Whether you plan a career in advocacy, teaching, law enforcement, academics or the law, a major in criminal justice at Elmhurst provides the skills you need to take the next step.
What is a criminal justice major? Built on a strong foundation in the social sciences, the program combines courses in criminal justice with related courses in sociology, as well as electives in political science, philosophy, psychology, communications and computer science.
Criminal Justice Major Requirements
The criminal justice major consists of the following 11 required courses and recommended electives:
Required Core Courses
- CJ 100 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
- CJ 308 Theories of Criminology
- CJ/SOC 323 Methods of Social Research
- CJ 496 Capstone Seminar
- MTH 345 Elementary Statistics
or MTH 346 Statistics for Scientists
or PSY 355 Statistics for Scientific Research
Criminology Category
Must take three of the following; only one course may be from outside of the Criminal Justice Program:
- SOC 301 Social Problems
- SOC 304 Race and Ethnic Relations
- CJ 319 Juvenile Delinquency
- CJ 340 Gender and Crime
- CJ 350 Social and Criminal Justice Policy
- CJ 351 Communities and Crime
Criminal Justice Category
Must take three of the following; only one course may be from outside of the Criminal Justice Program:
- CJ 210 Policing and Society
- CJ 215 Corrections
- CJ 320 Organized and White Collar Crime
- CJ 330 Criminal Investigation
- CJ 340 Gender and Crime
- CJ 352 Criminal Justice Ethics
- CJ 411 Criminal Law and Procedure
- POL 240 Law and Politics
Recommended Electives
- CS 220 Computer Science I
- CS 409 Computer Security & Risk Management
- BUS 263 Accounting and Financial Management for Nonbusiness Majors
- GEO 207 Fundamentals of GIS
- GEO 302 Urban Applications of GIS
- CHN 101/102 Elementary Chinese
- CHN 201/202 Intermediate Chinese
- ICS 270 Introduction to Intercultural Studies (.50 Credit)
- ICS 271 Intermediate Intercultural Studies (.50 Credit)
- PHL 315 Philosophy of Law
- POL 202 American State and Local Government
- POL 360 Public Policy and Administration
- POL 412 Constitutional Law: Civil Rights
- PSY 210 Introduction to Psychological Science
Additional Courses
A student may apply credits from the courses below to the Criminology or Criminal Justice categories based on the class, research, or field work topics, as approved by the Department.
- CJ 480 Selected Topics in Criminal Justice
- CJ 490 Independent Field Work
- CJ 491 Independent Research
- CJ 492 Independent Study
- CJ 495 Honors Independent Research
Students seeking a bachelor of science, rather than a bachelor of arts degree, must take any two mathematics courses offered by the Department of Mathematics except MTH 325, 326, 440 and 441.
At least six of the required courses must be taken at Elmhurst University. Courses in criminal justice may be accepted from other colleges. A student may apply credits from the courses to the Criminology or Criminal Justice categories based on the class, research, or field work topics, as approved by the Department. A grade of C- or better is necessary to satisfy major, minor, and prerequisite requirements.
This curriculum was implemented in the Fall of the 2020 academic year. Students who began coursework with Elmhurst prior to that semester should follow the requirements outlined in the Academic Calendar for their entry year.