Criminal & Social Justice (B.A.)
The Criminal & Social Justice major is a multi-disciplinary major that will educate students in the structure and process of the criminal justice system with a holistic Catholic, Franciscan social justice perspective.
This program seeks to:
- Provide students with a broad liberal arts foundation challenged by Franciscan values and charism, engaged in a continuous pursuit of knowledge, faith, wisdom, and justice, and ever mindful of a tradition that emphasizes reverence for creation, compassion, and peacemaking.
- Provide a social justice perspective on criminal justice through the exploration and understanding of societal issues that lead to criminal behavior.
- Teach students theoretical and practical knowledge of the structures, processes, and functions of the criminal justice institutions and their relationship to other social systems.
- Provide students the opportunity to explore an area of Criminal & Social Justice in depth through concentration options.
- Incorporate the following skills and attitudes into the curriculum as identified by law enforcement professionals:
- Ethics and integrity
- Cultural diversity and tolerance
- Public service and community leadership
- Interpersonal communication and conflict resolution
- Strong writing skills
- Provide students with the opportunity for experiential learning including service learning, internships, and research.
- Prepare students to contribute to society through service and leadership as criminal and social justice professionals.
- Graduate students who have an awareness and appreciation of diversity including differences and similarities of culture, race, ethics, norms and values.
Major Requirements (42 core credit hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| CSJU 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CSJU 220 | Introduction to Criminal Law | 3 |
| CSJU 221 | Law Enforcement and Society | 3 |
| CSJU 225 | Introduction to Corrections | 3 |
| CSJU 230 | Juvenile Justice Systems | 3 |
| CSJU 240 | Criminology | 3 |
| CSJU 310 | Social Justice Issues | 3 |
| CSJU 333 | Criminal and Social Justice Research Methods | 3 |
| CSJU 370 | Criminal Justice and Diversity Issues | 3 |
| CSJU 410 | White Collar Crime | 3 |
| or CSJU 494 | Topics in Criminal and Social Justice | |
| CSJU 430 | Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | 3 |
| CSJU 497 | Criminal and Social Justice Internship | 6-12 |
| POLI 346 | Constitutional Law II: Bill of Rights | 3 |
| Specified General Education Requirements | ||
| MATH 105 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| PHIL 320 | Contemporary Issues In Ethics | 3 |
| POLI 221 | State and Local Politics | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Concentration | ||
| Select one of the following concentrations: 1 | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 63-69 | |
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Students must choose from one of six concentrations including: Forensics, Language & Cultural Diversity, Politics and Law, Leadership (for current law enforcement officers), Psychology, Social Work, and eventually Homeland Security. Each concentration requires a minimum of three (3) courses from a single concentration. At least one course must be at the 300-400 level. Writing skills, ethics and integrity, service, and social justice will be emphasized to prepare students for a profession where these traits and skills are in high demand.
- 2
All courses are offered online.
Forensics Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 114 | Human Biology | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 495 | Directed Study | 2 |
| PSYC 260 | Introduction to Forensic Psychology | 3 |
Languages and Cultural Diversity Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FORL 294 | Intermediate Topics In Foreign Languages (Requires advisor approval) | 3 |
| or FORL 494 | Advanced Topics In Foreign Languages | |
| FORL 300 | Translation | 3 |
| CSJU 497 | Criminal and Social Justice Internship 1 | 6-12 |
- 1
Must be in a “diverse” setting (“diverse” setting is defined as one that exposes the student to a culture different from his/her own).
Leadership Concentration (open to practicing Law Enforcement officers only)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ORGL 331 | Leadership Principles 1 | 3 |
| ORGL 332 | Interpersonal Comm in Wkplce 1 | 3 |
| ORGL 333 | Team Building and Development 1 | 3 |
| ORGL 335 | Strategies for Change 1 | 3 |
| ORGL 336 | Ethics in the Workplace 1 | 3 |
| ORGL 337 | Human Resource Issues for Lead 1 | 3 |
| ORGL 338 | Contemporary Issues in Leadership 1 | 3 |
- 1
All courses are offered online.
Law and Politics Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSJU 320 | Terrorism | 3 |
| CSJU 410 | White Collar Crime | 3 |
| CSJU 494 | Topics in Criminal and Social Justice | 2 |
| POLI 210 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
| POLI 350 | Legal Process/ Mock Trial | 3 |
| POLI 375 | American Public Policy | 3 |
Psychology Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 240 | Life-Span Development | 3 |
| PSYC 250 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 260 | Introduction to Forensic Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 342 | Child & Adolescent Development | 3 |
| PSYC 350 | Personality | 3 |
Social Work Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SWRK 315 | Social Policy II | 3 |
| SWRK 321 | Legal Issues & Helping Profess | 3 |
| SWRK 363 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SWRK 364 | Social Work Practice II | 3 |
| SWRK 424 | Social Work in a Pluralistic Society | 3 |
Transferring from a Community College
An associate degree in criminal justice, law enforcement or related field will transfer to the University of St. Francis as completing the first half of the bachelor’s degree. Most courses at the 100 or 200 level, including criminal justice and law enforcement courses, will transfer from a community college with grades of “C” or higher. USF has articulation agreements with many Illinois colleges. Contact the Transfer Center, counselor or advisor at your community college, speak with an USF admission counselor or visit the USF website for more information on course transferability.
Internship
The Internship is an opportunity for a senior to gain further experience by working with professionals in a criminal justice, corrections, probation or law enforcement setting. It allows students to explore areas of possible employment while gaining valuable experiences.
Students work with their advisors in selecting additional elective credits to fulfill the 120 credit hours required for graduation.