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 Criminology and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| JUST A201 | Data Analysis in Criminology and Criminal Justice | 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 |
| JUST A360 | Justice Theory and Policy Analysis | 3 |
| JUST/LEGL A374 | The Courts | 3 |
| JUST A384 | Contemporary Corrections | 3 |
| LEGL A352 | Criminal Law: Murder, Robbery, and Other Crimes | 3 |
| Complete 15 credits of Criminology and Criminal Justice (JUST) electives; 12 credits must be upper-division 1 | 15 | |
- 1
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.
Sample Plan
The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.
Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.
- Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
- GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
- Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
- Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
- Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
- Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| JUST A110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| JUST A175 | Introduction to Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| GER Oral Communication Skills | 3 | |
| GER Quantitative Skills | 3 | |
| GER Written Communication Skills | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| JUST A221 | Dynamics of Criminal Justice Organizations | 3 |
| JUST A251 | Theories of Crime and Criminal Offending | 3 |
| GER Humanities | 3 | |
| GER Written Communication Skills | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| JUST A200 | Introduction to Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| JUST A330 | Ethics in Criminal Justice Practice and Policy | 3 |
| GER Humanities | 3 | |
| GER Natural Sciences w/Lab | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| JUST A201 | Data Analysis in Criminology and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| JUST A320 | Crime Prevention | 3 |
| LEGL A352 | Criminal Law: Murder, Robbery, and Other Crimes | 3 |
| GER Fine Arts | 3 | |
| GER Natural Sciences | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| JUST A334 | Police and Society | 3 |
| JUST A360 | Justice Theory and Policy Analysis | 3 |
| JUST A384 | Contemporary Corrections | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| JUST A333 | Crime Victimization and Justice | 3 |
| JUST A374 | The Courts | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| JUST A355 | Rural Justice | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GER Integrative Capstone | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 121 | |