Northern Arizona University

   

Introduction

NAU's program in criminal justice is designed to provide you with a social science education concerning the nature of crime and the purpose, operations, and consequences of the various components of the justice system in both the United States and other nations.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in one of the three major areas of the criminal justice system (the courts, corrections, or law enforcement) or if you wish to pursue further education in law school or graduate school, the B.S. in criminal justice will provide you with the knowledge and analytical skills to do so.

Whether you major in criminal justice or in some other field, our department can also contribute to your ability to make informed judgments about crime and justice issues through our liberal studies offerings.

Degree Offered - B.S. in Criminal Justice

To earn this degree, you must complete the four components described in the following paragraphs.

Major Requirements
Liberal Studies Requirements
Minor
General Electives

Total

36 hours
35 hours
18-24 hours
24-30 hours

Be aware that some courses required for your degree may have prerequisites that you must also take. Check all course descriptions to find out. You may be able to count these prerequisites toward your liberal studies or general electives credit.

Major Requirements

You must complete the following 36 hours of coursework:

• CJ 101, 250, and 355 (9 units)
• CJ345W, which meets NAU’s junior writing requirement (3 units).
• CJ 450C, which meets NAU’s senior capstone requirement (3 units)
• 21 units of criminal justice coursework appropriate for your career aspirations and educational interests, in consultation with your advisor (Notes: You may include up to 6 units of independent study, such as CJ 408, 466, 485, or 497. You may also use SOC 240 within the 21 units).

In addition, you must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in all courses taken in your major with a minimum grade of C for your major requirements.

You may transfer up to 15 hours of criminal justice or administration of justice coursework taken at other institutions toward a degree in criminal justice at NAU.

Liberal Studies Requirements

To fulfill the university's requirements for liberal studies, all students are required to take a junior-level writing intensive course and a senior-level capstone course in their major. To find out what criminal justice courses will meet these criteria, contact the criminal justice department for details. Refer to the General Academic Requirements chapter of this catalog for information about the 35 hours of liberal studies credit that are required for this degree.

Minor Requirements

To obtain a B.S. in criminal justice, you must complete a minor of 18-24 hours in another discipline. Through consultation with your criminal justice adviser, you should select a minor appropriate for your career aspirations and educational interests. After you have chosen a minor, contact an adviser in your minor field.

General Electives

You must complete 24-30 hours in elective coursework (with the number depending on the number of hours required for your minor).

You may use these courses to pursue a specific area of emphasis or to meet career goals through courses outside your major or minor; consult with your adviser to select courses that will be most advantageous to you. You may also use transfer credits as electives if they were not used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

Minor Offered - Criminal Justice

To earn a minor in criminal justice, you must take CJ 101 and 250 plus 12-18 hours of criminal justice coursework. You can apply up to 9 hours of coursework transferred from another university to your criminal justice minor. No more than 6 hours of credit earned through independent study (i.e., CJ 408, CJ 497, CJ 485) may be applied to your CJ minor.

BAILS Emphasis Offered - Criminal Justice

You may pursue an emphasis in criminal justice with a B.A. in liberal studies degree. To earn credits for a criminal justice emphasis, you must take CJ 101, CJ 250, CJ 345 and CJ 450 plus 9 additional hours of hours of criminal justice coursework approved by the department. Up to 9 hours of coursework transferred from another university can be applied toward a CJ emphasis. To obtain information about the requirements for a BAILS degree, see the section titled "Liberal Studies" within this chapter.

This website does not constitute official NAU content. For official information, see the NAU Undergraduate Catalog. To purchase a catalog, contact the NAU Bookstore at 928-523-4041 or 800-426-7674.