Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
The bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice is designed to prepare undergraduate students for careers in law enforcement, the legal system, non-profit organizations, corrections, restorative justice, and victim advocacy. It covers a broad array of subjects, including the criminal justice system, criminology, law enforcement practices, criminal law, and ethics. Students explore the causes of crime, understand the functions of police and courts, and learn how to engage with diverse communities. This program combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills, often including hands-on experiences like internships and fieldwork. Graduates can pursue a variety of career paths, such as becoming police officers, detectives, probation officers, victim advocates, analysts, researchers, or working in private security, federal agencies, or legal studies. Many prelaw students choose criminal justice for their undergraduate degree.
This program is available in-person at the Lawrence Campus and can also be completed online.
The B.A. in Criminal Justice follows university admission requirements for freshman and transfer students. Please visit https://admissions.ku.edu/apply to review admission standards.
This program offers flexible pathways for students to complete their degree. The School of Professional Studies strongly encourages students to contact a School representative prior to applying for admission to develop a personalized degree completion plan. To schedule an appointment, please email professionalstudies@ku.edu.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core 34 General Education | 34 | |
| The KU Core 34 is comprised of 34-35 credit hours typically completed during the first two years of study. The Core 34 consists of the following requirements: English (6), Communications (3), Math & Statistics (3), Natural & Physical Sciences with lab (4-5), Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 in two different disciplines), Arts & Humanities (6 in two different disciplines), US Culture (3), and Global Culture (3) | ||
| Bachelor of Arts (BA) | 18 | |
| BA students will demonstrate proficiency in a Non-English Language. If proficiency is demonstrated in less than 18 credits, additional elective hours are required. | ||
| Major Requirements | ||
| Criminal Justice Core Courses | ||
| CRIM 300 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIM 310 | Theoretical and Historical Foundations of Criminology | 3 |
| CRIM 320 | Research Methods and Data Driven Decision Making in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIM 330 | Policing | 3 |
| CRIM 340 | Courts and Sentencing | 3 |
| CRIM 370 | Incarceration Alternatives, Rehabilitation and Re-Entry | 3 |
| SOC 362 | Prison, Punishment, and Society | 3 |
| Concentration | 12 | |
| Upper Division Elective Hours | 9 | |
| General Electives | 23 | |
| Capstone | ||
| CRIM 499 | Capstone in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
While completing all required courses, students must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Total Hours: Satisfied by a minimum of 120 total hours.
Junior/Senior Hours: Satisfied by a minimum of 45 hours from junior/senior hours (300+).
Graduation GPA: Satisfied with a minimum 2.0 KU GPA and a minimum of a C in all Criminal Justice Core, Concentration, and Capstone requirements.
Crime & Intelligence Analysis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| CRIM 365 | Crime and Intelligence Analysis | 3 |
| Elective Courses – Select 3 different courses from the list below, at least 1 of the 3 electives must be CRIM to fulfill this requirement | 9 | |
| Preventing Crime: What Works. What Doesn’t. | ||
| Spatial Analysis of Crime | ||
| Crime, Place, and Prevention | ||
| Evidence-Based Policing Approaches | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Fundamentals of Applied Data Analytics | ||
| Fundamentals of Data Visualization | ||
| Data Mining and Intelligence | ||
| Predictive Analytics and Forecasting | ||
| Intelligence Analytics | ||
| Counterintelligence | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Crime Scene Investigation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| CRIM 355 | Crime Scene Investigation | 3 |
| Elective Courses – Select 3 different courses from the list below, at least 1 of the 3 electives must be CRIM to fulfill this requirement | 9 | |
| Investigations, Evidence, and Interviewing | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| CSI Field Study | ||
| Child Victim and Forensic Interviewing | ||
| Forensic Profiles: Violent Mind | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Forensic Techniques I | ||
| Digital Forensics | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Critical Criminology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| SOC 160 | Social Problems and American Values | 3 |
| Elective Courses - Select 3 courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Crime and Society | ||
| Being Deviant in America | ||
| Sociology of Immigration | ||
| American Racial and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Protest, Activism, and Dissent | ||
| Sociology of Social Control | ||
| Sociology of Mental Health | ||
| Competing Perspectives on Crime and Deviance | ||
| Violence and Society | ||
| Sociology of Surveillance | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Global Crime
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| CRIM 375 | Terrorism and Homeland Security | 3 |
| Elective Courses – Select 3 different courses from the list below, at least 1 of the 3 electives must be CRIM to fulfill this requirement | 9 | |
| Drug Cartels and Trade | ||
| Human Trafficking Investigations | ||
| Piracy on the High Seas | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| Transnational Terrorism | ||
| Cyber Defense and Countermeasures | ||
| Digital Forensics | ||
| Social and Professional Issues | ||
| Intelligence Analytics | ||
| Counterintelligence | ||
| Politics of Human Trafficking | ||
| Sociology of Immigration | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Inclusive Criminal Justice Populations
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| CRIM 385 | Victim Rights and Advocacy in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Elective Courses – Select 3 different courses from the list below, at least 1 of the 3 electives must be CRIM to fulfill this requirement | 9 | |
| Introduction to Applied Behavioral Science | ||
| Drugs, Addiction, and Behavior | ||
| Introduction to Deaf Studies | ||
| Intersectionality and Deaf Communities | ||
| Social Justice and Allyship with Deaf Communities | ||
| Critical Communications in Criminal Justice | ||
| Wrongful Convictions: Causes and Consequences | ||
| Juvenile Behavior, Delinquency, Justice, Rehabilitation | ||
| Child and Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Advocacy | ||
| Drugs, Mental Health, and Homelessness in Criminal Justice | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| Epidemics, Pandemics, and Pestilence | ||
| Drugs and Diseases in Society (requires instructor approval) | ||
| Communication in Autism | ||
| Preventing Sexual Violence: From Campus to the Community | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Law and Society
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| LWS 330 | Introduction to Law & Society | 3 |
| Elective Courses – Select 3 different courses from the list below, at least 1 of the 3 electives must be CRIM to fulfill this requirement | 9 | |
| Wrongful Convictions: Causes and Consequences | ||
| Ethical Issues and Decision-Making in Criminal Justice | ||
| Conspiracy Theories in Criminal Justice | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| The Pursuit of Rights: Law, Democracy & Power | ||
| Topics in Law & Society: _____ | ||
| Protest, Activism, and Dissent | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Leadership and Ethics in Public Service
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| CRIM/SPAA 400 | Leadership for Justice Practitioners | 3 |
| or PUAD 335 | Ethics in Public Service | |
| Elective Courses – Select 3 different courses from the list below, at least 1 of the 3 electives must be CRIM to fulfill this requirement | 9 | |
| Corruption in the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Racial Justice and the Criminal Justice System | ||
| Ethical Issues and Decision-Making in Criminal Justice | ||
| Evidence-Based Policing Approaches | ||
| Internship in Criminal Justice | ||
| Administration of Justice | ||
| Collaboration in Public Administration | ||
| Generating, Allocating and Managing Public Resources | ||
| Managing People in Public Organizations | ||
| Public Service Leadership | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Sample 4-year plans for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice can be found below or by using the left-side navigation.
- Concentration in Crime & Intelligence Analysis
- Concentration in Crime Scene Investigation
- Concentration in Critical Criminology
- Concentration in Global Crime
- Concentration in Inclusive Criminal Justice Populations
- Concentration in Law and Society
- Concentration in Leadership and Ethics in Public Service
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 | Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 3 |
| MATH 107 (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE))030 | 3 | Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 |
| 1st semester language (B.A. requirement) | 5 | Core 34: US Culture (SGE)070 | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | 2nd semester language (B.A. requirement) | 5 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: Social and Behavioral Sciences (SGE)050 | 3 | Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)040 | 4 |
| Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | Core 34: Social and Behavioral Sciences (SGE)050 | 3 |
| Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | 4th semester language (B.A. requirement) | 3 |
| 3rd semester language (B.A. Requirement) | 3 | Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CRIM 300* | 3 | CRIM 330 | 3 |
| CRIM 310 | 3 | CRIM 340 | 3 |
| CRIM 320 | 3 | 300+ Concentration Course | 3 |
| 300+ Concentration Course | 3 | 300+ Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SOC 362 | 3 | CRIM 370 | 3 |
| 300+ Concentration Course | 3 | CRIM 499 (Capstone) | 3 |
| 300+ Elective | 3 | 300+ Concentration Course | 3 |
| 300+ Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
Notes:
* This course is a Required major course and is also part of Core 34: Systemwide General Education. If this course is not taken to fulfill the Core 34:SGE requirement, it must be taken in place of elective hours.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a thorough and all-encompassing grasp of the criminal justice system, encompassing its historical development, legal structures, and institutional constituents.
- Demonstrate awareness of ethical considerations and social justice implications within the criminal justice system through critical assessment, including recognizing diverse perspectives and acknowledging the cultural influences that shape these dynamics.
- Conduct scholarly research and analysis to integrate theory, data, and legal perspectives, forming data-driven solutions to challenges within the criminal justice system.
- Demonstrate proficiency in communicating intricate issues to diverse audiences through the use of various communication modalities.