Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

• CRJU 1000: Criminology and Criminal Justice: An Overview (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 2041: Criminological Theory (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 3100: Research Methods (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 3150: Statistics for Criminal Justice* (3 credits)
• CRJU 4042: Corrections (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 4043: Law Enforcement (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 4044: Courts and Judicial Process (3 credits)
• SOCY 1001: Understanding the Social World** (3 credits)
  

*Students must successfully pass CRJU 3100 Criminal Justice Research Methods with a C- or better before taking CRJU 3150 Statistics for Criminal Justice.

**This class also fulfills a Social Science requirement of the CU Denver core curriculum.

In addition to the required courses, students must complete 12 credit hours of elective courses, 9 credit hours of which must be Criminal Justice (CRJU) courses offered by the School of Public Affairs, and 6 credit hours of which must be taken from an approved list of other department courses.

Any 3000- or 4000-level criminal justice (CRJU) course not already required for the major may count as a Criminal Justice major elective.

Elective courses must be approved by the program director. All course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Academic Catalog.

The internship course, CRJU 4939, is required as one of the electives for the major unless officially waived. Students whose internship waiver is approved will take a 3-credit hour Criminal Justice elective in place of a 3-credit hour internship.

• CRJU 4939 - Internship (3 credits)

Students enrolled in the program should contact their academic advisor to determine their eligibility for the internship waiver.

Learn more about internships

The Law Enforcement concentration requires 12 credit hours of courses that will count toward the electives requirement for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree.

Required Courses:

Students must complete the required course below. All course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Academic Catalog.

• CRJU 4540: Evidence-Based Approaches in Law Enforcement (3 credits)

Elective Courses:

Select two courses from the Topic Area list below. The Topic Area electives allows the student to explore a different aspect of law enforcement.

• CRJU 3250: Violence in Society (3 credits)
• CRJU 3280: Trauma Among Correctional Populations (3 credits)
• CRJU 3310: Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement (3 credits)
• CRJU 3320: Police-Community Relations (3 credits)
• CRJU 3520: Juvenile Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 3530: Juvenile Delinquency (3 credits)
• CRJU 3600: Introduction to Federal Wildlife and Environmental Laws (3 credits)
• CRJU 4014: Federal Wildlife and Fisheries Investigations (3 credits)
• CRJU 4140: Interpersonal Violence (3 credits)
• CRJU 4410: Criminal Law and Constitutional Procedures (3 credits)
• CRJU 4430: Law and Society (3 credits)
• CRJU 4450: Homeland Security (3 credits)
• CRJU 4600: Special Topics (3 credits)
• PSCI 4427: Law, Politics and Justice (3 credits)
• SOCY 4340: Juvenile Delinquency (3 credits)
• SOCY 4700: Sociology of Law (3 credits)

Select one course from the Professional Skills list below. The Professional Skills elective allows the student to hone skills related to law enforcement.

• CRJU 4310: Leadership Roles in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 4331: Crime Analysis and GIS (3 credits)
• PUAD 4440: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3 credits)
• PUAD 4620: Crisis and Emergency Communication (3 credits)
• GEOG 2080: Introduction to Mapping and Map Analysis (3 credits)
• GEOG 4080: Introduction to GIS (pre-req GEOG 2080) (3 credits)

Required Courses:

Students must complete the two required courses below. All course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Academic Catalog.

• CRJU 4170: Victimology (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 3285: Trauma in the Criminal Justice System (3 credits)
  

Elective Courses:

Students must complete one of the Victims Focus courses below. The Victims Focus elective allows the student to learn about an area of violence in a more in-depth capacity.

• CRJU 3250: Violence in Society (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 3280: Trauma Among Correctional Populations (3 credits)
• CRJU 3520: Juvenile Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 4140: Domestic Violence and Crime (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 4150: Sex Offender and Offenses (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 4600: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Fatal Violence Against Indigenous Women) (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 4600: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Human Trafficking) (3 credits)
  
• HDFR 1080: Lifespan Issues in Family Violence (3 credits)
  
• HIST 4308: Crime, Policing, and Justice in American History (3 credits)
  
• PSCI 4807: Political Violence (3 credits)
  
• PSYC 3611: Psychology of Women (3 credits)
  
• SOCY 4460: Hate Groups and Group Violence (3 credits)
• SOCY 4780: Violence in Relationships (3 credits)
  

Students must also complete one of the Professional Setting courses below. The Professional Setting electives allows the student to hone skills related to service delivery.

• CRJU 4310: Leadership Roles in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
  
• HDFR 4003: Leadership and Organizations (3 credits)
  
• HDFR 4004: Family and Comm. Prog. II Grant Writing/Fundraising (3 credits)
  
• HDFR 4090: Helping Profession Skills in HDFR (3 credits)
• HDFR 4260: Family Systems and Social Justice (3 credits)
  
• HDFR 4860: Trauma Informed Care for Diverse Populations and Co-occurring Disorders (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 3002: Program Design, Evaluation, and Decision-Making (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 3110: Seminar in Nonprofit Management (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 4002: Leading and Engaging for the Public Good (3 credits)
• PUAD 4003: Strategic Communications for Public Engagement (3 credits)
• PUAD 4009: Human Service Organizations (3 credits)
• PUAD 4220: Human Resource and Talent Management (3 credits)
• PUAD 4628: Social Problems and Policies in the Urban Environment (3 credits)

The Victims and Victim Services concentration requires 12 credit hours of courses that will count toward the elective requirement for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree.

Students will become innovative thinkers and skilled professionals in the field of criminology and criminal justice by developing five main competencies:

Substantive Knowledge

Students will develop a broad-based understanding of the nature, causes, and consequences of crime and victimization, and the societal institutions designed to deal with issues of crime and justice. Students will become familiar with current policies and practices related to the most pressing issues impacting individuals, families and communities affected by crime. Students will develop an understanding of how historical, cultural and structural forces influence the causes of crime/victimization and the responses of the criminal justice system.

Research Skills

Students will develop facility with methodological and analytic techniques, both quantitative and qualitative, to systematically study problems of crime and justice. Students will be competent consumers of research and also be able to design and conduct basic empirical research studies.

Critical Thinking

Students will develop the essential ability to make informed judgments and make significant contributions to solutions to today's most pressing justice related issues through critical consideration of a large and diverse body of knowledge. They will develop the ability to gather relevant information and weigh alternative explanations.

Effective Communication

Students will learn to write for both professional and academic audiences and will understand how to craft effective literature reviews and research summaries. Students will develop public speaking skills in order to become comfortable presenting their work in public forums. They will also learn to work in a team environment with classmates, as well as organizations external to the school to develop effective cooperative communications skills essential to success in almost every organization. Students will learn to effectively communicate with diverse populations, including different: races, classes, genders, sexual orientations, developmental capabilities and religious perspectives.

Diversity and Cultural Literacy

Students will learn to critically appreciate their own cultural and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others, and seek to evaluate a range of points of view in understanding the causes and consequences of crime and the criminal justice system. Students will demonstrate a competency to evaluate and appreciate a range of perspectives in both oral and written communication, and carry this appreciation into their professional practice within the field of criminal justice.

Learn more about academic policies, deadlines, forms, and more for undergraduate programs at CU Denver by visiting the Academic Catalog.