Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice

  • Overview

    The Criminal Justice program at William Peace University will provide you with the skills to analyze and understand crime and criminal behavior as well as law and law enforcement.

    Perhaps you see yourself as an agent in the FBI, Homeland Security, or Secret Service, serving your community as a police officer, or speaking for a defendant in court. As a Criminal Justice major at WPU, you will benefit from an interdisciplinary approach to the elements of crime and the criminal justice system, covering areas from forensic science to social work, juvenile justice, and the social sciences. With our focus on experiential learning, you will have ample opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting.

    In fact, WPU’s criminal justice (CJ) degree program offers a distinct advantage in that regard – strong ties to the criminal justice community. Our downtown Raleigh campus is just blocks away from various law enforcement agencies, the State General Assembly, the court system, and law offices. With over 150 years of experience in the downtown Raleigh area, William Peace University and its advisors have professional relationships that few can match.

    Our graduates have gone on to secure career positions in business, government, social service agencies, and health care. Whether you are curious about crime scene investigations, have a general interest in public safety or criminology, or want to go to law school, the CJ program at WPU can open the door to a wide array of career opportunities.

    Criminal Justice BA Sample Four-Year Plan

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    Study Criminal Justice at William Peace University
  • Courses

    The courses listed below are for the Academic Catalog and are subject to change. Please reference the Academic Catalog for further information and course descriptions. If you are a current student, please reference the catalog in which you come under.

    Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

    Liberal Education Curriculum 49-50 credit hours
    Criminal Justice Core Courses 21 credit hours
    Criminal Justice Elective Courses 18 credit hours
    General Electives 31-32 credit hours
    Total credit hours for the B.A. in Criminal Justice 120 credit hours

     

    Criminal Justice Core Courses 21 credit hours
    CRJ 201: Introduction to Criminal Justice 3
    CRJ 205: Criminal Investigations I 3
    PSC 220: Introduction to Public Administration 3
    PSY 240: Abnormal Psychology 3
    PSC 270: Law and the Legal System 3
    PSY 343: Psychology and the Law 3
    CRJ 480: Capstone in Criminal Justice 3
    Criminal Justice Elective Courses (choose 6)  18 credit hours
    ANT 330: Forensic Anthropology 3
    ANT 368: American Ethnic Relations 3
    CRJ 305: Criminal Investigations II 3
    CRJ 395: Special Topics in Criminal Justice 3
    HIS 348: History of the South Since 1865 3
    PDS 491: Academic Internship II 3
    PSC 360: Public Policy Research Methods 3
    PSC 370: Constitutional Law 3
    PSY 230: Personality Psychology 3
    PSY 330: Social Psychology 3
    PSY 341: Child, Family, and Youth Services 3
    PSY 360: Family Psychology 3
    PSY 361: Violence in the Family 3

     

    General Electives 31-32 credit hours
    Must complete 31-32 elective credit hours 31-32

     

    Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

    Students who transfer to William Peace University with an Associate of Applied Science follow the track below.

    Associate of Applied Science 67 credit hours
    Liberal Education Program 32 credit hours
    CRJ Major Requirements 12 credit hours
    General Electives 9 credit hours
    Total credit hours for the B.S. in Criminal Justice 120 credit hours

     

    Liberal Education Requirements 32 credit hours
    Four (4) CTC Liberal Education Requirement courses,
    including 1 NW
    3
    Any 200-level ENG course 3
    Any 300-level ENG course 3
    ENG 400L: Senior Writing Lab 3
    MAT 201: Introduction to Statistics 3
    PDS 300:Workplace Connections 3
    PDS 490: Academic Internship I 3
    PHL 400: Senior Interdisciplinary Ethics Seminar 3
    REL 111, 114, 124, 221, 231, or 241 3

     

    CRJ MAJOR REQUIREMENTS 12 CREDIT HOURS
    Three (3) 300+ level Criminal Justice electives
    CRJ 480: Capstone in Criminal Justice

     

    GENERAL ELECTIVES 9 CREDIT HOURS

    Minor

    Minor in Criminal Justice 21 Credit Hours
    CRJ 201: Introduction to Criminal Justice 3
    PSY 240: Abnormal Psychology 3
    PSC 270: Law and the Legal System 3
    PSY 343: Psychology and the Law 3
    Criminal Justice and Behavior (choose one course)
    PSY 341: Child, Family, and Youth Services 3
    PSY 361: Violence and the Family 3
    Criminal Justice in the Courtroom (choose one course)
    PSY 230: Personality Psychology 3
    PSY 311: Cognitive Psychology 3
    PSY 330: Social Psychology 3
    PSC 370: Constitutional Law 3
    Culture and Ethics (choose one course)
    PHL 201: Introduction to Philosophy 3
    ANT 368: American Ethnic Relations 3
  • Faculty
    Beth Kusko
    Associate Professor of Political Science; Program Director of Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Pre-Law
Image of a gavel to promote the Criminal Justice program at WPU.
WPU alum Hunter Allen.
#PrepareAtPeace

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