Criminology and Criminal Justice - Undergraduate Programs
The Criminology and Criminal Justice Department provides students with an academically sound education in criminal justice and prepares them for management positions with municipal, state and federal agencies. Students who are new to the discipline have opportunities for internships with local criminal justice agencies and law offices.
The Department strives to achieve academic excellence through its outstanding faculty. Experts in areas such as corrections, criminological theory, victimology, management, strive to challenge students while caring for their academic formation. The criminal justice faculty helps students understand the etiology of crime who are then able to develop paradigms that are useful and beneficial in the understanding of crime.
This tradition of excellence serves to produce competitive criminal justice managers who are prepared for the challenges of employment with private, state, or federal agencies. The academic excellence of the UTA Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is well known in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex
Requirements to Major in Criminology and Criminal Justice
Students admitted to UT Arlington from high school or transfer students who have completed less than 30 hours of transferable college credit will be admitted as Criminology and Criminal Justice (CRCJ)-intended majors, and will be allowed to declare CRCJ as their major based on the following criteria:
- Completed at least 15 hours of the University core courses with a minimum 2.0 GPA.
- Completed both CRCJ 2334 (Introduction to the Criminal Justice System) and one other CRCJ core course with at least a C, and earned at least 15 grade points in the two courses combined (2.5 GPA).
Students admitted to UT Arlington who have completed 30 or more hours of transferable college credit will be allowed to declare CRCJ as their major based on the following criteria:
- Achieved a minimum 2.25 GPA for all college credit earned, and
- Completed CRCJ 2334 (Introduction to the Criminal Justice System) or an equivalent course, and one other UT Arlington CRCJ core course, or equivalent course with at least a C, and earned at least 15 grade points in the two courses combined (2.5 GPA).
Students already admitted to UT Arlington, who previously declared a major other than CRCJ, who desire to change to CRCJ as their major will be accepted based on the following criteria:
- Completed at least 15 hours of the College of Liberal Arts core courses,
- Achieved a minimum 2.25 GPA in all hours completed at UT Arlington, and
- Completed both CRCJ 2334 (Introduction to the Criminal Justice System) and one other CRCJ core course with at least a C, and earned at least 15 grade points in the two courses combined (2.5 GPA).
Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice
| Pre-Professional Courses | ||
| General Core Requirements | 36 | |
| Program Requirements (These courses also fulfill requirements in the General Core). | ||
| UNIV 1131 | STUDENT SUCCESS (UNIV 1131 OR UNIV 1101) | 1 |
| ENGL 1301 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II | 3 |
| Mathematics (MATH 1301 or higher; MATH 1301 and MATH 1308 are recommended) | ||
| Modern and Classical Languages: 1441, 1442, (Must be one language for a total of 8 hours). | 8 | |
| Total # of hours before major (54) | ||
| MAJOR | ||
| A CRCJ major consists of 57 hours, including 36 hours of required CRCJ core courses and 21 hours of major electives (See additional requirements below). The total number of hours must be 120 or more. | ||
| CRCJ Core (Required) | ||
| CRCJ 2334 | INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 1 | 3 |
| CRCJ 2335 | ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 |
| CRCJ 2350 | INTRODUCTION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT | 3 |
| CRCJ 3300 | THEORETICAL CRIMINOLOGY | 3 |
| CRCJ 3338 | JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS | 3 |
| CRCJ 3380 | RACE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| CRCJ 3340 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE STATISTICS | 3 |
| or SOCI 3352 | SOCIAL STATISTICS | |
| CRCJ 3350 | INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| CRCJ 3370 | INTRODUCTION TO FORENSICS | 3 |
| CRCJ 4301 | THE AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM | 3 |
| CRCJ 4332 | COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS | 3 |
| or CRCJ 4333 | INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONS | |
| CRCJ 4380 | COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS | 3 |
| CRCJ Major Electives (of which at least 15 hours must be CRCJ-prefix courses): | 21 | |
| CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SECURITY SYSTEMS | ||
| CYBERCRIME | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF LAW | ||
| POLICE MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION | ||
| ADVANCED CRIMINAL PROCEDURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FORENSICS | ||
| CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION | ||
| WOMEN AND CRIME | ||
| VICTIMOLOGY | ||
| DRUG USE AND ABUSE | ||
| PRIVATE SECURITY ADMINISTRATION | ||
| CRIMINAL CAREERS AND BEHAVIOR SYSTEMS | ||
| GANGS | ||
| COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS | ||
or CRCJ 4333 | INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONS | |
| FORENSIC DEATH INVESTIGATION | ||
| FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF IMPRESSION EVIDENCE | ||
| FORENSIC HAIR AND FIBER IDENTIFICATION | ||
| FORENSIC EXPERT TESTIMONY | ||
| CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE MEDIA | ||
| TERRORISM AND MASS VIOLENCE | ||
| ORGANIZED CRIME: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL | ||
| CAPITAL PUNISHMENT | ||
| TOPICS IN CORRECTIONS | ||
| TOPICS IN CRIME AND CRIMINOLOGY | ||
| TOPICS IN LAW AND JUDICIAL PROCESSES | ||
| TOPICS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PRIVATE SECURITY | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | ||
| CONFERENCE COURSE | ||
| CONFERENCE COURSE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | ||
| CONFERENCE COURSE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | ||
| HONORS THESIS/SENIOR PROJECT | ||
| To satisfy CRCJ Additional Electives, up to 9 hours of these course may be used: | ||
| THE ECONOMICS OF CRIME | ||
| HIST 3391 | MOOT COURT | 3 |
| JURISPRUDENCE | ||
| POLS 4316 | WOMEN IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS | 3 |
| POLS 4331 | U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: GOVERNMENT POWER | 3 |
| U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS | ||
| PSYC 3303 | DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| DEVIANCE: SOCIAL AND PERSONAL | ||
| SOCI 3336 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY | 3 |
| SOCI 3337 | RACIAL & ETHNIC GROUPS IN US | 3 |
| SOCI 4306 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
Other courses may be used for elective credit with advisor approval. | ||
| Minor | ||
| A minor is not required, but is optional. A minor, if chosen, consists of 18 hours, with at least six hours at the 3000/4000 level. | ||
| Oral Proficiency and Computer Proficiency Required (COMS 1301) | ||
| Hours of Open Electives | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 135 | |
Requirements for a Minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice
A minor in CRCJ consists of 18 semester hours, of which at least 12 must be 3000/4000 level. CRCJ 2334 INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, and CRCJ 4301 THE AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM, are required courses for a CRCJ minor. Students must earn a 2.0 GPA in all CRCJ courses taken toward the minor.
Requirements for a Minor in Forensic Applications of Science and Technology
The CRCJ minor in Forensic Applications of Science and Technology (FAST) provides a multidisciplinary approach designed for criminology and criminal justice majors pursuing professional careers in non-laboratory-based areas of forensic science, such as crime scene investigation and where a working knowledge of the basic concepts of forensic science and technology would prove beneficial. Science majors pursuing laboratory-based careers in forensic science may also find this minor advantageous. Students must complete 18 credit hours from the courses listed below, with at least six hours at the 4000 level.
To earn a FAST minor students must earn a GPA of 3.0 or better in those courses. Courses required for the minor cannot be utilized for double credit in the student’s major. An academic minor may only be awarded upon current completion of a baccalaureate degree at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Required Entry Course:
CRCJ 3370. INTRODUCTION TO FORENSICS
Electives:
CRCJ 3307. INTRODUCTION TO SECURITY SYSTEMS
CRCJ 3371. CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (Prerequisite: 3370)
CRCJ 3320. CYBERCRIME
CRCJ 4357. FORENSIC FIREARM INVESTIGATION (CURRENTLY BEING TAUGHT
AS CRCJ 4387. TOPICS IN CRIME AND CRIMINOLOGY) (Prerequisite: 3370)
CRCJ 4340, FORENSIC DEATH INVESTIGATION (Prerequisite: 3370)
CRCJ 4341, FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF IMPRESSION EVIDENCE (Prerequisite:
3370 AND 3371)
CRCJ 4342, FORENSIC HAIR AND FIBER EXAMINATION (Prerequisite: 3370)
CRCJ 4343, FORENSIC EXPERT TESTIMONY (Prerequisite: 3370)
CRCJ 4390, INTERNSHIP PRACTICUM IN A DEPARTMENT APPROVED FORENSIC, CRIME SCENE OR DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SETTING. (Participation in CRCJ 4390 requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 in both CRCJ courses and in all courses completed at UTA.
With departmental approval, courses offered by other academic units that have an applied forensic focus may be considered for the FAST minor. Such courses could include:
BIOL 3352. INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC LAB SCIENCE
BIOL 4352. FORENSIC BIOLOGY
BIOL 4406. HUMAN OSTEOLOGY (Also offered as ANTH 4406)
ANTH 3308. FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
PSYC 3308. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
This minor would be appropriately combined with the following majors: Criminology and Criminal Justice, Biology, Chemistry, Nursing, Psychology, or Computer Science.