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  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Bachelor's Degrees
  4. Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

Students receiving a baccalaureate degree in Criminal Justice should understand each of the three main components of the criminal justice system and their interrelationships, be able to evaluate both current and future crime control policy proposals and criminal justice research critically, and understand the complexity of the crime phenomenon and its relationship to individual, social, and cultural factors.

This major includes study in law enforcement, courts, and corrections individually and as components of a system, plus work in theories of crime causation and crime control policy. Students should expect reading, writing, and critical thinking skills to be rigorously applied and developed throughout the degree program.

The bachelor of arts degree in Criminal Justice provides a broadly based liberal arts background for studying crime, justice, and the criminal justice system. The bachelor of science degree offers an opportunity for educational enrichment in fields not traditionally considered part of the liberal arts. Either degree is excellent preparation for a career in criminal justice, graduate or professional study, or informed citizenship.

For the B.A. degree in Criminal Justice, a minimum of 120 credits is required.

Scheduling Recommendation by Semester Standing given like (Sem: 1-2)

GENERAL EDUCATION: 45 credits
(10-13 of these 45 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
(See description of General Education in this bulletin.)

FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR:
(Included in ELECTIVES or GENERAL EDUCATION course selection)

UNITED STATES CULTURES AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES:
(Included in ELECTIVES, GENERAL EDUCATION course selection, or REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)

WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM:
(Included in REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)

ELECTIVES: 20-24 credits

BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: 24 credits
(3 of these 24 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR, GENERAL EDUCATION, or ELECTIVES and 0-12 credits are included in ELECTIVES if foreign language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.)
(See description of Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements in this bulletin.)

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR: 48 credits[1]
(This includes 10-13 credits of General Education courses: 0-3 credits of GH courses; 4 credits of GQ courses; 6 credits of GS courses.)

PRESCRIBED COURSES (37 credits)
CRIMJ 100(3), SOC 012 GS(3), SOC 119 GS;US(4), STAT 200 GQ(4) (Sem: 1-4)
CRIMJ 210(3), CRIMJ 220(3), CRIMJ 230(3), CRIMJ 290(2)(Sem: 3-6)
CRIMJ 441(3), CRIMJ 450W(3), CRIMJ 495(3) (Sem: 5-8)

ADDITIONAL COURSES (12 credits)
PHIL 103 GH(3) or CRIMJ 465(3) (Sem: 1-4)
CRIMJ 250W(3) or SOC 207(3)
Select 9 credits from any 400-level CRIMJ course that does not already fulfill another requirement in the major. (Sem: 5-8)

[1] A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better, as specified in Senate Policy 82-44.

Criminal Justice

  • Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
  • Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
  • Associate Degree in Criminal Justice
  • Minor in Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice Groups and Teams
  • Criminal Justice Faculty and Staff

Suggested Academic Plans

Suggested Academic Plans (SAPs) are sample semester-by-semester guides you can use to meet degree requirements.

Criminal Justice SAPs for Prospective Students

  • View the SAP for the B.A. in Criminal Justice.
  • View the SAP for the B.S. in Criminal Justice.

Criminal Justice SAPs for Current Students

To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

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Penn State Altoona

A full-service, four-year, residential campus located less than 45 miles from the research campus at University Park. Offering 21 four-year degrees and the first two years of over 275 Penn State majors.
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  • This is Penn State Altoona
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