female next to police car

Criminal Justice, Certificate

The Criminal Justice certificate provides a comprehensive understanding of criminal justice in America. Students will be able to focus their studies on one or more criminal justice emphases including policing, law, corrections, and investigations. This certificate requires 15 credits from core courses and 6 additional credits from courses in each emphasis.

For more information about Justice Studies, please visit the program page.

Certificate Requirements

Field of Study Code: CRIMJ.CER

Program Requirements
CRIMJ 1100Introduction to Criminal Justice3
CRIMJ 1145Introduction to Homeland Security3
CRIMJ 1151Constitutional Law3
CRIMJ 2150Multiculturalism and Diversity3
CRIMJ 2231Criminology3
Emphasis Courses
Select one of the following emphases:6
policing/
law/
corrections/
investigations/
Total Credits21

Emphases

Policing Emphasis

The emphasis in policing will focus primarily on examining the role of police in modern society, both philosophically and practically. It will address administrative issues of agency organization, personnel management theory, and interjurisdictional cooperation, as well as contemporary issues pertaining to social control, multiculturalism, and community relations.

CRIMJ 1110Police and Society3
CRIMJ 2250Police Organization and Administration3
Total Credits6

Law Emphasis

The emphasis in law will examine the inner-workings of the American court system including its operation, federal rules governing the admissibility of evidence, and accountability within the judicial process. Students will explore the historical development of criminal law, the legal elements of a crime, and the application of criminal defenses within the context of a mock trial.

CRIMJ 1152Criminal Law3
CRIMJ 1153Courts, Evidence, and Mock Trial3
Total Credits6

Corrections Emphasis

The emphasis in corrections examines the goals, structures, and operations of correctional institutions as well as community corrections strategies. Specific attention will be paid to sentencing trends, prisonization and institutionalization, and alternatives to incarceration including probation and parole.

CRIMJ 1130Introduction to Corrections3
CRIMJ 2030Probation and Parole3
Total Credits6

Investigations Emphasis

The emphasis in investigations provides an in-depth examination of forensic science techniques as applied to crime scene processing. Identification, collection, and preservation of evidence will be emphasized along with industry standards for crime scene recording.

CRIMJ 22303
CRIMJ 2310Introduction to Criminal and Forensic Investigations3
Total Credits6