Criminology Bachelors Degree Programs Pennsylvania

Become a top criminal justice professional with specialized knowledge and in-demand skills

If you want in-depth study in criminology, California University of Pennsylvania can provide you with a strong foundation in this specialized field. Choose Cal U's comprehensive, nationally ranked and widely respected bachelor's degree program in criminal justice with a concentration in criminology.

In the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, you'll learn from faculty scholars and skilled professionals with extensive career experience. Their goal is to introduce you to the major functions and operations of the criminal justice field and examine criminal behavior in the field of criminology. Cal U offers four other concentrations within the B.S. in Criminal Justice degree program:

Gain a career advantage with Cal U's highly ranked, hands-on program.

In 2016, BestDegreePrograms.org ranked Cal U's B.S. in Criminal Justice at #18 in Best Online Bachelor of Criminal Justice Degree Programs.

The B.S. in Criminal Justice program at Cal U brings together liberal arts and professional courses to develop students' critical thinking and communication skills. You'll be well-prepared to pursue leadership positions in justice-related professions; the B.S. in Criminal Justice also is an excellent foundation for law or graduate school.

Learn about ouraccelerated bachelor's-to-master's degree program.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Criminal Justice

Concentration: Your curriculum for the criminology concentration includes such courses as Behavioral Analysis of Violent Crime, Victimology, Sex Crimes and Predators, Criminological Theories, and more. Criminology courses focus on the study of crimes, criminals, causes of criminal behavior and victimization issues. Learn how the classical, psychological, sociological, economic, biological and political theories of crime explain criminal behavior, and understand the impact of these theories on the work of the criminal justice system.

Solid foundation: The criminal justice curriculum consists of a required core of 11 courses that are based on the six content areas identified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences: administration of justice, corrections, criminological theory, law adjudication, law enforcement, and research and analytic methods. The B.S. in Criminal Justice program is unrivaled in Pennsylvania, providing a comprehensive, methodical review of major justice functions and operations.

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19:1

Student-to-faculty ratio at Cal U.

120

Credit hours for the bachelor's degree in criminal justice, which can be completed in eight semesters or four years.

Degree Benefits

Cal U helps you prepare for the professional world by developing the latest knowledge and skills. You learn with a dedicated, qualified faculty with top academic and professional credentials. Our criminal justice program also offers hands-on experience in our forensic labs and forensic computer investigation labs. Through the Career and Professional Development Center, students get connected to potential employers through networking events, job shadowing opportunities, on-campus recruiting, job and internship fairs, and organizational visits.

Graduate Outcomes

Earning your bachelor's degree in criminal justice equips you with the education, skills and training to fulfill your individual and career goals. With the help of highly qualified professors who have strong professional contacts, criminal justice students get access to valuable internships. Cal U criminal justice graduates go on to positions in: Courts and law offices. Correctional institutions. Probation and parole offices. Juvenile justice agencies. Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Emerging fields of forensic science, electronic fraud and white-collar crime.

Criminal Justice (B.S) Criminology Concentration

Criminology bachelors programs Professor

Qualified Faculty

The criminal justice program is led by highly qualified and dedicated full-time professors who hold the highest degrees in their fields (J.D., Ph.D. and other doctoral degrees), and have solid professional experience. Many of our faculty members are also part of the team for the Pennsylvania Institute of Criminological and Forensic Sciences, which provides an array of investigative consulting activities along with professional training programs for police officers, detectives, district attorneys, public defenders and others involved in the administration of justice

Professional Connection

Cal U is attuned to professional standards through faculty who are members of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. ACJS is an international association established in 1963 to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. ACJS promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for both educators and practitioners.

Students learning about Criminology Criminology bachelors programs in the classroom.

Student Resources

You'll have the opportunity to enhance your academic study in criminal justice at Cal U by joining Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE), the national criminal justice association. LAE introduces students to the criminal justice system and to employment opportunities, and it also offers excellent networking with practitioner members. Alpha Phi Sigma is the national honor society for criminal justice majors. The society recognizes scholastic excellence by undergraduate and graduate students in criminal justice.

B.S., Criminal Justice Courses Criminology Concentration

Curriculum

Course	Credits
Freshman Year
First Semester	16
ENG 101 English Composition I	3
JUS 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies	3
JUS 103 Correctional Systems	3
UNI 100 First-Year Seminar	1
Related Elective	3
General Education Course	3

Second Semester	15
JUS 102 Introduction to Law Enforcement	3
Related Electives	6
Free Elective	3
General Education Course	3

Sophomore Year
Third Semester	15
JUS 331 Juvenile Justice	3
JUS 361 Court Systems	3
Free Elective	3
Laboratory Course	3
General Education Course	3

Fourth Semester	15
JUS 375 Criminal Law	3
Related Elective	3
Free Electives	6
General Education Course	3

Junior Year
Fifth Semester	15
JUS 376 Criminal Procedure	3
JUS 466 Leadership and Ethics	3
Free Elective	3
General Education Courses	6

Sixth Semester	15
JUS 495 Research Methods in Criminal Justice	3
Related Elective	3
Free Elective	3
General Education Courses	6

Senior Year
Seventh Semester	15
JUS 496 Criminological Theory	3
Related Elective	3
Free Elective	3
General Education Courses	6

Eighth Semester	15
JUS 499 Seminar in Criminal Justice Studies	3
Related Elective	3
Free Elective	3
General Education Courses	6
Total	120

Required Concentration Courses (6 credits)

JUS 215 Victimology
JUS 459 Behavioral Analysis of Violent Crime

Related Electives (15 credits)

JUS 201 Criminal Investigation
JUS 211 Organized Crime
JUS 309 White Collar Crime
JUS 385 Violence and the Media
JUS 395 Death Penalty
JUS 399 Selected Topics (Criminology)
JUS 429 Terrorism
JUS 430 Criminal Intelligence Analysis
JUS 460 Sex Crimes and Predators
JUS 470 Crimes Against Children
JUS 498 Criminology Internship
GIS 303 Crime Mapping

B.S., Criminal Justice Concentration and Minors

Minors

Minor in criminal justice

Take two required courses (6 credits) plus five Justice electives (15 credits)
Minor in forensic science

Take four required courses (12 credits) plus three Justice electives (9 credits)

Concentrations

Criminal Justice Faculty

Dr. Aref M. Al-Khattar

Professor

Criminology Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Criminal Justice

About Criminology