Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program is a program designed to develop, enhance and advance professionals in the field of Criminal Justice. It is a synthesis of traditional and contemporary crime studies. It is designed to equip students with an in-depth understanding of the functions of the United States Criminal Justice System; expose them to the system's etymology, the evolution of traditional crimes; and provide students with the solid foundation needed to understand and deal with contemporary crime.
The program pays particular attention to new and evolving crime trends. This includes but is not limited to crime in the fields of contemporary Juvenile Justice, Digital Forensics, Homeland Security, Investigation, 21st Century Terrorism, Corporate Crime, etc. The program prepares students to incorporate Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) techniques used to investigate, combat and reduce recidivism rates.
Contact your advisor about academic credit for completion of the basic peace officer academy. Visit the Peace Officer Credit page for more info.
Degree Requirements
Core Curriculum (46 hours)
Completion of 46 semester hours of UIW Core Curriculum.
Students must complete the following courses in the UIW Core: MATH 1304, 1306 or 1308 (satisfies the mathematics requirement) PSYC 1301 Introduction to Psychology (satisfies social science requirement).
Major Curriculum (33 hours)
- CRIJ 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CRIJ 1308 Criminalistics
- CRIJ 1325 Criminology
- CRIJ 2310 Criminal Law and Procedure
- CRIJ 2313 Introduction to Corrections
- CRIJ 2328 Law Enforcement
- CRIJ 2333 Juvenile Justice
- CRIJ 3315 Legal and Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice
- CRIJ 3360 Criminal Justice Administration
- CRIJ 3370 Criminal Justice Research Methods
- CRIJ 4380 Capstone in Criminal Justice
Major Electives (27 hours)
- CRIJ 2303 Introduction to Homeland Security
- CRIJ 3300 Public and Private Security
- CRIJ 3330 Race, Gender, Ethnicity and the Law
- CRIJ 3335 Civil Liability
- CRIJ 3340 Victimology
- CRIJ 3380 Criminal Investigation
- CRIJ 3390 Terrorism and Homeland Security
- CRIJ 4300 Corporate Crime and Deviance
- CRIJ 4305 Cyber Crimes
- CRIJ 4320 Sex Crimes
- CRIJ 4340 Women in Criminal Justice
- CRIJ 4390 Concepts in Self-Defense
- CRIJ 4395 Internship in Criminal Justice
Electives (14 hours)
Elective hours as needed to meet the 120 total credit hours to be eligible for graduation
- CRIJ 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CRIJ 1325 Criminology
- 3000-4000 CJ Elective
- 3000-4000 CJ Elective
- 3000-4000 CJ Elective
From Military to Criminal Justice Public Service
A career in criminal justice is closely related to many military roles and might be the perfect second career for you. In order to have the best chance at finding your dream job, however, you will need to earn an applicable degree. The good news is that in the modern age, there are more options than ever before when it comes to getting a criminal justice degree and giving yourself that leg up in a civilian career. Veterans will have many advantages when applying for competitive jobs in the criminal justice field.
While a recent criminal justice graduate with no previous military experience might have the education for the technical part of the job, veterans will have the added bonus of real-life experience taught during or gained from their military careers. At the University of the Incarnate Word, our criminal justice curriculum was built on the recommendations of our Criminal Justice Advisory Board comprised of active criminal justice professionals drawn from the city, county, state and federal sectors. The advisory board contributes to the strength of the program by offering current ideas, changes, curriculum input and industry trends.