Bachelor of Science 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, or working in private security, federal agencies, or legal studies.
This program is available in-person at the Lawrence Campus and can also be completed online.
The B.S. in Criminal Justice follows university admission requirements for freshman and transfer students.
This program offers flexible pathways for students to complete their degree. The School of Professional Studies strongly encourages students to contact an academic advisor prior to applying for admission to develop a personalized degree completion plan. To schedule an appointment, please call 913-897-8539.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core 34 General Education | 34 | |
| BS Requirements | ||
| One additional Natural and Physical Science Course - Fulfilled by any Natural and Physical Science course from Core 34. | 3 | |
| One additional Quantitative Reasoning Course - Fulfilled by any MATH course from Core 34. | 3 | |
| 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 | |
| Capstone Course | ||
| CRIM 499 | Capstone in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Upper Division Elective | 9 | |
| Overall Elective Hours | 35 | |
| 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 junior/senior (300+) hours.
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 |
| Students must take the required CRIM course and one additional CRIM course plus two additional courses from the list of electives: | 9 | |
| Spatial Analysis of Crime | ||
| Crime, Place, and Prevention | ||
| Evidence-Based Policing Approaches | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| 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 |
| Students must take the required CRIM course and one additional CRIM course plus two additional courses from the list of electives: | 9 | |
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| CSI Field Study | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| Forensic Techniques I | ||
| Digital Forensics | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Critical Criminology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| SOC 160 | Social Problems and American Values | 3 |
| Select three additional courses: | 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 Global 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 |
| Students must take the required CRIM course and one additional CRIM course plus two additional courses from the list of electives: | 9 | |
| Drug Cartels and Trade | ||
| Human Trafficking Investigations | ||
| Piracy on the High Seas | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| 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: | ||
| CRIM 385 | Victim Rights and Advocacy in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Students must take the required CRIM course and one additional CRIM course plus two additional courses from the list of electives: | 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 | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| Epidemics, Pandemics, and Pestilence | ||
| Drugs and Diseases in Society (requires instructor approval) | ||
| Communication in Autism | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Law and Society
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| LWS 330 | Introduction to Law & Society | 3 |
| Elective Courses - Choose 3 of the following | 9 | |
| Wrongful Convictions: Causes and Consequences | ||
| Ethical Issues and Decision-Making in Criminal Justice | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| The Pursuit of Rights: Law, Democracy & Power | ||
| Topics in Law & Society: _____ | ||
| Hard Choices in Public Administration: _____ | ||
| 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 432 | Conducting the People's Business Ethically | |
| Elective Courses - Choose 3 of the following | 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 | ||
| Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| Hard Choices in Public Administration: _____ | ||
| Administration of Justice | ||
| Collaboration in Public Administration | ||
| Generating, Allocating and Managing Public Resources | ||
| Managing People in Public Organizations | ||
| Public Service Leadership | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 | Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 |
| Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE)030 | 3 | Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 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: US Culture (SGE)070 | 3 |
| Elective | 2 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | Core 34: Social and Behavioral Sciences (SGE)050 | 3 |
| Additional Natural and Physical Science (B.S. requirement) | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 |
| Additional Quantitative Reasoning (B.S. requirement) | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 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 |
| Elective | 3 | 300+ Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | 300+ 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.