Psychology opens the door to one of the most challenging and rewarding professional fields today. Psychology students learn the necessary skills to assist people in improving their mental health; they also gain knowledge and abilities that are valued in many other fields, such as business and politics. Psychology degree programs provide graduates with the skills and tools they need to be successful in a variety of challenging careers. Students who choose to obtain a psychology degree will be prepared for a wide variety of professional opportunities and not just in psychology. Those with an educational background in psychology can apply their knowledge and skills to many different professional specializations.
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.
The dual Bachelor of Arts degree program in Psychology 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 Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology and Criminal Justice requires the following:
- A minimum of 36 credit hours of PSY course work. At least 18 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher).
- 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 PSY courses applied to the major, and a grade of C or better in CJ and PAD courses applied to the major.
- A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all PSY, CJ, and PAD course work.
- No more than 60 credit hours of PSY, CJ, and PAD course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.
- All graduating psychology majors will take an “Accountability Examination.” The examination samples the student’s understanding of the core content areas. Students can sign up to take the exam on the Psychology department website during their senior year.
Additional course work is required to complete the Psychology 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 College of Public Service section of this academic catalog for the eligibility criteria, policies, and procedures relevant to this program.
