OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25
Criminal Justice Major (B.S.) |
Major code BS2210*
University College
Chubb Hall 140
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.1935
Fax: 740.593.0206
university.college@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/university-college/bachelor-criminal-justice
Julie Cohara, Director of Degree Programs/contact person
cohara@ohio.edu
Program Overview
The upper-division Criminal Justice major program is designed exclusively for students who have previously completed an associate degree program in a technical area related to criminal justice, such as law enforcement, corrections technology, police administration, legal assisting, or human services. If you hold such a degree from a technical or community college, or from a regional or e-learning campus of Ohio University, you are eligible to apply to the Criminal Justice major program and may earn a baccalaureate degree by completing a minimum of 32 additional hours of Ohio University work. Students who do not meet this admissions requirement, but are interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice are encouraged to instead pursue the Sociology—Criminology Major (B.A.) or Specialized Studies Major (B.I.S.) degrees. Students who are interested in law school may consider Sociology—Pre-Law Major (B.A.) or Business Pre-Law Major (B.B.A.) . Also, a certificate in the Law, Justice & Culture Certificate Program is available.
The multidisciplinary Criminal Justice curriculum comprises of a broad range of courses from the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and professional disciplines; all of which make a contribution to the complex field of Criminal Justice. You may individualize your program of study through elective courses.
Online Degree Option:Criminal Justice bachelor’s program is also offered online . This flexible format allows you to pace your classes to fit your life and your career. Prior college credits often transfer, allowing you to finish your degree more quickly.
*This program was previously BC2209 which awarded the Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree. Pending Board of Trustees approval (anticipated June 2024), the new program code will be BS2210 and will award the Bachelor of Science degree effective the 2024-25 catalog year.
Admissions Information
Freshman/First-Year Admission
The Criminal Justice major requires a completed applied science or technical-based associate degree in a law enforcement related area (e.g., law enforcement technology). New students may enter OHIO as pre-C.J. (ND2210) majors and work toward the Law Enforcement Technology Major (A.A.S.) and the bachelor’s program requirements simultaneously. Please note that this A.A.S. program is located online or on the Chillicothe, Southern, or Lancaster campuses.
Change of Program Policy
To enter the Criminal Justice program, an online application is required. Students can obtain the online application from University College, regional campus, or e-Learning Criminal Justice advisors.
Please note that students on regional campuses may need longer than two years and may need to register on more than one campus. The major is also available online through Ohio University’s eCampus at www.ohio.edu/online .
External Transfer Admission
To enter the Criminal Justice program, you must complete a separate online application in addition to the application to the University and submit a college transcript showing that you have completed an associate degree in an appropriate technical field. Students can obtain the online application from University College, regional campus, or e-campus Criminal Justice advisors. Upon admission, a student will be assigned a Criminal Justice advisor. A student must be admitted to the major at least one semester prior to graduation.
Opportunities Upon Graduation
The Criminal Justice program offers students with a technical education background the opportunity to broaden their exposure to a liberal arts curriculum while acquiring the necessary specialization to qualify for careers in such fields as parole and probation, adult and juvenile corrections, and police administration. Criminal Justice students might also prepare for law school or for further study in graduate or professional schools.
Requirements
University-wide Graduation Requirements
Ohio University requires the completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours for the conferral of a bachelor’s degree. This program can be completed within that 120-hour requirement. For more information on the minimum hours requirement and other university-wide requirements, please review the Graduation Requirements – University-wide page.
Major Requirements
The criminal justice major requires:
- 30 semester hours at the 3000-4000 level
- Fifty percent of the major must be completed through Ohio University
- A minimum 2.0 or higher GPA in the major and overall is required to graduate
Criminal Justice Core Requirements:
Complete three of the following courses:
- POLS 4010 - American Constitutional Law Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 4040 - Civil Liberties Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 3520 - Social Psychology of Justice Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 2600 - Criminal Justice Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3600 - Criminology Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3640 - Police and Society Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3660 - Punishment and Society Credit Hours: 3
Criminal Justice Major Requirements:
Complete the requirements indicated for Areas I, II, III, and IV.
Area I, Group A: Oral Communication:
Complete one of the following courses:
- COMS 1030 - Fundamentals of Public Speaking Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 2050 - Techniques of Group Discussion Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 2060 - Communication in Interpersonal Relationships Credit Hours: 3
Area I, Group B: Ethical Reasoning:
Complete one of the following courses:
- PHIL 1300 - Introduction to Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- PHIL 2350 - Business Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- PHIL 2400 - Social and Political Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHIL 3300 - Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- PHIL 3350 - Environmental Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 2700 - Introduction to Political Theory Credit Hours: 3
Area I, Group C: Statistical Reasoning:
Complete one of the following courses:
- COMS 3520 - Quantitative Inquiry in Communication Credit Hours: 3
- ECON 3810 - Economic Statistics Credit Hours: 3
- LET 3555 - Quantitative Applications in Criminal Justice Research Credit Hours: 3
- MATH 2500 - Statistics and Probability Credit Hours: 4
- PSY 2110 - Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences Credit Hours: 4
- QBA 2010 - Introduction to Business Statistics Credit Hours: 4
Area I, Group D: Research Methods:
Complete one of the following courses:
- COMS 3420 - Qualitative Inquiry in Communication Credit Hours: 3
- LET 3550 - Criminal Justice Research Methods Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 2120 - Research Methods in Psychology Credit Hours: 4
- SOC 3500 - Elementary Research Techniques Credit Hours: 3
- SW 3870 - Research Methods in Social Work Credit Hours: 3
Area II, Group A: Diversity and Intercultural Understanding:
Complete one of the following courses:
- AAS 2540 - History of Injustice in the United States Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 1100 - Communication Among Cultures Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 4100 - Cross-Cultural Communication Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 4110 - Communicating with People with Disabilities Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 4200 - Gender and Communication Credit Hours: 3
- HIST 3150 - Survey of African American History Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 3520 - International Peace Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 4190 - LGBTQ Politics Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 4210 - The Politics of Law and Sexuality Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3290 - Race and Ethnic Relations Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4240 - Urban Sociology Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4700 - Sociology of Gender Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4710 - Gender and Justice Credit Hours: 3
- WGSS 1000 - Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Credit Hours: 3
Area II, Group B: Political and Legal Issues:
Complete one of the following courses:
- COMS 3601 - Courtroom Rhetoric Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 3602 - Political Rhetoric Credit Hours: 3
- PHIL 4420 - Philosophy of Law Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 2200 - The Politics of Law Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 3060 - Politics of Appalachia Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 3200 - Urban Politics Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3090 - Sociology of Appalachia Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3720 - Sociology of Masculinity Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4320 - Political Sociology Credit Hours: 3
- SW 3602 - Social Welfare Policy Credit Hours: 3
Area III, Group A: Theories of Behavior:
Complete one of the following courses:
- COMS 4410 - Communication in the Family Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 2410 - Child and Adolescent Psychology Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 2510 - Social Psychology Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 2710 - Psychopathology Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 2720 - Psychology of Personality Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 3220 - Learning Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 3330 - Human Judgment and Decision Making Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 3430 - Psychological Disorders of Childhood Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 2100 - Introduction to Social Psychology Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 2110 - Collective Behavior Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 2610 - Deviant Behavior Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3150 - Social Identities Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4650 - Social Change Credit Hours: 3
Area III, Group B: Social Problems:
Complete one of the following courses:
- POLS 4770 - Legal Theory and Social Problems Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3150 - Social Identities Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3300 - Sociology of Poverty Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3630 - Juvenile Delinquency Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 3670 - Corporate and Governmental Crime Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4140 - Contemporary Social Movements Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4670 - Violence Against Women Credit Hours: 3
- SW 3213 - Child Abuse and Neglect Credit Hours: 3
- SW 3263 - Chemical Dependency Credit Hours: 3
- SW 3273 - Mental Health and Social Work Credit Hours: 3
Area IV, Group A: Professional Skills:
Complete one of the following courses:
- ACCT 1010 - Foundations of Accounting Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 2040 - Principles and Techniques of Interviewing Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 3060 - Interpersonal Conflict Management Credit Hours: 3
- COMS 4050 - Meeting and Conference Planning Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 2000 - American Politics, Policy, and Administration Credit Hours: 3
- POLS 4880 - Environmental and Public Policy Dispute Resolution Credit Hours: 3
Area IV, Group B: Organizational Knowledge
Complete one of the following courses:
- BUSL 2000 - Law and Society Credit Hours: 3
- HLTH 3160 - Human Resources Management in Health Care Credit Hours: 3
- LPA 4120 - Public Personnel Administration Credit Hours: 3
- LPA 4140 - Organizational Leadership Credit Hours: 3
- LPA 4840 - Management Skills for Public Administration Credit Hours: 3
- LPA 4860 - Public Budgeting Credit Hours: 3
- LPA 4890 - Nonprofit Management Credit Hours: 3
- MGT 2000 - Introduction to Management Credit Hours: 3
- MGT 3400 - Organizational Behavior Credit Hours: 3
- SOC 4300 - Sociology of Organization Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 3610 - Survey of Industrial and Organizational Psychology Credit Hours: 3