Criminal Justice, Behavior & Law Program

The major in Criminal Justice at The College of Saint Rose focuses on the scientific study of the criminal justice system, crime, criminal behavior and criminal law. It is guided by the principles of mastery of information, the application of that knowledge to both employment and/or continued education and the appreciation of social values and ethics. A fundamental understanding that informs the major is that the criminal justice system is a part of the larger society and, as such, it must be examined within a socio-economic context. This program offers a strong background in theory and research that will provide students with essential thinking and technical skills regardless of their plans after college. Graduates of this program will be prepared to enter a variety of career opportunities in the field of criminal justice or pursue graduate or professional education. In keeping with the College’s balanced approach to education, all majors are required to complete two seminar courses that will assist them in addressing ethical and value issues that will impact their lives, and integrate both the knowledge and skills acquired through the major. The major is grounded in a liberal arts approach to the study of criminal justice, behavior and law, but will give attention to the practical realities of how the criminal justice system actually operates and how students can best apply their knowledge and skills in pursuit of their individual interests. Course work will focus on the social context in which the criminal justice system operates the nature of crime and criminality, law and the organizational components of the criminal justice structure. Field experiences and internships, both in the public and private sector, are available and encouraged. Students must earn a C or better in all courses used to satisfy requirements for the major. Further, it is encouraged for the student to declare the criminal justice, behavior, and law major early in order to pursue internship opportunities. Once a student has declared a major in Criminal Justice, all courses required for the major must be completed at The College of Saint Rose.
 

Requirements 57 Credits

Core Courses 26 credits
CJS 230 Introduction to Criminal Justice System
CJS 231 Criminal Behavior
CJS 233 The Court System
SOC 288 Social Statistics
SOC 351 Social Research (4 credits)
SOC 360 Class, Race, and Gender
CJS 497 Senior Seminar (4 credits)
CJS 495 Ethics

Sociological Focus 9 credits
Choose 3 SOC Courses (Excluding SOC 111 and SOC/CJS 231, 3 credits must be at the 300 level)

Criminal Justice, behavior and law electives 18 credits
Choose 6 Courses ( 9 credits must be at the 300/400 level):
CJS 101 Introduction to Forensic Science
CJS 232 Police Organization
CJS 234 Institutional corrections
CJS 235 Community Corrections
CJS 238 Substantive Criminal Law
CJS 239 Juvenile Justice
CJS 260 Drugs, Crime, and Criminal Justice
CJS 262 Forensic Psychology
CJS 250 The Law and Theory of Criminal Investigation
CJS 252 Criminal Evidence
CJS 280 Special Topics in Criminal Justice
CJS 336 Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice
CJS 337 White Collar Crime
CJS 339 Criminal Procedure
CJS 340 Sex Crimes and Paraphilia
CJS 320 Criminal Typologies
CJS 324 Serial Crime
CJS 330 Comparative Criminal Justice
CJS 380 Special topics in Criminal Justice
CJS 420 International Criminal Law
CJS 422 Mapping and Analyzing Crime (4 credits)
CJS 494 Criminal Justice Internship (1 – 12 credits)

Choose one Advanced Theory 4 credits 
CJS 428 Life Course Criminology
CJS 429 Nature and Theory of Crime
CJS 430 Punishment