The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Criminology and Criminal Justice is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for engaged citizenship; scholarship; justice careers in private and public organizations; and advanced studies in criminology, law, criminal justice, social research, and public administration. Those graduates with records of high achievement in the justice undergraduate program are prepared to pursue advanced education in graduate, law and professional degree programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage and other universities. Graduates who receive a BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice have the specialized knowledge and skills required for the evaluation, administration and improvement of police, court, and correctional policies and organizations.
Admission Requirements
-
Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- All justice majors must complete the Criminology and Criminal Justice Exit Examination. No minimum score is needed for graduation.
- Complete the following major requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| JUST A110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| JUST A175 | Introduction to Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| JUST A200 | Introduction to Research Methods in Justice | 3 |
| JUST A201 | Justice Data Analysis | 3 |
| JUST A221 | Dynamics of Criminal Justice Organizations | 3 |
| JUST A251 | Theories of Crime and Criminal Offending | 3 |
| JUST A320 | Crime Prevention | 3 |
| JUST A330 | Ethics in Criminal Justice Practice and Policy | 3 |
| JUST A333 | Crime Victimization and Justice | 3 |
| JUST A334 | Police and Society | 3 |
| LEGL A352 | Criminal Law: Murder, Robbery, and Other Crimes | 3 |
| JUST A360 | Justice Theory and Policy Analysis | 3 |
| JUST/LEGL A374 | The Courts | 3 |
| JUST A384 | Contemporary Corrections | 3 |
| Complete 15 credits of Justice (JUST) or Legal Studies (LEGL) electives; 12 credits must be upper-division 1 | 15 | |
- 1
Legal Studies (LEGL) courses fulfill the criminology and criminal justice elective requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice except where the student has elected a Bachelor of Arts or Minor in Legal Studies. Legal Studies (LEGL) courses cannot be used (counted twice) to meet both the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or Minor in Legal Studies, and the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Only 6 credits of JUST A490 may be counted toward the criminology and criminal justice electives required for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division.
Honors in Criminology and Criminal Justice
The Justice Center awards departmental honors for outstanding achievement in the study of justice. Students majoring in criminology and criminal justice are eligible to graduate with criminology and criminal justice honors upon satisfactory completion of all of the following requirements:
- Meet the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice;
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 and a minimum GPA of 3.50 for the criminology and criminal justice major; and
- Complete a criminology and criminal justice GER integrated capstone, e.g. JUST A460, with a minimum grade of A.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice will be able to:
- Assess and critique the structure, operation, and administration of the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
- Explain the essential principles of criminology and criminal justice research and evaluate the results of social science research.
- Assess and critique the different theoretical perspectives in criminology.
- Evaluate methods of crime control and prevention.
- Describe processes of criminal justice policy development and the requirements of evidence-based policymaking.
- Evaluate the historical and contemporary philosophies of criminal justice.
- Describe the justice, health, and safety impacts of crime victimization on individuals and communities.