Criminal Justice & Criminology Degree Plan

Degree Options

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice & Criminology

Minors

Criminal Justice and Criminology

Program Strengths

  • Graduates from our program receive a bachelor of arts in criminal justice and criminology. This differentiates WSU’s program from other programs where criminal justice may be an emphasis area under another degree field rather than its own stand-alone degree.
  • Our criminal justice and criminology degree involves a policy- and theory-based curriculum drawing from the social sciences, specifically from the areas of sociology, psychology, and political science. It is not a vocational/technical program, unlike programs found at some other schools.
  • Our department is the oldest existing criminal justice and criminology program in the nation, established back in 1943 as the Department of Police Science.
  • The criminal justice national honor society, Alpha Phi Sigma, was founded here at WSU and has grown to over 550 chapters nationwide.
  • The department emphasizes learning beyond the classroom by encouraging students to participate in study abroad programs, research assistantships, and internships.

Admission to the Major Requirements

A student may be admitted as a Criminal Justice & Criminology major upon completing Crm J 101 and have an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Suggested Classes for Freshmen

  • Crm J 101: Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice
  • Crm J 201: Introduction to Criminological Theory
  • Crm J 205: Advancing Justice: Addressing Power and Inequity in the Justice System
  • Suggested Classes for Transfer Students
  • Crm J 101: Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice
  • Crm J 201: Introduction to Criminological Theory
  • Crm J 311: Research Methods for Criminal Justice
  • Crm J 320: Criminal Law

Math Requirement

Any UCORE, most commonly:

  • Math 105: Exploring Mathematics
  • Fin 223: Personal Finance
  • Phil 201: Elementary Logic

Core Courses for the Major

  • Crm J 101: Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice
  • Crm J 201: Introduction to Criminological Theory
  • Crm J 311: Research Methods for Criminal Justice
  • Crm J 320: Criminal Law
  • Crm J 321: Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice
  • Crm J 480: Senior Capstone in Criminal Justice and Criminology (various topics)

Experiential Learning Opportunities in Criminal Justice and Criminology

The following are some of the various competitive internships that students have participated and earned credits applicable toward their degree.

  • WSU Police Cadet Program: This is a competitive internship program. Selected students participate in a mini version of the police academy and are exposed to day-to-day policing operations.
  • ASWSU Student Legal Services: This is a student-run program offering free legal advice to current WSU students
  • WA State Legislative Internship Program: Interns will work full-time during the spring semester in Olympia either with the Senate or House of Representatives.
  • Complex Social Interactions Lab: Research internship program during which students learn how to code police body-worn camera footage and participate in a large research project.

Faculty-led Study Abroad Program

A faculty member in the department leads a group of selected students during the week of Spring Break. Students will have the opportunity to learn about other criminal justice systems. Programs alternate visits to England (London) and The Netherlands (Amsterdam, The Hague) every other year.

Research

Selected students have the opportunity to work on current research with a faculty member.

Student Clubs

  • Alpha Phi Sigma (The National Criminal Justice Honor Society)
  • Minimum 3.2 CUM GPA & completion of four Crm J courses required.
  • The Criminal Justice Club – Open to all Crm J majors regardless of GPA or class standing.

Career Options

  • Law enforcement
  • Crime analysis
  • Corrections (institutional or community-based)
  • Victim advocacy
  • Child protective services
  • Border security
  • Cyber-crime prevention
  • Security loss prevention
  • Private security
  • Court administration
  • Law

For more information

crmj.wsu.edu
crmj@wsu.edu
509-335-8611

Download this degree plan (PDF)

Advisors

Students whose last name begins with A – O

Rebecca Auliye
rebecca.auliye@wsu.edu
104 Wilson-Short
509-335-5467

Students whose last name begins with P – Z

Sisouvanh Keopanapay
siskeo@wsu.edu
104 Wilson-Short
509-335-1204