Major and Minor Requirements
The criminal justice major at Carthage gives students a basic understanding of our criminal justice system, from law-making to law-breaking (including potential sanctions). For this reason, the curriculum is interdisciplinary, and includes courses in Political Science, Sociology and Criminal Justice.
The curriculum includes relevant traditional courses, along with new courses specifically created to address neglected areas and problems. The various institutions which make up the criminal justice system are all examined in their relationships to one another as well as in their relationship to our society, other social institutions, and related practices. The discussion of such matters raises questions concerning the types of laws and practices which constitute and are consistent with a free, humane, secure, and responsible society.
The major is designed for students who are planning a career in criminal justice areas such as law and judicially-related fields, law enforcement and administration, probation and parole, criminology, adult and juvenile corrections, urban planning and affairs, etc. There are a wide variety of criminal justice careers at the local, state, and national levels.
Criminal Justice Major (40 credits)
The Criminal Justice major consists of 40 credits, including
a 4 hour Senior Seminar. Students considering law school
are encouraged to take the Pre-Law track within the
Criminal Justice major.
All majors must take a common core consisting of the following:
CRMJ 200 Criminal Justice
CRMJ 226 Criminology
POLS 291 Constitutional Law II: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
POLS 104 Introduction to Public Policy
Either CRMJ 499, SOCI 499 or POLS 400 Senior Seminar
Students may choose to pursue either a Criminal Justice or Pre-Law track within this major. Students who wish to complete the regular Criminal Justice major must take the following 3 courses for 12 credits:
CRMJ 304 Police and Society
CRMJ 302 American Courts
CRMJ 303 Corrections
Those students who choose to pursue the Pre-Law track must take the following 3 courses for 12 credits:
POLS 240 American Government
POLS 290 Constitutional Law I: Separation of Powers/Judicial Process
POLS 191 Law and Society
The remaining 8 credits for the Criminal Justice major, regardless of track pursued by the student, may be fulfilled by taking any TWO of the following courses:
- CRMJ 210 Probation, Parole & Community Supervision
- CRMJ 270 Criminal Law
- CRMJ 285 Constitutional Criminal Procedure
- CRMJ 271/471 Topics
- CRMJ 320 Restorative Justice
- CRMJ 350 Field Placement
- CRMJ 355 Internship
- POLS 240 American Government (except for Pre-law track)
- POLS 271 Legal Topics
- POLS 353 American Political Institutions
- POLS 335 Human Rights
- POLS 390 Comparative Law
- POLS 393 Environmental Law
- SOCI 227 Juvenile Delinquency
- SOCI 253 Racial & Cultural Minorities
- SOCI 302 Sociological Research I
- SOCI 310 Deviance
- SOCI 312 Elite Deviance
- MGMT 305 Legal Environment of Business
Criminal Justice Minor (24 credits)
The minor includes CRMJ 200 Criminal Justice System and 5 courses from the following:
- CRMJ 226 Criminology
- CRMJ 270 Criminal Law
- CRMJ 285 Constitutional Criminal Procedure
- CRMJ 303 Corrections
- CRMJ 271/471 Topics in Criminal Justice
- POLS 240 American Government: National, State, Local
- POLS 271/471 Topics in Political Science (if appropriate topic)
- POLS 291 Constitutional Law II: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
- POLS 292 Judicial Process and Behavior
- POLS 395 Liberty and Security in a Democracy
- POLS 396 Legal Theory
