The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Criminal Justice is a 120-credit program designed to prepare students interested in or currently working in public service, law enforcement, corrections, emergency services and community leadership positions.

The contemporary criminal justice environment is continuously evolving in response to critical social needs and new approaches to policing, addressing criminal behavior, and community/government relations. This program provides a rigorous examination of the social, economic and cultural contexts of criminal justice today from all perspectives. Students will become more effective in their roles within criminal justice and related fields.

The B.S. in Criminal Justice includes a set of required courses that all students must take, along with SUNY General Education and other academic requirements, in order to be eligible to receive a degree. Courses are offered online, through independent studies, or through a blended approach. The required courses for programs in Criminal Justice can be found on the “Program Details” tab.

Students interested in leveraging their law enforcement academy training towards the B.S. in Criminal Justice program should consult with their mentor to explore credit recognition options through individualized Prior Learning Assessment (iPLA) or Professional Learning Evaluation (PLE). This is particularly relevant for graduates from certain New York city and state law enforcement academies, including but not limited to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Suffolk County Police Department. Moreover, training completed with agencies following the Municipal Police Training Council's curriculum may also be eligible for consideration.

Our evaluation process is designed to map specific academy training components against our program's course requirements, potentially allowing for course substitutions and credit allocation. Below are examples of course substitutions previously approved for academy-trained professionals:

Criminal Justice Course Substitutions

Course Substitutions for Criminal Justice Program - MPTC (PDF 99kB)

Course Substitutions for Criminal Justice Program-NYPD (PDF 91kB)

Course Substitutions for Criminal Justice Program-SCPD (PDF 78kB)

For more information about general undergraduate degree requirements, please visit Earning an Undergraduate Degree.

Program Details

Students pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice must complete the following courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
CRJS 1005	Introduction to Criminal Justice	4
CRJS 3009	Criminal Law & Procedure	4
CRJS 3065	Race Crime & Justice	4
or CRJS 4025	Police Community Relations
CRJS 4005	American Corrections	4
PAFF 4132	Legal & Ethical Foundations of Public Service	4
SOCI 1005	Exploring Society: An Introduction to Sociology	4
SOSC 3025	Social Science Research Methods	4
or SOSC 2010	Statistics for the Social Sciences
or CRJS 3030	Criminal Investigation
or SOSC 3020	Qualitative Social Science Research: Design & Methods
CRJS 3005	Alternatives to Incarceration	4
CRJS 2005	Introduction to Criminology: Theorizing Crime	4
CRJS 3015	Courts & the Administration of Justice	4
Total Credits		40

Advanced- level electives

Students will be asked to complete two additional advanced-level courses chosen from the list below in consultation with a faculty mentor. The list below includes some of the available choices:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
CRJS 3020	Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis	4
CRJS 3045	Forensic Science	4
CRJS 3050	Juvenile Justice & Delinquency	4
CRJS 4010	Comparative Criminal Justice Systems	4
CRJS 4030	Women Crime & Criminology	4
INFT 3020	Cyber Crime & Computer Forensics	4
SOCI 3040	Deviance & Social Control	4
SOCI 4030	Power & Privilege	4
CRJS 3036	Principles of Fraud Examination & Financial Forensics	4
CRJS 3055	Organized Crime	4
CRJS 4015	Criminal Justice Management & Policy	4
ECON 3035	Economics of Crime	4
INFT 3010	Advanced Digital Crime & Digital Terrorism	4
LEST 3015	Mental Health & The Law	4
PAFF 3005	Terrorism & Homeland Security	4
PAFF 4005	Counterterrorism in a Changing World	4
PSYC 4080	Forensic Psychology	4
SOCI 3065	Perspectives on Terrorism	4
SOCI 3145	Violence: Systems & Solutions	4
SOSC 3010	Family Violence: Legal & Social Perspectives	4

*Note that some prior learning may substitute for some required courses. Faculty review and approval is required before a substitution can be made.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to describe the function and structure of the criminal justice system in the United States of America.
• Students will be able to articulate and discuss the basic ethical dilemmas and issues in criminal justice.
• Students will be able to discuss the relationship between the legal system, criminal justice system, and political system.
• Students will be able to conduct research or investigation in criminal justice.
• Students will be able to explain the role of diverse experiences, perspectives, and identities in the American criminal justice system.
• Students will be able to compare alternative approaches to addressing criminal activity.