Criminal Justice is a discipline that attempts to identify and explain patterns of criminal behavior, as well as analyze society’s ability to control crime and delinquency. It emphasizes the study of crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice degree program utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to capture both the academic liberal arts emphasis and the professional and policy knowledge required to educate criminal justice professionals.
Sociology applies the methods of social science to understand how broader social forces influence our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior. It provides an important background for careers in human resources, education, business, law, social work, criminal justice, politics, arts, sports, and public administration. Students may select from a broad range of courses related to contemporary issues and problems; inter-group relations, popular culture, social movements and social change, modernity and post-modernity, family patterns and relationships, sexuality, crime and deviance, environmental and social problems, globalization, and field experiences.
The dual Bachelor of Arts degree program in Sociology and Criminal Justice is designed to make it easier for students to complete these two majors simultaneously (in the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and College of Public Service, respectively).
General Information
The dual Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology and Criminal Justice requires the following:
- A minimum of 120 credit hours, including the general education courses, must be completed with a cumulative CU grade point average of 2.0. At least 45 of those credit hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 and higher).
- A minimum of 34 credit hours of SOC course work. At least 18 of those hours must be upper division.
- A minimum of 28 credit hours of CJ course work. At least 18 of those hours must be upper division
- A grade of C or better in courses applied to both majors.
- A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all SOC and CJ course work.
- Completion of the Sociology Exit Exam and Exit Survey during the final semester of the senior year.
Additional course work is required to complete the Sociology and Criminal Justice, BA degree. Please see the advising guide on the Academic Advising website for more information.
Policies and Procedures
Refer to the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences section and the College of Public Service section of this academic catalog for the eligibility criteria, policies, and procedures relevant to this program.
For further information, please contact:
The Sociology Department Chair or the BA in Criminal Justice Program Director.
