Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science Degree
Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Science Degree
A criminal justice degree that explores issues of law and justice as you evaluate the intended and unintended consequences of criminal justice policies and decision-making.
Overview
RIT’s criminal justice degree focuses on understanding crime and criminal justice system responses. Students explore contemporary public safety issues, especially those involving technology, and evaluate the intended and unintended consequences. This framework offers opportunities to consider policy responses and engage in hands-on research in local agencies. A focus on theory and social science provides students with the problem-solving skills necessary for addressing today’s most pressing social issues.
The criminal justice degree offers students a broad education, preparing them for a wide range of careers in federal and local criminal justice agencies. The major also provides continuing education for professionals already employed in criminal justice positions and offers a strong academic foundation for graduate or law school. The major is unique in its broad core curriculum, the scope of professional course offerings, an intensive field experience where students blend knowledge gained in the classroom with a career-oriented internship, and opportunities for cooperative education.
RIT's approach to the study of criminal justice combines theoretical perspectives with practical experience. The emphasis within the areas of crime, criminal behavior, social control mechanisms, administration, planning, and management is on problem-solving techniques based on the growing body of research in the field as well as students' own guided research.
Center for Public Safety Initiatives
The Center for Public Safety Initiatives is housed in the criminal justice department and works with the Rochester Police Department and other community groups. Several students work at CPSI and gain valuable experience working with crime mapping, data gathering, and data analysis. Students work closely with faculty on various projects, including Operation IMPACT, Ceasefire and Project Safe Neighborhoods, and the Rochester Police Department. The CPSI supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of criminal justice and community-based anti-crime and anti-violence interventions.
Advising
Students are assigned a faculty advisor who assists in formulating career goals and planning a field of study to achieve professional aspirations. Through core courses, students are exposed to the widest possible range of perspectives from which to view crime and the nature of criminal justice administration, thus broadening their career options.
Careers in Criminal Justice
Many graduates are engaged in law enforcement careers in agencies at all levels of government, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Naval Intelligence Service, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Centers for Disease Control, Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service, among others. The Rochester Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff's Department, and suburban departments throughout the greater Rochester area employ our graduates. A number have advanced in rank to positions of command, including several chiefs and deputy chiefs.
Other alumni work as correctional officers, counselors, probation officers, and parole officers; with many advancing to administrative positions. A significant number of alumni have used the program as a foundation for law school and have entered the legal profession as prosecutors, public defenders, and private practice lawyers. Many graduates serve in U.S. Attorneys General offices. Others serve the legal profession as investigators or paralegals.
Consistent with the liberal arts/social science nature of the major, some graduates have attained advanced degrees in related areas and entered teaching careers at the secondary and college levels. Others have become psychologists, social workers, drug and alcoholism counselors, youth service specialists, and victim assistance/rape crisis counselors. Many have completed advanced degrees in business, public policy, public administration, criminology, and criminal justice.
Pre-Law Advising Program
Law schools welcome applications from students majoring in a wide range of academic programs. If you are interested in pursuing law school, RIT’s Pre-Law Advising Program is designed to maximize your chances of admission to law school. The program includes personalized advising, LSAT preparation, academic counseling, and a time table for law school admission.
Combined Accelerated Pathways
This program has an accelerated bachelor’s/master’s available, one of RIT's Combined Accelerated Pathways, which enables you to earn two degrees in as little as five years.
RIT/Syracuse University College of Law 3+3 Option
RIT has partnered with Syracuse University’s College of Law to offer an accelerated 3+3 BS/JD option for highly capable students. This option provides a fast-track pathway to law school in which students earn a bachelor’s degree and a juris doctorate degree in six years. In the 3+3 option, students interested in the following RIT majors–advertising and public relations, communication, criminal justice, economics, international and global studies, journalism, philosophy, political science, psychology, public policy, and sociology and anthropology–may apply to the option directly. Successful applicants are offered admission to RIT and given conditional acceptance into Syracuse University’s College of Law. Learn more about the RIT/Syracuse University College of Law 3+3 Option, including admission requirements and frequently asked questions.
Accelerated 4+1 MBA option
An accelerated 4+1 MBA option is available to students enrolled in any of RIT’s undergraduate programs. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Pathways can help you prepare for your future faster by enabling you to earn both a bachelor’s and an MBA in as little as five years of study.
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Careers and Experiential Learning
Typical Job Titles
| Federal Law Enforcement Agent | State/Local Police Officer |
| Youth Advocate | Grant Specialist |
| Paralegal | Probation/Parole Officer |
| Crime Investigator | Security and Risk Analyst |
| Dispute Resolution Coordinator | Information Security Engineer |
| Legal Intern for Immigration | Women and Youth Crisis Center worker |
| Corrections Officer |
Salary and Career Information for Criminal Justice BS
Cooperative Education
Cooperative education, or co-op for short, is full-time, paid work experience in your field of study. And it sets RIT graduates apart from their competitors. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries. RIT co-op is designed for your success.
Students in the criminal justice degree have the opportunity to participate in cooperative education and may apply for co-op placements after two semesters of full-time study. Cooperative education provides a working experience in a criminal justice-related field but does not carry academic credit hours.
Field Experience
During their senior year, students have the opportunity to complete an internship at a number of agencies and organizations in the areas of law, law enforcement, institutional and non-institutional corrections, courts, juvenile advocacy and counseling programs, and security. For one semester, students work 25-hours-a-week under an agency field supervisor and meet regularly with advisors and peers who are doing field placements in other agencies. Placements are individualized to fit a student's career objectives.
Curriculum for Criminal Justice BS
Criminal Justice, BS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| CRIM-100 | Seminar in Criminal Justice This seminar acquaints students with key resources for understanding and conducting criminal justice research. The course involves extensive reading, writing, and discussion. It covers the principles of the criminal justice system including the relationship between system components, their effectiveness, and theories of operation and reform. Consideration is also given to specific problems within the branches of the criminal justice system. (This course is restricted to CRIM-BS Major students.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice This course provides an introduction to criminal justice. One of the primary goals of this course is to provide a general understanding of how the criminal justice system responds to crime in society. The main component parts of the criminal justice system (i.e., police, courts, and corrections) will be examined with a particular emphasis on developing an understanding of the behavior and interactions among the main actors in the criminal justice system. To accomplish this goal, we will examine how criminal cases are processed in the criminal justice system. We will also consider how external forces, such as political decisions, public opinion, and the media influence criminal justice decision-making. Students will also formulate, argue, and evaluate ethical perspectives regarding criminal justice systems, individual-level decisions, and recognize relationships with other ethical problems in society. Finally, throughout the course we will emphasize how the societal response to crime has evolved over time. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
3 |
| YOPS-10 | RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Artistic Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Ethical Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – First-Year Writing (WI) |
3 | |
General Education – Global Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective‡ |
3 | |
General Education – Social Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| CRIM-300 | Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion and activities associated with a research project, emphasis is placed on the creation of null hypotheses, identification of the relationships among variables, establishment models, and analysis of data using both parametric and non-parametric statistics. Required course for criminal justice majors. (Prerequisites: CRIM-100 and CRIM-110 or equivalent course and at least 3rd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-350 | Theories of Crime and Criminality A comprehensive survey of historical and contemporary theories of the causes of crime. Included are theories that derive from biological, psychological, sociological, geographic, economic, and political perspectives. Development of criminological theory reviewed; fundamental distinctions between classical and positivist theories and between theories of crime and criminality discussed. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-400 | Research Methods This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion, and activities associated with a research proposal, the different methods of conducting research are presented. Stress is on issues of deducting hypotheses from theoretical frameworks, variable construction, experimental design, sampling methodology, and the techniques and methods of data collection. Students will formulate a written research proposal that details a research question and the research question and the research design appropriate for addressing that question. (Prerequisites: CRIM-300 and CRIM-350 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Immersion 1, 2 |
6 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective A |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective B |
3 | |
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
| Third Year | ||
Criminal Justice Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Immersion 3 |
3 | |
Open Electives |
9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| CRIM-500 | Seminar in Criminal Justice and Public Policy (WI-PR) This course provides an overview of the public policy process as it relates to issues of crime and criminal justice. Students will gain an understanding of the socio-political context of criminal justice public policy, the public policy process, and the challenges facing successful policy implementation that are unique to criminal justice. The beginning of the course will emphasize public policy designed to control or limit the behavior and discretionary decisions of criminal justice officials. The remainder of the course will emphasize public policy designed to enhance the control, supervision, and processing of criminal offenders. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-550 | Field Experience Internship practicum for all criminal justice students. Gives the student first-hand experience in the field of criminal justice in an appropriate organization that meets the needs of the student's career objectives. Students are closely supervised at selected organizations, developing their preprofessional skills while learning the organization's programs and methods. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Internship (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
Criminal Justice Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
Open Electives |
6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 |
|
Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.
(WI-PR) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
‡ Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Criminal Justice Electives
| Course | |
|---|---|
| CRIM-210 | Technology in Criminal Justice Develops understanding of theories, management processes, organizational capabilities and social implications of criminal justice technologies. Many categories of technology are considered, ranging from communications and records management, to special assault and protection tactics. Students consider the role of industry, government, and user groups in the historical development and legal/ethical use of specific technologies. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| CRIM-215 | Law and Society This course focuses on the relationships between law and other social institutions, and examines the values and interests that are expressed in law and shaped by legal structures and processes. Consensus and conflict perspectives of the law are compared and contrasted, and applied to understanding the law's impact on everyday life. This course takes an explicit interdisciplinary approach to understanding law. Lecture 3 (Biannual). |
| CRIM-220 | Corrections Introduction to the basic organizations of the correctional system, their functions and performance. Prisons and jails, as well as probation and parole agencies, are discussed with the context of historical and contemporary philosophy. Attention also is focused on decision-making functions, the role of various personnel within the correctional system and the population of offenders within it. Strategies for rehabilitation and their effectiveness are surveyed. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| CRIM-225 | Criminal Law Criminal Law deals with the substantive and procedural criminal law. Characteristics of crimes against people, property, and the state will be examined. Emphasis will be placed on the nature of criminal conduct, the requirement of criminal intent, and legal causation. In addition, the principal defenses will be examined. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-230 | Juvenile Justice This course examines the concepts, theories and environmental influences of juvenile offenders, the impact of the judicial system, control and corrections on juvenile justice. The course also examines the role of forces in the system including police, courts, community resources, and treatment. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-235 | Crime, Justice and Communities This course provides an overview of the role of communities in crime and criminal justice. The course begins by laying a foundation in community theory. Students will gain an understanding of the critical dimensions and attributes which define community. From here the course will emphasize how these critical community dimensions are related to both crime and criminal justice. We will discuss the extent to which structural characteristics (e.g., poverty, residential mobility, etc.) and social processes (e.g., social capital, collective efficacy, etc.) are related to crime and disorder. The course will also examine the potential that exists within criminal justice to intervene in communities to reduce crime and disorder and build community in the process. Central to this will be a discussion of co-production (i.e., the intersection between formal and informal social control). The remainder of the course will examine how the major components of criminal justice (i.e., police, courts, and corrections) have attempted to intersect with communities. These topics will include community policing, comprehensive community initiatives, community problem-solving, community prosecution, restorative justice, and community corrections/offender re-entry. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-240 | Law Enforcement in Society This course examines the social and historical origins of the various police systems; police culture, role and career; police in the legal system; social and legal restraints on police practices; police discretion in practice; police and community; police organization and community control mechanisms. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-245 | Prostitution and Vice This course will examine prostitution and vice in the United States and globally. Through empirical scholarship, various issues will be examined including issues faced by sex workers including crime, victimization, health and safety, and law and policy issues. Quality of life issues for communities will also be examined. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-250 | Domestic Violence This course focuses on domestic violence in the United States and globally. Various types of domestic violence will be examined, including intimate partner violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. The course will also examine criminal justice responses to domestic violence, including police, court processing of domestic violence cases and punishment of domestic violence offenders. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-255 | Seminar on Sexual Violence This course focuses on sexual violence in the United States and globally. Various types of sexual violence will be examined, including incest, elder abuse, and male victimization. The course will also examine criminal justice responses to sexual violence, including police, court processing of sexual violence cases and punishment and treatment of sexual offenders. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-260 | Courts This course provides students with an understanding of the recognized functions of courts in the American criminal justice system. Jurisdiction, policies and procedures of courts in the administration of criminal justice, including trial and appellate courts, will be discussed. Courts will be examined at the local, state and federal levels. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-265 | Women and Crime This course deals with women as criminal offenders and as victims of crime, focusing upon theories about women in crime, types of crimes committed, patterns of criminality and the treatment of women offenders. Also examines the role of women as law enforcement officers, judges, lawyers and correctional officers in the criminal justice system. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-270 | Current Issues in Criminal Justice This course involves yearlong participation in, and written critique of, a designated set of lectures, roundtables and presentations on topics covering current issues in criminal justice. The goal is to engage students in discussion of current issues with their peers and with experts in the field. (Prerequisites: CRIM-100 or equivalent course.) Lecture (Spring). |
| CRIM-275 | Crime and Violence This course focuses on the outbreak and prevalence of violent crime in the United States as one of the most important social realities of the past 100 years. In addition to a historical review, we will also scrutinize contemporary problems associated with violence. These problems include street violence, terrorism, riots, vigilantism, and how the criminal justice system has attempted to control these problems. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-285 | Minority Groups and the Criminal Justice System This course will investigate the roles played by racial minorities- African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans-- at each level of the criminal justice system in the United States of America and globally. The experience of African Americans will be emphasized since this group has been the subject of more extensive research by criminologists and criminal justice practitioners. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-290 | Computer Crime This course provides definitional, theoretical, and operational context for understanding computer-based competition, conflict and crime in the information age. Students study the history, nature and extent of computer-related crime, as well as differing types of computer criminals, their motivations and the methods they use to threaten, attack, compromise or damage physical, and cyber assets. The course considers legal and regulatory environments and the impact these have on policies and practices related to ethics in the management of information security, data encryption, privacy, and numerous other special topics. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| CRIM-299 | Crime, Justice, and Ethics This course provides an introduction to ethical theories, consideration of justice as operationalized in contemporary criminal justice and emerging issues that accompany technological advancements such as video surveillance. Students will explore how ethical frameworks are embedded, implicitly and explicitly, in fundamental questions that are resolved by police, judges, and prosecutors. Conceptions of justice and criminal justice will be considered as they relate to criminological and criminal justice theories such as Procedural Justice/Legitimacy theories, Restorative Justice, as well as rationales for punishment. Implications for evaluation of technological changes in criminal justice will also be considered from the perspectives of ethical choices. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-310 | Seminar in Law Focuses on the nature, function and limits of the rule of law. This course traces the history and development of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution. This will be accomplished by reading and discussing approximately 100 United States Supreme Court decisions from the early 1900's through the present. Students will also be introduced to the concept of briefing a case. Lecture 3 (Biannual). |
| CRIM-315 | Evidence Provides the student with an awareness of what types of evidence are admissible in a criminal trial. Includes a comprehensive analysis of the most frequently used rules of evidence. There are readings and discussions pertaining to the nature of real, testimonial, hearsay and circumstantial evidence. Examines rules concerning the cross-examination of witnesses, exceptions to the exclusion of hearsay evidence, the burden of proof, the provinces of the judge and of the jury, legal presumptions, and the exclusion of illegally obtained evidence. Lecture 3 (Biannual). |
| CRIM-489 | Major Issues in Criminal Justice Focuses on contemporary issues and topics not otherwise distinctly incorporated in established criminal justice courses. Concentrates on student discussion and interaction surrounding required readings on topics such as crime prevention and issues in the prosecution/court system. Recent examples include cyberlaw, prisoner re-entry restorative justice, wrongful convictions, crime mapping, crime analysis, non-traditional courts, legal controversies in the law, substance abuse, and legal research. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
Accelerated Dual-Degree Programs
Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Pathways enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study. You’ll earn two degrees while gaining the valuable, hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more. Learn how a Combined Accelerated Pathway can prepare you for your future, faster.
BS/MS in Criminal Justice
An accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree provides an opportunity for students who are looking to develop a stronger foundation in criminological and criminal justice theory and social scientific research skills. Graduates are well positioned for careers in the policy analysis arena or to be able to easily transition into a criminal justice doctoral program. Applications to the combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice are accepted from matriculated undergraduate criminal justice students. To be considered for admission, students need at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, have at least a third year standing, and must have been enrolled in the BS degree in criminal justice for at least two terms. Students may apply to the program by submitting a Criminal Justice BS/MS Dual Degree Application.
Criminal Justice, BS/MS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| CRIM-100 | Seminar in Criminal Justice This seminar acquaints students with key resources for understanding and conducting criminal justice research. The course involves extensive reading, writing, and discussion. It covers the principles of the criminal justice system including the relationship between system components, their effectiveness, and theories of operation and reform. Consideration is also given to specific problems within the branches of the criminal justice system. (This course is restricted to CRIM-BS Major students.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice This course provides an introduction to criminal justice. One of the primary goals of this course is to provide a general understanding of how the criminal justice system responds to crime in society. The main component parts of the criminal justice system (i.e., police, courts, and corrections) will be examined with a particular emphasis on developing an understanding of the behavior and interactions among the main actors in the criminal justice system. To accomplish this goal, we will examine how criminal cases are processed in the criminal justice system. We will also consider how external forces, such as political decisions, public opinion, and the media influence criminal justice decision-making. Students will also formulate, argue, and evaluate ethical perspectives regarding criminal justice systems, individual-level decisions, and recognize relationships with other ethical problems in society. Finally, throughout the course we will emphasize how the societal response to crime has evolved over time. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
3 |
| YOPS-010 | RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
General Education – Ethical Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Artistic Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Global Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Social Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective‡ |
3 | |
General Education – First Year Writing (WI) |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| CRIM-300 | Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion and activities associated with a research project, emphasis is placed on the creation of null hypotheses, identification of the relationships among variables, establishment models, and analysis of data using both parametric and non-parametric statistics. Required course for criminal justice majors. (Prerequisites: CRIM-100 and CRIM-110 or equivalent course and at least 3rd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-350 | Theories of Crime and Criminality A comprehensive survey of historical and contemporary theories of the causes of crime. Included are theories that derive from biological, psychological, sociological, geographic, economic, and political perspectives. Development of criminological theory reviewed; fundamental distinctions between classical and positivist theories and between theories of crime and criminality discussed. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-400 | Research Methods This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion, and activities associated with a research proposal, the different methods of conducting research are presented. Stress is on issues of deducting hypotheses from theoretical frameworks, variable construction, experimental design, sampling methodology, and the techniques and methods of data collection. Students will formulate a written research proposal that details a research question and the research question and the research design appropriate for addressing that question. (Prerequisites: CRIM-300 and CRIM-350 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective A |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective B |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Immersion 1, 2 |
6 | |
| Third Year | ||
Criminal Justice Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Immersion 3 |
3 | |
Open Electives |
9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| CRIM-500 | Seminar in Criminal Justice and Public Policy (WI) This course provides an overview of the public policy process as it relates to issues of crime and criminal justice. Students will gain an understanding of the socio-political context of criminal justice public policy, the public policy process, and the challenges facing successful policy implementation that are unique to criminal justice. The beginning of the course will emphasize public policy designed to control or limit the behavior and discretionary decisions of criminal justice officials. The remainder of the course will emphasize public policy designed to enhance the control, supervision, and processing of criminal offenders. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-550 | Field Experience Internship practicum for all criminal justice students. Gives the student first-hand experience in the field of criminal justice in an appropriate organization that meets the needs of the student's career objectives. Students are closely supervised at selected organizations, developing their preprofessional skills while learning the organization's programs and methods. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Internship (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-700 | Pro-Seminar In Criminal Justice Theory In this pro-seminar, students examine the theoretical foundation of criminal justice. This course integrates studies of criminal justice systems, enforcement organizations, judicial decision-making, courtroom communities and correctional systems by focusing on the study of governmental social control premised on punishment or blameworthiness. It examines the underlying causes and patterns of official responses to behavior that may be labeled criminal, and the structures, policies, and practices of criminal justice. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-703 | Advanced Criminology This course will provide students with a detailed understanding of the theories that have guided criminological research and policy. Subject matter will cover the major influences in criminology: the classical school, the Chicago School, strain theories, socialization, and learning theories, and conflict theories, among others. The prerequisite for this course will be a strong undergraduate foundation in theories of crime and criminality. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
Open Electives |
6 | |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| CRIM-701 | Statistics The purpose of this course is to provide students with training in quantitative analysis of social science data. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of techniques, the ability to recognize the appropriate selection of techniques, and the ability to use those statistical measures and interpret their results. Students will gain experience with inferential statistics through the level of commonly used multivariate analyses. The prerequisite for this course will be a strong undergraduate foundation in statistical analysis. With the consent of their adviser and the graduate coordinator, qualified students may substitute more specialized statistics courses or courses in such areas as geographical information systems (GIS). (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-702 | Pro-Seminar in Research Methods This seminar will focus on the principles and techniques of research with a special focus on evaluation research. The course will cover research conceptualization and design, development of appropriate measures, collection and analysis of data using a wide range of methods. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the research process as well as the policy implications and consequences of research and evaluation. Students will also begin to develop a thesis research proposal. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-704 | Crime, Justice and Community This course provides an overview of the role of communities in crime and criminal justice. The course begins by preparing a foundation in community theory. Students will gain an understanding of the critical dimensions and attributes which define community. The course will emphasize how these critical community dimensions are related to both crime and criminal justice. The course will involve an examination of community-based theory and research, with a special emphasis on the criminology of place and how crime and justice patterns are embedded in particular social structures and cultures. We will discuss the extent to which structural characteristics (e.g., poverty, residential mobility, etc.) and social processes (e.g., social capital, collective efficacy, etc.) are related to crime and disorder. The course will also examine the potential that exists within criminal justice to intervene in communities to reduce crime and disorder and build community in the process. Central to this will be a discussion of co-production (i.e., the intersection between formal and informal social control). (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-705 | Interventions and Change in Criminal Justice This course will focus on theory and research regarding the effectiveness of broad anti-crime strategies and specific intervention efforts at the local, state, national and international level. Theoretical explanations of crime and ideological orientations towards crime will be linked with the crime control and prevention strategies associated with those perspectives. Each strategy of crime control/prevention (including deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and community crime prevention) will be assessed in terms of research findings on its effectiveness. Detailed attention will be given to prevention/control strategies aimed at both juvenile and adult offenders. Programs will also be examined in the broader context of the ideology and philosophy of justice. Students will become familiar with the state of the art in crime and justice related interventions by studying the theory, practice and evaluation of contemporary crime and justice interventions. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-775 | Criminal Justice Capstone The criminal justice capstone involves guided research on a topic approved by the instructor. The capstone requires students to develop, design and complete an original research project. Satisfactory completion involves the execution of a substantial research paper and includes a public oral presentation. Project 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
Electives |
9 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 144 |
|
Please see General Education Curriculum for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
‡ Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Admission Requirements
Freshman Admission
For all bachelor’s degree programs, a strong performance in a college preparatory program is expected. Generally, this includes 4 years of English, 3-4 years of mathematics, 2-3 years of science, and 3 years of social studies and/or history.
Specific math and science requirements and other recommendations
- Strong performance in English and social studies is expected
Transfer Admission
Transfer course recommendations without associate degree
Courses in criminal justice or related areas, liberal arts, math, and science
Appropriate associate degree programs for transfer
Criminal justice, human services, or liberal arts
Learn about admissions, cost, and financial aid
Latest News
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October 28, 2021
![News brief graphic.]()
Criminal justice department chair honored with Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences award
Christopher Schreck, chair of the criminal justice department in the College of Liberal Arts, was honored with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ (ACJS) 2021 Bruce Smith Sr. Award.
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October 25, 2021
![chart showing a rise in fatal and non-fatal shooting in Rochester in 2020 over 2019.]()
Examining a violent year
The Rochester Beacon cites research by the Center for Public Safety Initiatives
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August 25, 2021
![portrait of LaVerne McQuiller Williams, associate provost for Faculty Affairs.]()
RIT names LaVerne McQuiller Williams associate provost for Faculty Affairs
LaVerne McQuiller Williams, professor and current interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, has been named associate provost for Faculty Affairs at the university, effective Sept. 1. In this role, McQuiller Williams will oversee the Office of Faculty Affairs, within the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
