Oct 10, 2024  
2024-2025 Academic Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Criminal Justice Major

Location(s): Main Campus, Online


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The criminal justice major focuses on issues related to crime, criminal justice, and society from a broad perspective.  Students explore the nature of criminal behavior and its causes, while critically evaluating system responses to crime.  Courses in the major emphasize criminological theories and research methods while examining a range or topics related to crime and justice; race, class, and gender disparities; structural and institutional racism; criminalization; punishment and reentry; criminal justice ethics; mental illness; substance abuse; immigration; and the reimagination of criminal justice as a response to crime and deviance. 

Note: No more than 3 courses (12 credits) can overlap in majors or minors when completing the CJ major.

Students will complete ten courses plus a capstone as follows:

Criminal Justice Core


Advanced Standing Program in Criminal Justice


Exceptional students enrolled in the Simpson undergraduate program for at least two years may complete up to three courses toward the MACJ in their senior year if they have a year or more of paid criminal justice experience while simultaneously completing the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Advanced Standing students with less than a year of paid criminal justice experience may take two courses toward completion of the MACJ degree. The courses eligible for completion for graduate credit are classes that are open to undergraduate and graduate students. These classes include

Note:


Undergraduate students eligible for the Advanced Standing Program must have a 3.5 Simpson GPA and must submit the application and all other relevant documentation for consideration by the MACJ Admissions Committee by August 1st after completing their junior year. Students will register for the 300 level course for 4 credits and the CJ 600 level equivalent for 0 credit. The 600 level equivalent of the course includes requirements that must be satisfied to earn graduate credit. Students in the Advanced Standing Program will complete all requirements expected of graduate students and must earn a B or higher in the course to receive graduate credit. Advanced Standing students will not be considered graduate students until requirements for the bachelor’s degree are completed. After completion of the bachelor’s degree, students complete the remaining core courses and degree requirements for the MACJ. Students should be able to complete both programs in approximately five years and a summer if enrolled full-time.

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