their equivalent with a grade of "C" or better:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CRJ 1 | Introduction to Criminal Justice and Society | 3 |
| CRJ 2 | Law of Crimes | 3 |
| CRJ 4 | General Investigative Techniques | 3 |
| CRJ 5 | The Community and the Justice System | 3 |
Students who wish to become a Criminal Justice minor must contact the Division of Criminal Justice.
Most upper division Criminal Justice courses are restricted to Criminal Justice majors or minors or permission of instructor. Students interested in Criminal Justice majors or minors are encouraged to contact the Criminal Justice Student Advising Center.
Criminal Justice majors are assigned a faculty advisor at the time they are approved for admission into the major. Majors must meet with their assigned faculty advisor during their first semester. Advising appointments are scheduled in the Criminal Justice Office Alpine Hall 137.
Minimum Grade Requirement
Students majoring in Criminal Justice must achieve a "C" grade or better in each lower division and a "C-" or better in each upper division course applied to the major and a GPA of at least 2.0 ("C") for all upper division required courses applied to the major.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Lower Division Courses (12 Units) | ||
| CRJ 1 | Introduction to Criminal Justice and Society 1 | 3 |
| CRJ 2 | Law of Crimes | 3 |
| CRJ 4 | General Investigative Techniques | 3 |
| CRJ 5 | The Community and the Justice System | 3 |
| Required Upper Division Core Courses (24 Units) | ||
| CRJ 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice Research Methods 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 102 | Crime And Punishment 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 121 | The Structure and Function of the American Courts 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 123 | Law of Arrest, Search and Seizure 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 130 | Fundamentals of Corrections 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 141 | Police and Society 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 160 | Justice and Public Safety Administration 2 | 3 |
| CRJ 190 | Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice 1,2 | 3 |
| Upper Division Electives (24 Units) | ||
| Select 24 units from the following: 3 | 24 | |
| Criminal Justice Administration | ||
| Police Administration 2 | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Police Administration 2 | ||
| Leadership in Criminal Justice and Public Safety 2 | ||
| Planning for Justice and Public Safety 2 | ||
| Justice and Public Safety Information Systems 2 | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice Systems 2 | ||
| Investigation | ||
| Interviewing and Detection of Deception 2 | ||
| Advanced Criminal Investigation 2 | ||
| Introduction to Physical Evidence 2 | ||
| Introduction to Crime and Intelligence Analysis 2 | ||
| Corrections | ||
| Correctional Institutions 2 | ||
| Community Based Corrections 2 | ||
| Corrections Administration 2 | ||
| Offenses and Offenders | ||
| Delinquency, Prevention and Control 2 | ||
| Analysis of Career Criminals 2 | ||
| Domestic Crime and Violence 2 | ||
| Gangs and Threat Groups in America | ||
| Sexual Offenses and Offenders | ||
| Violence and Terrorism | ||
| Restorative Justice and Conflict Resolution | ||
| American Criminal Justice and Minority Groups | ||
| Drug Abuse and Criminal Behavior | ||
| White Collar Crime | ||
| Law | ||
| Law of Responsibility 2 | ||
| Law of Evidence 2 | ||
| Juvenile Law 2 | ||
| Administrative Law for Public Safety Personnel 2 | ||
| Additional Courses | ||
| Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice 2 | ||
| Women and the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice Systems 2 | ||
| Criminal Justice Systems of the Future | ||
| Security Systems 2 | ||
| Topics in Criminal Justice Administration 2 | ||
| Internship 2,4 | ||
| Experimental Offerings in Criminal Justice 2 | ||
| Co-Curricular Activities 4 | ||
| Special Problems 2,4 | ||
| Supporting Courses | ||
| Government and Nonprofit Accounting | ||
| Cultural Diversity 1 | ||
| Contemporary American Culture in Anthropological Perspective | ||
| Urban Anthropology | ||
| Rise of Religious Cults 1 | ||
| Women Cross-Culturally 1 | ||
| Culture and Poverty 1 | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Digital Evidence and Computer Crime | ||
| Internet Security | ||
| Cyber Forensics | ||
| Professional Writing 1 | ||
| Writing in the Social Sciences | ||
| Ethnic America 1 | ||
| The Asian American Experience 1 | ||
| Black Political Thought | ||
| Chicano/Mexican-American Experience 1 | ||
| La Raza Studies | ||
| US Mexican Border Relations 1 | ||
| Native American Experience 1 | ||
| Genocide and Holocaust Studies 1 | ||
| Pan African Studies 1 | ||
| The Black Family in the United States | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Constitutional Rights and Liberties | ||
| The Law and Bureaucracy | ||
| United States Congress | ||
| Politics of the Underrepresented | ||
| Public Policy Development | ||
| California State and Local Government | ||
| Social History of the United States 1 | ||
| The City in US History 1 | ||
| The African-American Experience, 1603-Present 1 | ||
| Ethics and Social Issues 1 | ||
| Professional and Public Service Ethics 1 | ||
| Political Philosophy 1 | ||
| Philosophy Of Law | ||
| Deductive Logic II | ||
| Cross-Cultural Psychology | ||
| Perception | ||
| Organizational Psychology | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Personality Theories | ||
| Psychology of Multicultural Groups 1 | ||
| Stress Management 1 | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Adolescence | ||
| Psychological Aspects of Death and Dying | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Law Enforcement for Forest and Park Rangers | ||
| Introduction to Statistics for Sociologists | ||
| Research Methods in Sociology | ||
| Ethnic and Race Relations 1 | ||
| Political Sociology | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Criminology 1 | ||
| Delinquency 1 | ||
| Issues in Courts and Prisons | ||
| Sociology of Deviance | ||
| Middle Eastern Societies and Culture 1 | ||
| Crosscultural Theory and Practice: Issues of Race, Gender and Class 1 | ||
| Chemical Dependency and Social Work Practice | ||
| Theories of Criminal Behavior 1 | ||
| Crimes Without Victims 1 | ||
| Poverty and Homelessness in America 1 | ||
| The Child and the Law | ||
| Violence In The Family | ||
| Violence Against Women | ||
| Total Units | 60 | |
- 1
Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
- 2
Prerequisite: Restricted to declared majors and minors or instructor permission.
- 3
Students will collaborate with their Criminal Justice advisor to develop a plan of electives that reflects the student’s academic and professional interests. Electives must be drawn from at least two of the listed “Areas of Interest,” of which one must be from the “Supporting Courses” area. The Writing Intensive graduation requirement may be completed in the major. An approved minor may be substituted for up to 12 units of the major elective courses and fulfills the requirement for selection of a course from the “Supporting Courses”.
- 4
No more than 6 units of Credit/No Credit courses will be allowed toward completion of the degree.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area A: Basic Subjects (9 Units) | ||
| A1 - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| A2 - Written Communication | 3 | |
| A3 - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (13 Units) | ||
| B1 - Physical Science | 3 | |
| B2 - Life Forms | 3 | |
| B3 - Lab (Note: Lab experience to be taken with one of the following: B1, B2 or B5 | 1 | |
| B4 - Math Concepts | 3 | |
| B5 - Additional Course (Any B to reach 12 units) - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area C: Arts and Humanities (12 Units) | ||
| C1 - Arts | 3 | |
| C2 - Humanities | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area Course C | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area D: The Individual and Society (9 Units) | ||
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course 2 | 0 | |
| Area D Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area E: Understanding Personal Development (3 Units) | ||
| Area E Course | 3 | |
| Total Units | 46 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (6 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) 2 | 0 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (12 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 3 | 6 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
Required in Major; also satisfies Graduation Requirement.
- 3
If not satisfied before entering Sacramento State, it may be satisfied in General Education Area C2 (Humanities). "C- or better required." The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html