REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The Criminal Justice Program in the College of Arts and Sciences prepares students for careers in law enforcement, public safety, courts, adult and juvenile probation, corrections, parole, and related careers in human services. Many students also pursue the Criminal Justice major as preparation for law school.
The Criminal Justice major requires students to complete 42 credits of course work, including eight required courses plus a six-credit capstone course that involves a supervised internship in a criminal justice agency along with extensive writing and reading assignments. The internship connects students to field placements in law enforcement, corrections, courts, or parole agencies, or in human services organizations that support the criminal justice system.
In addition to the required courses, student majors take at least four courses (12 credits) to be selected from elective courses in criminal justice (see list below).
Requirements for the Major (30 credits)
Introduction (3 credits)
Sociol 101 Introduction to Sociology
Seven Core Courses (21 credits).
Crmjus/Sociol L262 Criminology (3 cr)
Crmjus/Sociol L321 Race and Ethnic Relations (3 cr)
CrmJus/Sociol L351 Methods of Sociological Research (3 cr)
CrmJus/Sociol L363 Corrections (3 cr)
Crmjus/Sociol L367 Drugs and Society OR L368 Alcoholism: Etiology and Epidemiology (3 cr)
Crmjus/Sociol L465 Police and Society (3 cr)
Crmjus/Sociol L467 Sociology of Law (3 cr)
Internship (6 credits)
Crmjus/Sociol L461 Internship in Law and Criminal Justice OR
Crmjus/Sociol L462 Internship in Law and Juvenile Justice OR
Sociol 460 if approved by CJ program Director Dr. Stephanie Hartwell.
Electives (12 credits)
Sociology Course List: At Least Two courses (minimum 6 credits) from the list below:
Sociol 160 Social Problems
Sociol 180c Battered Women (2 cr)
Sociol 180d Child Abuse (1cr)
(Note: Sociol 180c & 180d are usually offered during the summer and may both be taken during one summer session.)
Sociol 201 Youth and Society
Sociol 231 Social Class & Inequality
Sociol 242 Family
Sociol 261 Sociology of Deviance
Sociol 281 Society and the Individual
Sociol 310 Socialization
Sociol 311 Urban Sociology
Sociol 316 Family Violence in America
Sociol 350 Statistics
Sociol 360 Social Policy
Sociol 362 Juvenile Delinquency
Sociol 366 White-Collar and Corporate Crime (pending final approval as part of this list)
Sociol 367 Drugs and Society or Sociol 368 Alcoholism (See the note "a" below )
Sociol 369 Alcohol/Sub Abuse Treatment/Prevention
Sociol 382 Sociology of Gender
Sociol 386 Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
Sociol 472 Media and Violence (pending final approval as part of this list)
Other Approved Elective (See note "b" below)
Non-Sociology Course List: No more than Two courses from this list:
EGS 265 Introduction to Spatial Analysis
Phil C108 Moral /Social Problems
Phil 215 Phi. Foundations of Pub. Policy
Phil C265 Sanity and Madness
Phil 290 Philosophy of Law
PolSci 329 American Constitutional Law
PolSci 332 Civil Liberties in the U.S.
Psych 215 Abnormal Psychology
Psych 230 Social Psychology
Psych 241 Infancy & Child Development
Psych 344 Personality Development
Wost 330 Women and Public Policy
Other Approved Elective (See note "b" below)
Notes
a. Regarding Sociol L367 & L368: Students must take L367 or L368 as one of the required courses for CJ majors. Whichever of these was not taken as a requirement may be taken as an elective. Neither course may double count as both a requirement and an elective.
b. With approval of the Director of the Criminal Justice Program or Department Chair.
Transfer Courses
CAS Criminal Justice students may apply up to 18 semester credits from appropriate transfer courses to major requirements, provided these were earned at accredited colleges and universities. However, due to the challenging way in which the following 3 courses are taught at UMass Boston, they must be taken here: CRMJUS/SOCIOL L363-Corrections; CRMUS/SOCIOL L465-The Police in Society; and CRMJUS/SOCIOL L467-The Sociology of Law. Students who have taken similar courses at other schools should contact the Director of the Criminal Justice program or the Chair of the Sociology Department to discuss alternative course equivalencies.
Pass/Fail Option
The program allows majors to take one of its courses on a pass/fail basis, but the course may not be Crmjus/Sociol L351, L461 or L462, or Sociol 460.
Worksheet
To assist you with choosing courses, look for the Criminal Justice Major Worksheet on the rack outside the Sociology office (W-4-012). This is especially useful for students double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology.
REQUIREMENTS FOR DOUBLE MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND SOCIOLOGY
Students may complete a joint major in criminal justice and sociology by taking eight sociology courses in addition to the criminal justice major requirements. Two courses -- Sociol 101 and Sociol L351--may be double counted toward both majors. The other eight sociology courses must include Sociol 341 (Elements of Sociological Theory) and at least one other course at or above the 300 level.
If students are double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology they may double-count courses/requirements as follows:
Up to TWO courses at the 300-level or higher may double count. One of these must be Sociol/CRMJUS L351, Research Methods since it is required by both majors.
As many 100 and 200-level courses as students take to meet CJ requirements may now double count on the Sociology side. In addition to the required courses Sociol 101 and Sociol/Crmjus L262, any of the following could double-count: Sociol 160, 180c&d, 201, 231, 242, 261, 281.
Students need to take only one Senior Experience (capstone) which in the case of a person double-majoring would need to be CRMJUS/SOCIOL L461—Internship in Law and Criminal Justice or CRMJUS/SOCIOL L462—Internship in Law and Juvenile Justice (unless the substitution of Sociol 460 has been approved). The course would not double-count on the sociology side, but students would not need to take another Senior Experience course unless they wanted to. In other words, any other sociology course may substitute for the senior experience requirement on the sociology side. Note: As stated above, the Senior Experience (capstone) may not be taken pass-fail
REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, MINOR IN SOCIOLOGY
Students interested in combining a minor in Sociology with a major in Criminal Justice may double count two courses (Sociol 101-Introduction to Sociology and Crmjus/Sociol L351-Methods of Sociological Research), making the minor easier to complete. A Criminal Justice major who wanted a minor in Sociology would thus take four other Sociology courses, including Sociol 341-Elements of Sociological Theory, and three other Sociology courses at any level. All other requirements for the major and minor would apply (see requirements for Major in Criminal Justice above, and Major in Sociology)
REQUIREMENTS FOR DOUBLE MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ANOTHER FIELD
Students can also elect a double major in criminal justice and another field. Regardless of major, not more than two courses can be double counted.
MINOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Criminal justice majors who choose to complete a minor in sociology may count two courses- Sociol 101 and Sociol L351-- toward both the major and the minor. In addition, they must complete four other sociology courses, including Sociol 341 (Elements of Sociological Theory).
Students choosing to minor in criminal justice must complete four required courses and three additional criminal justice electives. The required courses include:
CrmJus L262 (Criminology)
CrmJus L467 (Sociology of Law)
Either CrmJus L321 (Race and Ethnic Relations) or CrmJus L368 (Alcoholism: Etiology and Epidemiology).
CrmJus L363 (Corrections) or CrmJus L465 (Police and Society)
Any three elective courses (9 credits) from the elective areas contained in the major.