The Criminal Justice program provides a solid foundation for the growing number of careers for law enforcement, probation and parole, corrections, security services and criminal investigation for college graduates. Students select their course of study from academic courses coupled with an internship and an individualized research project for a sound and practical education.

Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Option

A special feature of the program is the optional five-year master's degree in Criminal Justice offered to qualified undergraduates. This arrangement permits students to complete a master's degree in one year, following completion of the four-year Marywood bachelor's degree program. A traditional master's degree in Criminal Justice is also available.

More About This Degree

• Learn more about this program or visit the Social Sciences website.
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Courses: Available courses in this department
• Student/Faculty Ratio: 25:1

This is just a sample of our Social Sciences faculty - see them all!

Students are prepared to enter careers in the following areas: Corrections Officer, Juvenile Justice Case Worker, Law Enforcement Administrator, Local, State or Federal Investigator, Police Officer, Prison Manager, Probation Officer, Security Officer.

Undergraduate Admissions Requirements

• Official SAT and/or ACT scores
• Completed application
• Essay
• Official transcripts
• Letter of recommendation

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Criminal Justice

The student who majors in Criminal Justice will:

1. acquire a working knowledge of American criminal justice institutions, including law enforcement, adjudication, and corrections;
2. engage in the formal modes of inquiry which are used to understand problems of crime and social control and engage in honest and effective research on these matters;
3. participate effectively in the discussion of contemporary issues in American criminal justice, exercising respect and critical thinking when analyzing the opinions of others, and tentativeness when formulating one’s own conclusions;
4. respond actively and effectively to the challenges confronting American criminal justice institutions relating the insights of the field to current issues;
5. empathize with the human condition of members of the criminal and public populations served by criminal justice institutions, displaying respect for and an understanding of the social and cultural characteristics of the diverse populations served.

The Criminal Justice major prepares the student for a career and/or graduate study in the field of criminal justice. For those who wish to enter the labor market upon completion of a bachelor’s degree, the program provides excellent preparation for careers in law enforcement, criminal investigation, corrections, and probation and parole. Internships with local, state, and national criminal justice agencies are available to qualified majors providing specific preparation for future employment. For students who wish to pursue further education in criminal justice, the program offers advanced standing in the Marywood graduate program in Criminal Justice, permitting qualified students to complete a master’s degree in Criminal Justice in their fifth year of study at the University.

Four-Year Degree Program in Criminal Justice (54 credits)

A. 27 credits (nine courses) in Criminal Justice:

CJ 100	Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CJ 220	Law Enforcement	3
CJ 303	Criminology	3
CJ 319	Criminal Law and Procedure	3
CJ 351	Social Research	3
CJ 433	The American Prison	3
CJ 454	Computer Applications in Social Research	3
CJ 460	Criminal Justice Internship	3
CJ 465	Coordinating Seminar in Criminal Justice	3

B. 15 credits (five courses) in electives from the following:

CJ 101	Shadow and Service	3
CJ/BIOL 105	DNA Forensics (may be taken to satisfy LA science requirement)	3
CJ 200	Introduction to the Legal System	3
CJ 201	The Juvenile Justice System	3
CJ 206	Community Corrections	3
CJ 219	Drugs in American Society	3
CJ 224	Criminal Investigation	3
CJ 302	White Collar Crime	3
CJ 322	Criminalistics and the Crime Lab	3
CJ 330	Prosecuting Criminal Cases	3
CJ 405	Deviant Behavior in Society	3
CJ 410	Race, Crime and Poverty in America	3
CJ 425	Children’s Rights and Societal Responses	3
PSYC 440	Forensic Psychology	3
*CJ 503	Criminal Justice Administration	3
*CJ 522	Criminology	3
*CJ 544	Staff Supervision in Criminal Justice	3
*CJ 576	Corrections	3
LE 318	Family Law	3
SOC 411	The Family	3

C. 12 credits (4 courses) of cognate courses:

ECON 100	Basic Economics 3	3
PS 210	American Government and Politics	3
PS 211	State and Local Government	3
SOC 214	Social Problems	3

*CJ 500 graduate electives. Up to 12 graduate credits may be taken by CJ undergraduate students who have been accepted into the five-year CJ Masters program in the fourth year (UG) of their program. These courses are also open to seniors enrolled in the regular four-year undergraduate program with QPA of 3.0 or better and the CJ Program Director’s permission. For graduation, students must have a minimum QPA of 2.33 in the major and a minimum overall QPA of 2.00.

A copy of the complete curriculum is available upon request from the Social Sciences Department.