Criminal Justice Concentration

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Coordinator: Albert J. Meehan, (Sociology)

The concentration in criminal justice requires at least 28 credits and is to be taken in conjunction with a full major in any department of the college. It provides career-oriented education for students interested in law, in the social forces producing delinquency and crime, in the evaluation of social planning for crime prevention and control, and in the operation of police organizations and correctional institutions. Graduates of the concentration work in all areas of the criminal justice and treatment systems as well as continue on to law school, masters programs in social work, counseling or criminal justice, or Ph.D. programs in their respective major fields. On occasion, courses related to criminal justice may be offered as special topics courses or seminars by participating departments. These courses will be identified by the concentration director and will count for concentration credit. Appropriate transfer courses also may be accepted for credit when they meet university equivalency requirements. Students should consult with the concentration director to determine how these courses may fulfill credit requirements and to formalize their program of study in the concentration.

A student must be formally admitted to the program by meeting with the concentration director and must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Required course

SOC 240 - Sociology of Crime and Punishment (4)

2. Five courses from the following with a minimum of two from different disciplines

PHL 319 - Philosophy of Law (4)
PHL 321 - Political Philosophy (4)
PS 241 - Law and Politics (4)
PS 340 - U.S. Constitutional Law (4)
PS 341 - Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (4)
PS 342 - The Judicial Process (4)
PSY 322 - Adolescence and Youth (4)
PSY 341 - Introduction to Psychopathology (4)
PSY 343 - Psychopathology of Childhood (4)
SOC 300 - Alcohol, Drugs and Society (4)
SOC 320 - Law and Society (4) or
AN 320 - Law and Society (4)
SOC 323 - Juvenile Delinquency and its Social Control (4)
SOC 327 - Police and Society (4)
SOC 420 - Research and Policy Evaluation in Criminal Justice (4)
SOC 425 - Corrective and Rehabilitative Institutions (4)
SOC 437 - Sociology of the Courts (4)

3. Required course

SOC 430 - Internship in Criminal Justice (4)

Note

SOC 430 is designed to give students practical experience in the criminal justice or legal system. The student’s particular interests guide the internship selection process. An internship usually involves work in an agency and meeting with the internship adviser on a regular basis. A term paper integrating existing research literature with some aspect of the internship experience is required in order to receive course credit. The internship is a valuable learning experience and should be taken toward the end of the concentration.