Criminal Justice Law and Practice Major

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The Criminal Justice Law and Practice Bachelor of Arts provides the student with a foundational understanding of the three major areas of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. “Justice” is a concept that has layers of theological and cultural meanings, and this program helps set a biblical foundation with a Christian worldview to the concepts and practice of justice. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in criminal justice and entering advanced programs in law enforcement and legal studies.The curriculum of the program provides students with a strong foundation for successful careers in various fields of the criminal justice profession. Such career fields include law enforcement, prosecution, criminal defense, courts, corrections, probation, parole and other governmental agencies as they relate to social order.

The program features extensive experiential learning opportunities with guest speakers from various criminal justice disciplines, field trips, law enforcement ride-alongs, shadow days, mock oral boards, and real life training opportunities. The internship program gives senior students on-site experience through placement in internships with local agencies including police departments, sheriff offices, probation departments, prosecutors’ offices, and other agencies.

Graduates of the Criminal Justice Law and Practice major will be able to:

1. Apply critical thinking skills to the human condition and the role of law in society, all within the context of the criminal justice profession.

2. Apply a biblical worldview for lifelong service and leadership in the criminal justice profession.

3. Be prepared for entering advanced programs in law enforcement and legal studies, as well as for successful careers in criminal justice, including such career fields as law enforcement, courts, corrections, probation, parole, and other governmental agencies as they relate to social order.

Students who enroll in the Criminal Justice Law and Practice program familiarize themselves with the experience and life history requirements of the law enforcement agencies in which they hope to one day work, and ensure they meet those standards.

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Law and Practice requires completion of the following 120 credits:
General Education Core (48 credit hours)
Criminal Justice Law and Practice Major Core (48 credit hours)
Electives (24 credit hours)

General Education Requirements (48 credit hours)

Arts and Humanities (9 credit hours)

Take one course from each of the following three academic disciplines:

Fine Arts (3 credit hours)

Choose one course from the following:

Literature (3 credit hours)

Choose one course from the following:

Philosophy (3 credit hours)

PHL-202 Introduction to Philosophy (3)

Biblical Studies (12 credit hours)

Take the following four courses (some courses are cross-listed and only one prefix needs to be taken):

BIB-111 Old Testament (3) OR
HIS-111 Old Testament (3)
BIB-114 New Testament (3) OR
HUM-114 New Testament (3)
PHL-315 World Religions and Systems of Belief (3)
THE-201 Introduction to Theology (3)

Communication (6 credit hours)

COM-103 Public Speaking (3)
ENG-102 English Composition (3) OR
ENG-105 Advanced English Composition (3)

Integrative Studies (3 credit hours)

* Please see the First-Year Integration (FYI) page for specific information about this required course.

INT-101 First-Year Integration (3)

Mathematics (3 credit hours)

Choose one of the following courses:

MAT-112 Mathematics for Liberal Arts (3)
MAT-114 College Algebra (3)
MAT-115 Pre-Calculus (3)
MAT-141 Calculus I (4)

Science (3 credit hours)

SCI-230 Integrated Physical Science with Lab (3)

Social Sciences (12 credit hours)

Take each of the following four courses:

Criminal Justice Law and Practice Major Core Requirements (48 credit hours)

CRJ-101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ-201 Philosophies of Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ-225A Introduction to Policing (3)
CRJ-301 Criminal Law and Procedure (3)
CRJ-310A Criminology (3)
CRJ-320A Introduction to Corrections (3)
CRJ-330A Criminal Courts (3)
CRJ-360A Culture and Conflict (3)
CRJ-401 Ethics and Philosophy of Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ-430A Criminal Investigation (3)
CRJ-455 Practicum in Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ-480A Introduction to Forensic Science (3)
LAW-217 Constitutional Law (3)
MGT-500 Management Problem Solving and Decision-Making (3)
Electives - pick two courses (6 credit hours) from the following
CRJ-250 Criminal Justice Colloquium (1)
CRJ-472 Seminar in Criminal Justice (3)
POL-463 Supreme Court and Constitutional Law (3)
POL-472 Seminar in Politics (3)
PSY-323 Forensic Psychology (3)
PSY-370 Crisis and Trauma (3)

Graduation Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Law and Practice

The faculty recommends students in the B.A. in Criminal Justice Law and Practice to the Board of Trustees as candidates for graduation when they have completed the following requirements.

Completion of a total of 120 credits, including all general education, electives and Criminal Justice Law and Practice major program requirements.
A letter grade of D or better and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in all CCU coursework, and a GPA of 2.0 or higher for all courses specified for the major.
Completion of 180 hours of ministry/community service and 180 chapel credits. Transfer students are required to complete 45 hours of ministry/community service and 45 chapel credits each year of attendance at CCU. For further details on ministry/community service, see the Life Directions Center (LDC) section of this catalog. For further details on chapel credits, see the Student Life section of this catalog.
Meet the CCU Residency requirements.
Acceptable performance on exit exams, as required by the faculty.
Formal and timely application for graduation by the date specified by the University Registrar.
No outstanding financial obligation to the University.