Criminal Justice, B.S. | Criminal Justice | SUNY Buffalo State University

About the Program

Criminal Justice Department
Cassety Hall Room 102
(716) 878-4517
https://criminaljustice.buffalostate.edu/

Students in the B.S. degree program in Criminal Justice receive a broad and comprehensive background that examines all aspects of crime and how society reacts to it. Students will learn about criminology—the causes and factors of crime; and the criminal justice system’s role and function—including policing, courts, and corrections.

The program challenges students to think with diverse world views and intense study of current events. The program equips students to be the next generation of criminal justice practitioners, policymakers, and researchers for positions at the local, state, and federal levels; law school; or graduate study.

Learning Outcomes

Students are able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of legal principles governing criminal justice.
2. Demonstrate an appropriate understanding of the theories and ideologies of crime and their interactive influences with criminal justice policies and practices.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the organization and process in criminal justice agencies.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of crime control efforts.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the research process in criminal justice.
6. Demonstrate critical thinking.
7. Demonstrate preparation for a career in criminal justice or graduate study.

Program Requirements

General Education 23 Requirements (33 credit hours)

Criminal Justice Major Requirements (42 credit hours)
Criminal Justice Major Requirement (42 credit hours)
Completion requirement

Core Courses (18 credit hours)
Complete ALL of the following Courses:
CRJ101 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ201 CRIMINAL LAW | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ202 THE POLICE PROCESS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ204 THE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ303 CRIMINAL JUSTICE THEORY AND IDEOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ315 RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours

Supporting Courses (6 credit hours)
Complete at least 2 of the following Courses:
CRJ250 INTRODUCTION TO INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ301 POLICE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ302 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMUNITY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ305 THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ306 PROBATION, PAROLE, AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ307 COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ308 CRIME PREVENTION | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ317 CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ320 CRIMINAL COURTS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ355 CRIME ANALYSIS | 3 - Credit Hours

Advanced Electives (6 credit hours)
Complete at least 2 of the following Courses:
CRJ402 ADVANCED ADMINISTRATION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ404 WHITE-COLLAR AND CORPORATE CRIME | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ406 CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ408 PROSEMINAR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ410 ORGANIZED CRIME | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ420 ADVANCED ISSUES IN PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ440 DRUGS, CRIME, AND DRUG POLICY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ450 TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ455 ADVANCED INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ470 ADVANCED SEMINAR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ485 MOCK TRIAL | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
CRJ488 INTERNSHIP IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - 15 Credit Hours
CRJ495 SPECIAL PROJECT | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
CRJ499 INDEPENDENT STUDY | 3 - 15 Credit Hours
*CRJ 408 may be taken 3 times as long as 3 different topics are taken. Only two CRJ 408 courses will apply to the CRJ major. If you take more than 3 CRJ 408 courses, the extra courses will be invalid and you will not receive credit.

*CRJ 488 requires senior class standing, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at Buffalo State and/or Instructor Permission.

*CRJ 495 and CRJ 499 require senior class standing and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at Buffalo State. No more than one CRJ 499 and/or CRJ 495 course may be used in the major and none may be used in the major if taken prior to successful completion of CRJ 315 without written consent of the department.

Senior Seminar and Diversity Requirement (3 credit hours)
Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:
CRJ425 RACE, ETHNICITY, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ430 GENDER AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours

Statistics Core Requirement (3 credit hours)
Earn at least 3 credits from the following:
CRJ310 STATISTICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
MAT311 INTRODUCTORY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY350 STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC299 SOCIAL STATISTICS | 3 - Credit Hours

Professional, Behavioral, and Social Science Electives (6 credit hours)
Complete at least 2 of the following Courses:
ANT325 FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
BUS312 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 3 - Credit Hours
BUS334 BUSINESS LAW I | 3 - Credit Hours
BUS360 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
CAS301 PERSPECTIVES ON CHILD ABUSE AND ADVOCACY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRS302 CREATIVE APPROACHES TO PROBLEM SOLVING | 3 - Credit Hours
ECO302 WOMEN IN THE ECONOMY | 3 - Credit Hours
ECO360 INTRODUCTION TO THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF LAW | 3 - Credit Hours
ENG300 WRITING FOR THE PROFESSIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
ENG302 TECHNICAL WRITING | 3 - Credit Hours
HEW320 PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS AND HEALTH | 3 - Credit Hours
HEW425 ALCOHOL PROBLEMS | 3 - Credit Hours
HIS311 AMERICAN IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION | 3 - Credit Hours
HIS322 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY | 3 - Credit Hours
HIS341 AFRICAN AMERICANS AND CIVIL RIGHTS | 3 - Credit Hours
LIB300 ADVANCED LIBRARY RESEARCH METHODS | 3 - Credit Hours
PAD435 ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES IN PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT SECTORS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI304 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI310 HISTORY OF ETHICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI314 RIGHTS AND RESPECT | 3 - Credit Hours
PLN325 MAPS AND MAPMAKING USING GIS | 3 - Credit Hours
PLN380 NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC305 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC312 LEGISLATIVE PROCESS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC315 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC317 U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC319 GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUESTIONING POLITICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC320 U.S. CIVIL LIBERTIES | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC321 CIVIL PROCEDURE | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC345 POLITICS AND HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC360 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC364 AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC421 DISCRIMINATION AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY325 SOCIAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY367 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY375 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY376 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY392 PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY393 CHILDHOOD PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY480 PSYCHOTHERAPY: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PROCEDURES | 3 - Credit Hours
REL321 WORLD RELIGIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
SAF305 FUNDAMENTALS OF SAFETY | 3 - Credit Hours
SAF340 COMMUNITY SAFETY | 3 - Credit Hours
SSE363 AMERICAN IDENTITY IN TRANSITION: DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM IN THE UNITED STATES | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC321 THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC330 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC340 SOCIOLOGY OF THE CITY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC350 POWER, CLASS, AND INEQUALITY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC351 SOCIOLOGY OF RACE AND ETHNICITY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC353 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC370 SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC380 SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC382 SOCIOLOGY OF LAW | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC383 SOCIOLOGY OF PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC390 SOCIOLOGY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC393 SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS | 3 - Credit Hours
SPA201 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I | 3 - Credit Hours
SPC306 PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 - Credit Hours
SPC311 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | 3 - Credit Hours
SWK301 POVERTY AND PUBLIC POLICY | 3 - Credit Hours
*Each course must be from a different department

All College Electives (39-45 credit hours)
Completion requirement

120 Total Credit hours
Completion requirement

Concentrations
Completion requirement

Concentration of Policing
The primary objective of the policing concentration is to provide students with the appropriate foundation for understanding policing issues. It helps prepare students for professional careers in law enforcement available in federal, state, local, or private justice-related organizations.

Enroll in the following Courses:
CRJ301 POLICE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ317 CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ409 ADVANCED ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ440 DRUGS, CRIME, AND DRUG POLICY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ301 & CRJ317 are supporting courses. CRJ409 and CRJ440 are advanced electives

Concentration in Corrections
The primary objective of the corrections concentration is to enhance students’ knowledge of correctional programs, policies, and issues. It helps prepare students for professional careers in institutional or community-based correctional programs available in federal, state, local, or privately-run organizations.

Enroll in the following Courses:
CRJ302 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMUNITY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ306 PROBATION, PAROLE, AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ406 CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ420 ADVANCED ISSUES IN PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ302 & CRJ306 are supporting courses. CRJ406 & CRJ420 are advanced electives.

Concentration in Intelligence Analysis
The primary objective of the intelligence analysis concentration is to allow students to develop competency and practical knowledge of intelligence analysis issues and techniques. It helps prepare students for professional careers in intelligence and/or crime analysis in government agencies or law enforcement available in federal, state, or local organizations.

Enroll in the following Courses:
CRJ250 INTRODUCTION TO INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ355 CRIME ANALYSIS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ450 TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ455 ADVANCED INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ250 & CRJ355 are supporting courses. CRJ450 & CRJ455 are advanced electives.

The Criminal Justice Department offers three concentrations for students who would like to specialize in a particular field of criminal justice. To register for a concentration, please see the Department. Students who do not select a concentration are automatically placed in the integrated concentration that allows students to tailor their major by choosing their supporting and advanced electives to fit their educational and career goals.