Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science Degree
A criminal justice bachelor’s degree that explores issues of law and justice as you evaluate the intended and unintended consequences of criminal justice policies and decision-making.
Overview for Criminal Justice BS
Why Study Criminal Justice at RIT?
Future-Focused Approach: A combination of theoretical perspectives with practical experience will provide you with the problem-solving skills necessary to address today’s most pressing social issues facing criminal justice.
Hands-On Experience: Gain real-world career experience in criminal justice that sets you apart from the competition by participating in an optional co-op.
Career Readiness: Attain the skills necessary to advance into a wide range of careers in federal and local criminal justice agencies.
Teaching Partnership Program Available: 4+1 or 3+2 programs enable you to earn your bachelor’s degree at RIT and a master’s degree in education at one of our partner universities.
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Available: Earn both your bachelor’s and your master’s in less time and with a cost savings, giving you a competitive advantage in your field.
RIT’s Criminal Justice BS
Majoring in criminal justice provides you with a broad education that speaks to your interest in law and justice. You will be prepared for a wide range of careers in federal and local criminal justice agencies. The major also provides continuing education for professionals already employed in criminal justice positions and offers a strong academic foundation for graduate or law school. The criminal justice BS is unique in its broad core curriculum, the scope of professional course offerings, an intensive field experience where students blend knowledge gained in the classroom with a career-oriented internship, and opportunities for cooperative education.
Criminal Justice Curriculum
In the criminal justice bachelor's degree, you will develop your understanding of crime and the criminal justice system responses. You will explore contemporary public safety issues, especially those involving technology, and evaluate the intended and unintended consequences. This framework offers opportunities to consider policy responses and engage in hands-on research in local agencies. A focus on theory and social science provides you with the problem-solving skills necessary for addressing today’s most pressing social issues.
RIT's approach to the bachelor's degree in criminal justice combines theoretical perspectives with practical experience. The emphasis within the areas of crime, criminal behavior, social control mechanisms, administration, planning, and management is on problem-solving techniques based on the growing body of research in the field as well as students' own guided research.
Advising
Students are assigned a faculty advisor who assists in formulating career goals and planning a field of study to achieve professional aspirations. Through core courses, students are exposed to the widest possible range of perspectives from which to view crime and the nature of criminal justice administration, thus broadening their career options.
Center for Public Safety Initiatives
The Center for Public Safety Initiatives is housed in the criminal justice department and works with the Rochester Police Department and other community groups. Several students work at CPSI and gain valuable experience working with crime mapping, data gathering, and data analysis. Students work closely with faculty on various projects, including Operation IMPACT, Ceasefire and Project Safe Neighborhoods, and the Rochester Police Department. The CPSI supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of criminal justice and community-based anti-crime and anti-violence interventions.
RIT’s Pre-Law Program
Law schools welcome applications from students majoring in a wide range of academic programs. RIT’s pre-law program will help you navigate the admission process for law school, explore a range of legal careers, and guide you through course selection to ensure you build the skills and competencies required of competitive law school applicants. The program is open to students in all majors who are interested in pursuing a career in law.
Furthering Your Education in Criminal Justice
Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees
Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.
- +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.
3+3 Accelerated BS/JD Programs
RIT has partnered with Syracuse University’s College of Law and University at Buffalo School of Law to offer accelerated 3+3 BS/JD options for highly capable students. These programs provide a fast track to law school where you can earn a bachelor’s degree at RIT and a Juris Doctorate degree at Syracuse University or University at Buffalo in six years. Interested students may apply to the option directly, with successful applicants offered admission to RIT and conditional acceptance into either Syracuse University’s College of Law or University at Buffalo School of Law.
RIT's criminal justice degree is one of the approved majors for the 3+3 option.
Learn more about Accelerated Law 3+3 Programs.
RIT’s Teaching Partnership Programs
Whether your goal is to go into early childhood or elementary education, become a secondary education teacher with a content area specialty at the middle or high school level, or work in the higher education or counseling fields, RIT’s partnership programs with local universities provide a guided pathway to a career in teaching.
These 4+1 or 3+2 programs enable you to earn your bachelor’s degree at RIT and a master’s degree in education at one of our partner universities. As you progress, you’ll benefit from focused academic advising, career exploration opportunities, and resources for research, learning, and skill development.
RIT's criminal justice degree is eligible for RIT’s Teaching Partnership Programs.
Careers in Criminal Justice
Many graduates are engaged in law enforcement careers in agencies at all levels of government, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Naval Intelligence Service, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Centers for Disease Control, Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service, among others. The Rochester Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff's Department, and suburban departments throughout the greater Rochester area employ our graduates. A number have advanced in rank to positions of command, including several chiefs and deputy chiefs.
Other alumni who have earned a criminal justice BS work as correctional officers, counselors, probation officers, and parole officers; with many advancing to administrative positions. A significant number of alumni have used the program as a foundation for law school and have entered the legal profession as prosecutors, public defenders, and private practice lawyers. Many graduates serve in U.S. Attorneys General offices. Others serve the legal profession as investigators or paralegals.
Consistent with the liberal arts/social science nature of the major, some graduates have attained advanced degrees in related areas and entered teaching careers at the secondary and college levels. Others have become psychologists, social workers, drug and alcoholism counselors, youth service specialists, and victim assistance/rape crisis counselors. Many have completed advanced degrees in business, public policy, public administration, criminology, and criminal justice.
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Apply for Fall 2025
First-year students can apply for Early Decision II by Jan. 1 to get an admissions and financial aid assessment by mid-January.
Careers and Experiential Learning
Typical Job Titles
| Federal Law Enforcement Agent | State/Local Police Officer | Youth Advocate |
| Grant Specialist | Paralegal | Probation/Parole Officer |
| Crime Investigator | Security and Risk Analyst | Dispute Resolution Coordinator |
| Information Security Engineer | Legal Intern for Immigration | Women and Youth Crisis Center worker |
| Corrections Officer |
Industries
Cooperative Education and Internships
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. A liberal arts co-op provides hands-on experience that enables you to apply your knowledge in professional settings while you make valuable connections between course work and real-world applications.
Field Instruction
During your senior year, you have the opportunity to complete an internship at a number of agencies and organizations in the areas of law, law enforcement, institutional and non-institutional corrections, courts, juvenile advocacy and counseling programs, and security. For one semester, you may work 25-hours-a-week under an agency field supervisor and meet regularly with advisors and peers who are doing field placements in other agencies. Internships are individualized to fit a student's career objectives.
Featured Work and Profiles
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RIT Alumna Thrives in Real Estate Law at Prestigious NYC Firm
After passing the New York state bar exam, Shakierah Smith became a real estate associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, a law firm in New York known nationally for its...
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Assistant DA Lauds RIT’s Criminal Justice Faculty for Outstanding Support
Ryan Lamon From student to senior assistant district attorney: Ryan Lamon credits RIT's supportive faculty and diverse opportunities for his journey to success in the criminal justice field.
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Looking to land your first job? RIT grad Jeffrey Culver '82 offers winning advice.
Jeffrey Culver '82 Contacts, competencies, creativity, and your CV—focus on "The Four Cs" for job search success. Plus, get tips for how to rock your interview.
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Empowering Change Through Research
Libnah Rodriguez, a dedicated research associate at RIT's Center for Public Safety Initiatives, combines her academic achievements in criminal justice with community-driven projects to tackle pressing...
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Shakierah Shayonna Smith
“My greatest accomplishment is becoming a licensed attorney in New York State. As a first-generation student, I was naïve about the process of becoming an attorney…But I did all of this on my first...
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“I am so lucky to have the greatest mentors and peers.”
— Venita D’Angelo, criminal justice BS '23, Center for Public Safety Initiatives Research Assistant
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Curriculum for 2024-2025 for Criminal Justice BS
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Criminal Justice, BS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| CRIM-100 | Seminar in Criminal Justice This seminar acquaints students with key resources for understanding and conducting criminal justice research. The course involves extensive reading, writing, and discussion. It covers the principles of the criminal justice system including the relationship between system components, their effectiveness, and theories of operation and reform. Consideration is also given to specific problems within the branches of the criminal justice system. (This course is restricted to CRIM-BS Major students.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice This course provides an introduction to criminal justice. One of the primary goals of this course is to provide a general understanding of how the criminal justice system responds to crime in society. The main component parts of the criminal justice system (i.e., police, courts, and corrections) will be examined with a particular emphasis on developing an understanding of the behavior and interactions among the main actors in the criminal justice system. To accomplish this goal, we will examine how criminal cases are processed in the criminal justice system. We will also consider how external forces, such as political decisions, public opinion, and the media influence criminal justice decision-making. Students will also formulate, argue, and evaluate ethical perspectives regarding criminal justice systems, individual-level decisions, and recognize relationships with other ethical problems in society. Finally, throughout the course we will emphasize how the societal response to crime has evolved over time. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
3 |
| YOPS-10 | RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. (This class is restricted to incoming 1st year or global campus students.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Artistic Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Ethical Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – First-Year Writing (WI) |
3 | |
General Education – Global Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective† |
3 | |
General Education – Social Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| CRIM-300 | Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion and activities associated with a research project, emphasis is placed on the creation of null hypotheses, identification of the relationships among variables, establishment models, and analysis of data using both parametric and non-parametric statistics. Required course for criminal justice majors. (Prerequisites: CRIM-100 and CRIM-110 or equivalent course and at least 3rd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-350 | Theories of Crime and Criminality A comprehensive survey of historical and contemporary theories of the causes of crime. Included are theories that derive from biological, psychological, sociological, geographic, economic, and political perspectives. Development of criminological theory reviewed; fundamental distinctions between classical and positivist theories and between theories of crime and criminality discussed. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-400 | Research Methods This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion, and activities associated with a research proposal, the different methods of conducting research are presented. Stress is on issues of deducting hypotheses from theoretical frameworks, variable construction, experimental design, sampling methodology, and the techniques and methods of data collection. Students will formulate a written research proposal that details a research question and the research question and the research design appropriate for addressing that question. (Prerequisites: CRIM-300 and CRIM-350 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Immersion 1, 2 |
6 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective A |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective B |
3 | |
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
| Third Year | ||
Criminal Justice Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Immersion 3 |
3 | |
Open Electives |
9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| CRIM-500 | Seminar in Criminal Justice and Public Policy (WI-PR) This course provides an overview of the public policy process as it relates to issues of crime and criminal justice. Students will gain an understanding of the socio-political context of criminal justice public policy, the public policy process, and the challenges facing successful policy implementation that are unique to criminal justice. The beginning of the course will emphasize public policy designed to control or limit the behavior and discretionary decisions of criminal justice officials. The remainder of the course will emphasize public policy designed to enhance the control, supervision, and processing of criminal offenders. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-550 | Field Experience Internship practicum for all criminal justice students. Gives the student first-hand experience in the field of criminal justice in an appropriate organization that meets the needs of the student's career objectives. Students are closely supervised at selected organizations, developing their preprofessional skills while learning the organization's programs and methods. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Internship (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
Criminal Justice Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
Open Electives |
6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 |
|
Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.
(WI-PR) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Criminal Justice Electives
| Course | |
|---|---|
| CRIM-210 | Technology in Criminal Justice Develops understanding of theories, management processes, organizational capabilities and social implications of criminal justice technologies. Many categories of technology are considered, ranging from communications and records management, to special assault and protection tactics. Students consider the role of industry, government, and user groups in the historical development and legal/ethical use of specific technologies. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| CRIM-215 | Law and Society This course focuses on the relationships between law and other social institutions, and examines the values and interests that are expressed in law and shaped by legal structures and processes. Consensus and conflict perspectives of the law are compared and contrasted, and applied to understanding the law's impact on everyday life. This course takes an explicit interdisciplinary approach to understanding law. Lecture 3 (Biannual). |
| CRIM-220 | Corrections Introduction to the basic organizations of the correctional system, their functions and performance. Prisons and jails, as well as probation and parole agencies, are discussed with the context of historical and contemporary philosophy. Attention also is focused on decision-making functions, the role of various personnel within the correctional system and the population of offenders within it. Strategies for rehabilitation and their effectiveness are surveyed. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| CRIM-225 | Criminal Law Criminal Law deals with the substantive and procedural criminal law. Characteristics of crimes against people, property, and the state will be examined. Emphasis will be placed on the nature of criminal conduct, the requirement of criminal intent, and legal causation. In addition, the principal defenses will be examined. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-230 | Juvenile Justice This course examines the concepts, theories and environmental influences of juvenile offenders, the impact of the judicial system, control and corrections on juvenile justice. The course also examines the role of forces in the system including police, courts, community resources, and treatment. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-235 | Crime, Justice and Communities This course provides an overview of the role of communities in crime and criminal justice. The course begins by laying a foundation in community theory. Students will gain an understanding of the critical dimensions and attributes which define community. From here the course will emphasize how these critical community dimensions are related to both crime and criminal justice. We will discuss the extent to which structural characteristics (e.g., poverty, residential mobility, etc.) and social processes (e.g., social capital, collective efficacy, etc.) are related to crime and disorder. The course will also examine the potential that exists within criminal justice to intervene in communities to reduce crime and disorder and build community in the process. Central to this will be a discussion of co-production (i.e., the intersection between formal and informal social control). The remainder of the course will examine how the major components of criminal justice (i.e., police, courts, and corrections) have attempted to intersect with communities. These topics will include community policing, comprehensive community initiatives, community problem-solving, community prosecution, restorative justice, and community corrections/offender re-entry. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-240 | Law Enforcement in Society This course examines the social and historical origins of the various police systems; police culture, role and career; police in the legal system; social and legal restraints on police practices; police discretion in practice; police and community; police organization and community control mechanisms. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| CRIM-260 | Courts This course provides students with an understanding of the recognized functions of courts in the American criminal justice system. Jurisdiction, policies and procedures of courts in the administration of criminal justice, including trial and appellate courts, will be discussed. Courts will be examined at the local, state and federal levels. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-265 | Women and Crime This course deals with women as criminal offenders and as victims of crime, focusing upon theories about women in crime, types of crimes committed, patterns of criminality and the treatment of women offenders. Also examines the role of women as law enforcement officers, judges, lawyers and correctional officers in the criminal justice system. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-270 | Current Issues in Criminal Justice |
| CRIM-275 | Crime and Violence This course focuses on the outbreak and prevalence of violent crime in the United States as one of the most important social realities of the past 100 years. In addition to a historical review, we will also scrutinize contemporary problems associated with violence. These problems include street violence, terrorism, riots, vigilantism, and how the criminal justice system has attempted to control these problems. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-285 | Minority Groups and the Criminal Justice System This course will investigate the roles played by racial minorities- African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans-- at each level of the criminal justice system in the United States of America and globally. The experience of African Americans will be emphasized since this group has been the subject of more extensive research by criminologists and criminal justice practitioners. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-290 | Computer Crime This course provides definitional, theoretical, and operational context for understanding computer-based competition, conflict and crime in the information age. Students study the history, nature and extent of computer-related crime, as well as differing types of computer criminals, their motivations and the methods they use to threaten, attack, compromise or damage physical, and cyber assets. The course considers legal and regulatory environments and the impact these have on policies and practices related to ethics in the management of information security, data encryption, privacy, and numerous other special topics. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| CRIM-299 | Crime, Justice, and Ethics This course provides an introduction to ethical theories, consideration of justice as operationalized in contemporary criminal justice and emerging issues that accompany technological advancements such as video surveillance. Students will explore how ethical frameworks are embedded, implicitly and explicitly, in fundamental questions that are resolved by police, judges, and prosecutors. Conceptions of justice and criminal justice will be considered as they relate to criminological and criminal justice theories such as Procedural Justice/Legitimacy theories, Restorative Justice, as well as rationales for punishment. Implications for evaluation of technological changes in criminal justice will also be considered from the perspectives of ethical choices. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
| CRIM-310 | Seminar in Law Focuses on the nature, function and limits of the rule of law. This course traces the history and development of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution. This will be accomplished by reading and discussing approximately 100 United States Supreme Court decisions from the early 1900's through the present. Students will also be introduced to the concept of briefing a case. Lecture 3 (Biannual). |
| CRIM-315 | Evidence Provides the student with an awareness of what types of evidence are admissible in a criminal trial. Includes a comprehensive analysis of the most frequently used rules of evidence. There are readings and discussions pertaining to the nature of real, testimonial, hearsay and circumstantial evidence. Examines rules concerning the cross-examination of witnesses, exceptions to the exclusion of hearsay evidence, the burden of proof, the provinces of the judge and of the jury, legal presumptions, and the exclusion of illegally obtained evidence. Lecture 3 (Biannual). |
| CRIM-489 | Major Issues in Criminal Justice Focuses on contemporary issues and topics not otherwise distinctly incorporated in established criminal justice courses. Concentrates on student discussion and interaction surrounding required readings on topics such as crime prevention and issues in the prosecution/court system. Recent examples include cyberlaw, prisoner re-entry restorative justice, wrongful convictions, crime mapping, crime analysis, non-traditional courts, legal controversies in the law, substance abuse, and legal research. (Prerequisites: CRIM-110 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees
The curriculum below outlines the typical course sequence(s) for combined accelerated degrees available with this bachelor's degree.
Criminal Justice, BS/MS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| CRIM-100 | Seminar in Criminal Justice This seminar acquaints students with key resources for understanding and conducting criminal justice research. The course involves extensive reading, writing, and discussion. It covers the principles of the criminal justice system including the relationship between system components, their effectiveness, and theories of operation and reform. Consideration is also given to specific problems within the branches of the criminal justice system. (This course is restricted to CRIM-BS Major students.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice This course provides an introduction to criminal justice. One of the primary goals of this course is to provide a general understanding of how the criminal justice system responds to crime in society. The main component parts of the criminal justice system (i.e., police, courts, and corrections) will be examined with a particular emphasis on developing an understanding of the behavior and interactions among the main actors in the criminal justice system. To accomplish this goal, we will examine how criminal cases are processed in the criminal justice system. We will also consider how external forces, such as political decisions, public opinion, and the media influence criminal justice decision-making. Students will also formulate, argue, and evaluate ethical perspectives regarding criminal justice systems, individual-level decisions, and recognize relationships with other ethical problems in society. Finally, throughout the course we will emphasize how the societal response to crime has evolved over time. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
3 |
| YOPS-010 | RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. (This class is restricted to incoming 1st year or global campus students.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
General Education – Ethical Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Artistic Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Global Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Social Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective† |
3 | |
General Education – First Year Writing (WI) |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| CRIM-300 | Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion and activities associated with a research project, emphasis is placed on the creation of null hypotheses, identification of the relationships among variables, establishment models, and analysis of data using both parametric and non-parametric statistics. Required course for criminal justice majors. (Prerequisites: CRIM-100 and CRIM-110 or equivalent course and at least 3rd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-350 | Theories of Crime and Criminality A comprehensive survey of historical and contemporary theories of the causes of crime. Included are theories that derive from biological, psychological, sociological, geographic, economic, and political perspectives. Development of criminological theory reviewed; fundamental distinctions between classical and positivist theories and between theories of crime and criminality discussed. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-400 | Research Methods This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in social science research methods. Through lecture, discussion, and activities associated with a research proposal, the different methods of conducting research are presented. Stress is on issues of deducting hypotheses from theoretical frameworks, variable construction, experimental design, sampling methodology, and the techniques and methods of data collection. Students will formulate a written research proposal that details a research question and the research question and the research design appropriate for addressing that question. (Prerequisites: CRIM-300 and CRIM-350 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective A |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective B |
3 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Immersion 1, 2 |
6 | |
| Third Year | ||
Criminal Justice Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
General Education – Immersion 3 |
3 | |
Open Electives |
9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| CRIM-500 | Seminar in Criminal Justice and Public Policy (WI-PR) This course provides an overview of the public policy process as it relates to issues of crime and criminal justice. Students will gain an understanding of the socio-political context of criminal justice public policy, the public policy process, and the challenges facing successful policy implementation that are unique to criminal justice. The beginning of the course will emphasize public policy designed to control or limit the behavior and discretionary decisions of criminal justice officials. The remainder of the course will emphasize public policy designed to enhance the control, supervision, and processing of criminal offenders. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Seminar (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-550 | Field Experience Internship practicum for all criminal justice students. Gives the student first-hand experience in the field of criminal justice in an appropriate organization that meets the needs of the student's career objectives. Students are closely supervised at selected organizations, developing their preprofessional skills while learning the organization's programs and methods. (Prerequisites: CRIM-400 or equivalent course.) Internship (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-700 | Pro-Seminar In Criminal Justice Theory In this pro-seminar, students examine the theoretical foundation of criminal justice. This course integrates studies of criminal justice systems, enforcement organizations, judicial decision-making, courtroom communities and correctional systems by focusing on the study of governmental social control premised on punishment or blameworthiness. It examines the underlying causes and patterns of official responses to behavior that may be labeled criminal, and the structures, policies, and practices of criminal justice. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-703 | Advanced Criminology This course will provide students with a detailed understanding of the theories that have guided criminological research and policy. Subject matter will cover the major influences in criminology: the classical school, the Chicago School, strain theories, socialization, and learning theories, and conflict theories, among others. The prerequisite for this course will be a strong undergraduate foundation in theories of crime and criminality. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
Open Electives |
6 | |
Criminal Justice Elective |
3 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| CRIM-701 | Statistics The purpose of this course is to provide students with training in quantitative analysis of social science data. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of techniques, the ability to recognize the appropriate selection of techniques, and the ability to use those statistical measures and interpret their results. Students will gain experience with inferential statistics through the level of commonly used multivariate analyses. The prerequisite for this course will be a strong undergraduate foundation in statistical analysis. With the consent of their adviser and the graduate coordinator, qualified students may substitute more specialized statistics courses or courses in such areas as geographical information systems (GIS). (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-702 | Pro-Seminar in Research Methods This seminar will focus on the principles and techniques of research with a special focus on evaluation research. The course will cover research conceptualization and design, development of appropriate measures, collection and analysis of data using a wide range of methods. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the research process as well as the policy implications and consequences of research and evaluation. Students will also begin to develop a thesis research proposal. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Fall). |
3 |
| CRIM-704 | Crime, Justice and Community This course provides an overview of the role of communities in crime and criminal justice. The course begins by preparing a foundation in community theory. Students will gain an understanding of the critical dimensions and attributes which define community. The course will emphasize how these critical community dimensions are related to both crime and criminal justice. The course will involve an examination of community-based theory and research, with a special emphasis on the criminology of place and how crime and justice patterns are embedded in particular social structures and cultures. We will discuss the extent to which structural characteristics (e.g., poverty, residential mobility, etc.) and social processes (e.g., social capital, collective efficacy, etc.) are related to crime and disorder. The course will also examine the potential that exists within criminal justice to intervene in communities to reduce crime and disorder and build community in the process. Central to this will be a discussion of co-production (i.e., the intersection between formal and informal social control). (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-705 | Interventions and Change in Criminal Justice This course will focus on theory and research regarding the effectiveness of broad anti-crime strategies and specific intervention efforts at the local, state, national and international level. Theoretical explanations of crime and ideological orientations towards crime will be linked with the crime control and prevention strategies associated with those perspectives. Each strategy of crime control/prevention (including deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and community crime prevention) will be assessed in terms of research findings on its effectiveness. Detailed attention will be given to prevention/control strategies aimed at both juvenile and adult offenders. Programs will also be examined in the broader context of the ideology and philosophy of justice. Students will become familiar with the state of the art in crime and justice related interventions by studying the theory, practice and evaluation of contemporary crime and justice interventions. (CRIM-MS) Seminar (Spring). |
3 |
| CRIM-775 | Criminal Justice Capstone The criminal justice capstone involves guided research on a topic approved by the instructor. The capstone requires students to develop, design and complete an original research project. Satisfactory completion involves the execution of a substantial research paper and includes a public oral presentation. Project 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
Electives |
9 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 144 |
|
Please see General Education Curriculum for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Admissions and Financial Aid
First-Year Admission
First-year applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong academic background that includes:
- 4 years of English with a strong performance is expected.
- 3 years of social studies and/or history with a strong performance is expected.
- 3 years of math is required and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry.
- 2-3 years of science.
Transfer Admission
Transfer applicants should meet these minimum degree-specific requirements:
- A minimum of college algebra is required.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.
RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
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Contact
- Heather Roth
- Assistant Director of Recruitment and Retention Outreach
- Dean’s Office
- College of Liberal Arts
- 585‑475‑5456
- hmrgla@rit.edu
Department of Criminal Justice