Criminology and Justice Studies

Criminology and Justice Studies - B.A.

The Criminology and Justice Studies undergraduate major combines coursework in law, psychology, sociology and other fields to provide a comprehensive understanding of crime and justice. With experienced faculty and opportunities for research and practical experience, this program prepares you for a successful career in a wide range of criminal justice roles.

Contact Us

David Graff | Senior Lecturer | Sociology
Phone: 330-339-3391
Email: dgraff@kent.edu

Apply Now
Visit Campus

Program Information for Criminology and Justice Studies - B.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Justice Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime, law and justice. The curriculum provides a firm understanding of the basic institutions of the criminal justice system. Students are also exposed to criminological theory and diversity courses, which help them understand the complex relationship between the individual, society and the criminal justice system. The program stresses effective writing and analytical skills. Students are afforded the opportunity to earn credit through internship placements.

Consultations with faculty and advisors enable students to make informed choices about which combination of courses will maximize their preparation for future careers and graduate education. Such specializations include policing; corrections; victimology; law and society; criminology and deviance; and justice and human relations.

Criminology and Justice Studies students may apply early to the and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the in the University Catalog for more information.

Admissions for Criminology and Justice Studies - B.A.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Communicate orally and in writing.
Develop skills through experience.
Have substantive knowledge in specific areas of the discipline, namely law, law enforcement, corrections, courts and diversity.
Demonstrate an understanding of ethics.
Describe theoretical issues related to the causes of crime and development of justice practices.
Find and explain research in the field.
Develop critical thinking skills.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
CRIM 12000	INTRODUCTION TO JUSTICE STUDIES	3
CRIM 26704	ISSUES IN LAW AND SOCIETY (KSS)	3
CRIM 36702	CRIMINOLOGY	3
CRIM 37311	MINORITIES IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD)	3
or CRIM 37411	WOMEN IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD)
SOC 12050	INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)	3
SOC 32210	RESEARCHING SOCIETY (ELR) (WIC) ¹	3
SOC 32220	DATA ANALYSIS ²	3
SOC 32221	DATA ANALYSIS LABORATORY ²	1
³		9
		9
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001	FLASHES 101	1
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below)		10-16
		6
		3
		9
		6-7
		6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)		39
Minimum Total Credit Hours:		120

¹: A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
²: Students declared in both the Psychology major and Criminology and Justice Studies major may substitute PSYC 21621 in place of SOC 32220 and SOC 32221.
³: POTA 11001 may count as a lower-division Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) elective.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements Summary
Minimum Major GPA	Minimum Overall GPA
2.000	2.000

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the following:

Elementary I and II of any language (or equivalent) and
One of the following options:
1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
2. Elementary I and II of a second language
3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
  1. Intermediate I of the same language
  2. One to two college-level course(s) completed outside the United States
  3. Courses: ARAB 21401, ASL 19401, CHIN 25421, MCLS 10001, MCLS 20001, MCLS 20091, MCLS 21417, MCLS 21420, MCLS 22217, MCLS 28403, MCLS 28404

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer courses. This may be accomplished in one of three ways:

Passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level
Receiving credit through one of the offered by Kent State University
Demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language

Certain programs may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need a particular language proficiency.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
	Semester One		Credits
!	CRIM 12000	INTRODUCTION TO JUSTICE STUDIES	3
	UC 10001	FLASHES 101	1
	Foreign Language		4
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	14
	Semester Two
	SOC 12050	INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)	3
	Foreign Language		4
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	16
	Semester Three
	CRIM 26704	ISSUES IN LAW AND SOCIETY (KSS)	3
	Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Elective		3
	Foreign Language and/or General Elective		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Four
	Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Elective		3
	Foreign Language and/or General Elective		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Five
	CRIM 36702	CRIMINOLOGY	3
	CRIM 37311 or CRIM 37411	MINORITIES IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD) or WOMEN IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD)	3
!	SOC 32210	RESEARCHING SOCIETY (ELR) (WIC)	3
	General Electives		6
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Six
!	SOC 32220	DATA ANALYSIS	3
!	SOC 32221	DATA ANALYSIS LABORATORY	1
	Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Elective		3
	Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level)		3
	General Elective		3
		Credit Hours	13
	Semester Seven
	Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level)		3
	General Electives		12
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Eight
	Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level)		3
	General Electives		14
		Credit Hours	17
		Minimum Total Credit Hours:	120

Program Delivery

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Criminology and Justice Studies - B.A.

First-line supervisors of correctional officers

-7.8%

decline

48,700

number of jobs

$60,910

potential earnings

First-line supervisors of police and detectives

5.2%

faster than the average

126,100

number of jobs

$92,970

potential earnings

Public safety telecommunicators

6.2%

faster than the average

98,300

number of jobs

$43,290

potential earnings

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities related to criminology and justice studies interests and credentials include positions in criminal and regulatory law enforcement affiliated with a wide variety of municipal/city, county, state, regional and national agencies; correctional positions including guards, counselors, probation and parole officers, and supervisors; homeland security; courthouse security; park/forest rangers; private security services, including businesses, transportation systems, hospitals and campuses; juvenile detention, counseling and supervision; investigative and criminal history research positions for courts or private businesses; victim services and victim advocacy. Many students take advantage of police academies located conveniently at Kent State and Kent State University at Trumbull.

In combination with relevant graduate degrees, students may also qualify for professional positions legal practice; teaching; policy research including applied statistics and crime mapping; policy analysis; social work, clinical psychology, counseling or therapy; and forensics (with cross-training in fields such as psychology, biology, chemistry, physics, anthropology, accounting, computer science or linguistics).

JUSTICE CAREER RESOURCES

快猫短视频