SIUE | Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice Studies

Criminal Justice Undergraduate Program

About the Deptartment * Admission Requirements * Retention * Program Graduation Requirements * Transfer Credit * Senior Assignment * Minor Requirements * Major Course Work * Minor Course Work * Electives * Recommended Links * Research and Data Links *

About the Department
The B.A./B.S. degree in criminal justice studies at SIUE is a multi-disciplinary degree program with a strong academic foundation in the liberal arts. Among the general topics studied are theories of crime and delinquency; the origins and development of criminal law and procedure; the functions and operations of criminal justice agencies in America, including the criminal justice response to juvenile offenders; the prevention of crime and delinquency; privatization in corrections and policing; the nature, meaning, and purpose of criminal punishment; the nature and impact of criminal justice policy; and the relationship between criminal justice and human diversity.

The criminal justice major prepares students for a broad range of career opportunities, including work in law enforcement and security, probation and parole, the court system, and corrections. Experiential learning is an important component of the program, and all students are required to complete an internship with an organization or agency involved with some aspect of criminal justice. The internship could be with a public agency such as a police department, state or federal prison, local jail, circuit and municipal courts, or prosecutor’s office, or with a private organization delivering products or services to the criminal justice system.

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As part of the internship, all students complete an oral and written presentation that relates their experience to a topic of their choosing taken from earlier coursework. This encourages students to reflect on their journey through the program and to demonstrate what they have learned. This demonstration is referred to as the "Senior Assignment" and it constitutes part of the university's program of assessment.

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Admission Requirements

Admission to the criminal justice major is competitive, and students must meet the following conditions to be considered for admission:

Completion of all general education skills courses with grades of C or better
Completion of 15 hours of introductory courses with grades of C or better
Completion of the following courses with a grade of C or better: SOC 111, POLS 112, and CJ/SOC 201, or their equivalents
Completion of the Pre-CJ Program, described below
A cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above

The Pre-CJ Program is a two-semester introduction to the major in criminal justice studies and includes one-on-one contact with criminal justice advisors. All students planning to major in criminal justice at SIUE must enroll in the Pre-CJ Program and complete its requirements before they are eligible to apply for admission to the major. The director of criminal justice studies admits students to the major.

Ordinarily, students are admitted to the Pre-CJ program at the beginning of the Fall semester after they have completed at least 30 semester hours of undergraduate study.

In addition to completing CJ/SOC 201 and other course prerequisites for the major, students must take CJ 202 and CJ 208 and at least one other 200 level CJ course during the two-semester Pre-CJ program. They are also encouraged to join the Criminal Justice Club, and to participate in other activities that relate to the major.

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The Pre-CJ Program is waived for transfer students who have already completed the relevant courses or have received an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice or equivalent field from a community college.

Application for admission to the Pre-CJ Program must be made in person at the CJ Director's office, currently Peck Hall 1211. Students are strongly encouraged to apply during Spring registration of the calendar year in which they intend to enter the Pre-CJ Program, but in no case later than September 15 of that calendar year. Admission to the Pre-CJ Program is on a first-come, first-served basis, and is not a guarantee of acceptance into the major in Criminal Justice Studies.

Applications for admission to the Major in Criminal Justice Studies are reviewed prior to the start of Fall semester. Students enrolled in the Pre-CJ program should apply in person at the CJ Director's office no later than the fifth week of Spring semester of the calendar year in which they wish to become a CJ major. Transfer students must apply no later than August 1. Admission is not guaranteed.

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Applications will be reviewed by an Admissions Committee composed of the Director of Criminal Justice Studies and two members of the full-time criminal justice faculty. Among the factors considered will be:

Overall GPA at SIUE
GPA in Pre-CJ Program
Letter of application stating career goals and reasons for pursuing a major in Criminal Justice Studies
Current or previous employment in criminal justice field
Previous coursework in criminal justice at other institutions
Letters of recommendation from past or present instructors
Other considerations that support the University's Long-term Goal of Engaged Students and Capable Graduates

Students denied admission may apply the following year but will compete with the new cohort.

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Retention

Students majoring in Criminal Justice are required to maintain a cumulative average of C or better in their Criminal Justice course work.

Program Graduation Requirements

A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above in Criminal Justice course work is required for graduation.

Students must pass all required courses with a grade of C or better. A minimum of 15 semester hours of upper-level courses is required for graduation.

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Transfer Credit

Ordinarily, up to 12 semester hours of transfer credit with C or better grades may be accepted. Up to 15 hours of transfer credit may be accepted from Illinois universities and community colleges, as recommended under the Illinois Articulation Agreement. Subject to appropriate articulation agreements, community college students may count the following courses, or their equivalents, as credit towards the major. Additional transfer hours may be used if approved by criminal justice advisors.

CJ 201 Introduction to Criminal Justice [IAI Course No. CRJ 901]

CJ 202 Introduction to Corrections [IAI Course No. CRJ 911]

CJ 205 Juvenile Justice [IAI Course No. CRJ 914]

CJ 206 Criminal Law and Procedure [IAI Course No. CRJ 913]

CJ 208 Introduction to Law Enforcement [No IAI equivalent]

CJ 272 Criminology [IAI Course No. CRJ 901]

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Senior Assignment

As part of the University's assessment program, all undergraduate majors in Criminal Justice are required to complete a senior assignment. This will occur during completion of the Supervised Internship (CJ 488).

Minor Requirements

For a minor in Criminal Justice, students are required to complete at least 21 semester hours of CJ electives. Minors must maintain an average of C or better in their Criminal Justice courses. Ordinarily, minors do not take CJ 488. Up to 9 hours of transfer credit may be accepted toward the minor.

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Major Course Work

The core of the Criminal Justice major consists of 24 hours of course work required of all students plus 15 hours of Criminal Justice electives. Majors must complete CJ 201, 202, and 208 with a C or better grade before they take any 300- or 400-level CJ course. CJ 302 and 303 are prerequisites for all 400-level CJ courses. Completion of at least 18 hours of Criminal Justice coursework is required for enrollment in the supervised internship. Criminal Justice majors may count up to 6 hours of 300- or 400-level courses in other programs with permission of the Director of Criminal Justice Studies.

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Elective Courses

15 hours of Criminal Justice electives are required for graduation, although students may choose to take more. The elective courses must be drawn from the following list unless CJ advisors approve an alternate.

CJ 205-3 Juvenile Justice. [IAI Course No. CRJ 914] Arrest, pre-trial detention, court procedures and punishment involving juveniles; includes waivers to adult, privacy issues, community-based corrections, recidivism.

CJ 206-3 Criminal Law and Procedure. [IAI Course No. CRJ 913] Substantive law and procedural rules explored, including legislative and administrative aspects. Key U.S. Supreme Court decisions on criminal procedure and individual rights.

CJ 364-3 Rehabilitation and Treatment Modalities. Examines treatment and rehabilitation strategies including theoretical foundations, empirical success, counseling techniques, and community based approaches. Prereqs: CJ 201, CJ 202.

CJ 365-3 Ethics in Criminal Justice. Explores ethical responsibilities of criminal justice personnel and the moral dilemmas faced by police, court, and corrections officials in processing suspects, defendants, and offenders. Prereqs: CJ 201, CJ 202, CJ 208.

CJ 390-3 Special Topics in Criminal Justice. Topics not included in regular course offerings. May be repeated once to a maximum of six hours provided no topic is repeated.

CJ 396-1 to 6 Independent Study in Criminal Justice. Supervised reading or projects in selected areas of criminal justice. May be repeated for up to 6 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. CJ majors and minors only.

CJ 401-3 Community Corrections. History and current practice, success rates of community-based alternatives to prison; includes boot camps, electronic monitoring, restitution, and new "creative" sentences. Prereqs: CJ 202, junior or senior standing

CJ 420-3 U.S. Drug Policy. Examines historical and contemporary drug use and policy efforts, including secondary problems affiliated with drugs, the War on Drugs and its impact nationally and internationally. Prereq: junior or senior standing

CJ 422-3 White-Collar Crime. (Same as SOC 422). An examination of the nature, extent, and distribution of white-collar crime as well as its causes, correlates, and control. Prereq: CJ/SOC 272 or permission of instructor.

CJ 464-3 Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System. Explores treatment of mentally ill defendants by police, courts and corrections. Insanity defense, trial competency, guardianship, civil commitment and court diversion initiatives for such defendants are discussed. Prereq: junior or senior standing

CJ 465-3 Theories of the Just Society. Examines various constructions of the just society and the functions of government. Students consider the role of law and its relationship to justice for citizens.

CJ 472-3 Explaining Crime. (Same as SOC 472). Examination of the relationship between classical and contemporary criminological theory, research, and policy. Prereq: CJ/SOC 272 or permission of instructor.

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