Degree Requirements

General Requirements

A 2.0 GPA achieved after earning at least 45 hours of college credit is required for admission to the program. A 2.5 GPA must be achieved for courses required by the program (core courses, cognates, and criminal justice electives) taken at Chicago State University. Achievement of a C or better is also required in those courses. Completion of 120 semester hours of work including 39 semester hours of general education requirements listed below and selected with the departmental advisor’s approval. At least 21 credit hours of criminal justice courses must be taken at Chicago State University. The department will not accept D transfer credit into the major.

General Education Requirements (39 credit hours)

• (6) credit hours in English Composition
• (3) credit hours in Mathematics
• (3) credit hours in Oral Communication (e.g. CMAT 2030)
• (9) credit hours in Humanities and Fine Arts (at least 3 credits in Humanities and 3 credits in Fine Arts)
• (9) credit hours in Social Sciences (in at least two disciplines)
• (6) credit hours in Natural Sciences, (3 credits of Life Science and 3 credits of Physical Science, (one course must include a lab)

College of Arts and Sciences Requirement (3 credits)

Specific Requirements for Criminal Justice

(3) credit hours in Foreign Language

Diversity (one general education or major course carrying the Diversity designation as an embedded requirement, no additional credit hours)

For Freshmen and Transfer students with fewer than 30 hours, there is a required one-hour cognate elective (FRSE 1500) to acclimate student majors to the university academic experience. At least 21 credit hours of criminal justice courses must be taken at Chicago State University.

Criminal Justice Core (Foundation) courses (12 credit hours)

• CJ 1200, 2309, 2316, 4350.

Criminal Justice Core (Area) courses (12 credit hours)

Select at least one course from each of the following four core areas:

• Policing/Law Enforcement: CJ 4325, 4326, 4334, 4335, 4363.
• Law: CJ 4318, 4343, 4344, 4345, 4361.
• Corrections: CJ 4318, 4321, 4336, 4351, 4352, 4353, 4354, 4356.
• Juvenile Justice: CJ 4323, 4324, 4352, 4357. 

Criminal Justice Electives (12 credit hours)

Completion of 12 credit hours of Criminal Justice Electives selected with the approval of the departmental academic advisor. Criminal Justice Electives are considered any Criminal Justice course listed in the latest Undergraduate Catalog that students have not previously taken (must have met the required prerequisites), or other courses with consent of the department.

Required Cognates for Criminal Justice Majors (9 credit hours)

ENG 1360, 2100or 2050, and 2790 or 2800

Culminating (Internship or Experiential Learning) Course Options (3 Credit Hours)

One of the following options:

• CJ 4390 Practicum/Internship in Criminal Justice (3 - 6 cr).
• CJ 4391 Bachelor Paper (3 cr).
• CJ 4392 Service Learning in Criminal Justice (3 - 6 cr).

Non-Major General Electives (33 credit hours)

Completion of 33 credit hours of general electives, selected with the approval of the departmental academic advisor. Students who are required to take FRSE 1500 will only need to complete 32 hours of general electives.

Transfer Guide

Minor in Criminal Justice (18 credit hours)

The Department of Criminal Justice, Philosophy, and Political Science offers a minor in criminal justice which a fundamental grounding in the core criminal justice courses and allows students to select an area of emphasis in addition to law. The minor is designed to complement the student’s major field of study and prepares the student for law school and careers related to legal, advocacy, and criminal justice related professions.

Required Courses (12 credit hours)

• CJ 1200, 2309, 2316
• One course from the Law category (CJ 4318, 4340, 4343, 4344, 4345, 4361).

Elective Courses (6 credit hours)

Select one course each from two of these three categories:

• Police: CJ 4325, 4326, 4334, 4335, 4363;
• Corrections: CJ 4318, 4321, 4336, 4351, 4353, 4354, 4356;
• Juvenile: CJ 4323, 4324, 4352, 4357.

Minor in Philosophy (18 credit hours)

The Department of Criminal Justice, Philosophy, and Political Science offers a minor in philosophy to those students who desire a more fundamental appreciation for how philosophy is interconnected with other disciplines including law, business, sociology, psychology, theology, computer science, health, criminal justice, and the natural sciences, and to those seeking personal enrichment.

The program emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills as well as ethics courses applied to contemporary issues. The minor is designed to complement the student’s major field of study and prepares the student for law school and other graduate school programs and nearly every employment challenge requiring informed decision making, critical thinking, and assessment.

Required Courses (9 credit hours)

PHIL 1010, 1020 or 1030, and either 1040 or 2500 or 2520 or 2530

Elective Courses (9 credit hours)

Completion of 9 additional credit hours in philosophy selected with the approval of the department. No course will be accepted toward the minor below a grade of C.

Minor in Political Science (21 credit hours)

The Department of Criminal Justice, Philosophy, and Political Science offers a minor in political science to those students who desire careers in government, law, campaign management, business, international organizations, and research. Students will learn to critically evaluate public policies and institutions and are encouraged to become actively involved in the community through internships in government and public law. The minor is designed to complement the student’s major field of study and prepares the student for law school and other graduate school programs and careers at local, national, and international levels.

Required Courses for Minor in Political Science (6 credit hours)

POL 1010 and 1020

Elective Political Science Courses (15 credit hours)

Select at least one course from each of the following four field:

• American Government/Public Law: POL 2010, 2050, 2060, 2070, 2080, 2150, 2540, 3150, 3160, 3200, 3370, 3380, 3510, 4030, and 4050.
• International Relations/Comparative Politics: POL 2600, 2610, 2650, 3000, 3270, 3550, 4040, and 4320.
• Political Theory: POL 1000, 2020, 3030, 3040.
• Public Administration/Public Policy: POL 2210, 2230, 3220, 3240, 3250, 3260, 3280, 3290, 3300, 3350, 4330, and 4400.

Criminal Justice

The Department of Criminal Justice, Philosophy, and Political Science offers a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice. This program provides advanced examination of critical issues regarding crime and justice. Students are required to develop and apply their knowledge and understanding of criminology and criminal justice to contemporary problems in criminal justice.

Course work allows emphasis in law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, counseling and casework, juvenile delinquency, community and economic development, and criminal justice research. The program culminates in a practicum/internship or a thesis.

Admission Requirements:

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale (the department may, under special circumstances, conditionally admit a student with a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale).
• Prerequisites for all graduate level criminal justice courses include CJ 1200, 2309 and 2316 (or equivalents) and ENG 1360, 2100, and either 2280 or2790 (or consent of the department); and CMAT 2030 (or consent of the department). A grade of C or better is required in these courses.
• No more than nine credit hours of graduate criminal justice courses taken at other institutions can be accepted as transfer credit toward the criminal justice master’s degree.
• No grades below B will be accepted for transfer credit.
• No more than nine credit hours of graduate criminal justice courses taken as a graduate student-at-large at this university can be accepted as credit hours toward the criminal justice master’s degree.
• Submission of a formal application through the Graduate School Office.
• Submit an undergraduate social science paper.
• Schedule an appointment with the Graduate Advisor to write a substantial, original essay on their criminal justice practice and research understanding, interests, and plans.

 

General Requirements

• Completion of thirty-three graduate criminal justice hours (of which at least 18 hours must be at the 5000-level) and which must include the 21-credit-hours core (see below).
• Completion of a comprehensive examination (see below).
• At least 18 credit hours of criminal justice courses must be taken at the Chicago State University main campus.
• A 3.0 grade point average must be attained for core and elective courses required by the program. A grade of C or better is also required in these courses.

Specific Requirements

• Core Courses (21 cr) CJ 5350, 5380, 5381, 5801, 5879, 5880, 5881; and 5899 or 5855.
• Six credit hours of criminal justice electives selected from departmental offerings at the graduate level. One law and public police course required for the master’s degree in criminal justice, selected from the following choices: CJ 5318, 5340, 5343, 5345. At least three credit hours must be at the 5800-level.
• Culminating Project Options include (select one of the following for 3 cr):
  1. CJ 5855 (Thesis Research in Criminal Justice)
  2. CJ 5899 (Advanced Practicum/Internship in Criminal Justice
  3. CJ 5898 (Advocacy/Policy Practicum)
• All candidates for the master’s degree are required to complete a graduate comprehensive examination as part of the requirements for graduation. The comprehensive examination will cover the content areas of criminal justice public policy issues, criminology theory, research design, and research analysis and application.

Degree Plan