Oct 10, 2024  
Fitchburg State University 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Fitchburg State University 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Criminal Justice, B.S.


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Chairperson
Coordinator
 
Richard Wiebe Randall Grometstein  
Professors
Associate Professor
Assistant Professors
Randall Grometstein
Deon Brock
Lilian Bobea
David Weiss
 
Katherine Hazen
Richard Wiebe   Eileen Kirk
    Michael McCutcheon

Objectives for the Major in Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Major provides students with courses which lead to a Bachelor of Science Degree and provides a foundation for employment in the Criminal Justice field and graduate work. The program is PCIPP approved.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Understand crime, criminology and the criminal justice system from a number of disciplinary perspectives—biological, psychological, sociological, political science, historical, and economic – in addition to criminology.
  • View crime as an aspect of human behavior whose explanation is consistent with explanations of other aspects of human behavior, and as a dynamic phenomenon that is inevitably embedded in any society.
  • Undertake the systematic study of the criminal justice system from a number of different perspectives – scientific, legal, and ethical.
  • Identify important issues and problems as they affect individuals and society and suggest policy changes to address these issues.
  • Gather, evaluate, summarize and interpret qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate technology.
  • Develop oral and written skills to communicate their analyses and recommendations.
  • Develop both the computer and other technology skills that are inextricably integrated into the modern world, and the capacity to adapt to the ever-changing technological and computing landscape.
  • Become aware of, and sensitive to, issues of ethics and diversity in the criminal justice system and to commit to becoming agents of change and justice.

Requirements for the Criminal Justice Major

The Criminal Justice Program requires every major to complete 45 credits of CJ requirements and a minimum of 120 credits for the degree. These include core CJ required courses (24 credits), additional CJ required courses (6 credits) and CJ electives (15 credits). Specific courses are also required in Liberal Arts and Sciences (12 credits).

Core Requirements (24 credits)


Additional required CJ courses (6 credits)


Elective Credits (15 credits)


The Criminal Justice program requires the CJ Major to complete 15 credits of CJ elective credits, chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor; such courses may be chosen from any course with a CJ prefix or other approved Criminal Justice electives.

Note:


Selected topics courses in these disciplines, Human Services, Political Science, and Sociology, may be allowable with the permission of your advisor. Criminal Justice electives from other colleges may be accepted as electives if approved by the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee.

Required General Education Courses:


As part of their General Education requirements, all students in the Criminal Justice Major must complete 12 required credits:

Note:


Other General Education courses are required as part of the degree. It is the student’s responsibility to fulfill accurately and completely all General Education and program requirements. Each student is assigned an academic advisor to assist with this process.

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