2000-2001 Undergraduate Catalog College of Arts and Sciences - Criminal Justice

Associate Professor Peter Gregware, department head

Professors Mays, Winfree; Associate Professor Gray; Assistant Professors Crowley, Maupin, Mentor

(505) 646-3316

DEGREE: Bachelor of Criminal Justice
DEGREE: Associate in Criminal Justice

The criminal justice degree plan is broadly interdisciplinary in nature embracing the study of the humanities, law, natural, behavioral and social sciences. The curriculum seeks to balance theoretical inquiry with applied knowledge.

Students are prepared for careers in law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, work with juveniles, and the related field of industrial and institutional security. Graduates have also been successful in law school and graduate programs in criminal justice. The undergraduate major consists of at least 37 credits in the major field, 22 of which must be numbered 300 or above (excluding C J 393, Internship in Criminal Justice).

The department, in conjunction with the Department of Engineering Technology, also offers a minor in Security Technology. The minor consists of eighteen credits of approved course work in criminal justice and engineering technology. Interested students should consult with the department head.

DEGREE: Bachelor of Criminal Justice

Lower Division (100- and 200-level) Departmental Requirements

C J 101, Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
C J 205, Criminal Law I	3
C J 210, American Law Enforcement Systems	3
C J 230, Introduction to Corrections	3
C J 250, Courts and the Criminal Justice System	3

General Electives: Sufficient to bring the total to 66 for the first two years.

Admission to Upper-division Criminal Justice Program:

Students planning to earn the Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) degree at New Mexico State University are advised first by the Arts and Sciences Advising Center and then, after completion of 27 credits, by the department's faculty advisers. After completing all requirements for the Associate in Criminal Justice degree (see below), students may apply for admission to the major. However, the admission process is competitive. Students interested in the BCJ degree should consult with the department head for details. Transfer students with more than 66 credits from other units of NMSU and from other institutions are also assigned to the department head for advising until they complete the admission process or one year, whichever occurs first.

NOTE: To facilitate admission to the major, students are encouraged to apply for the Associate in Criminal Justice degree in the semester in which they complete all requirements for that degree.

Upper-Division (300- and 400-level) Departmental Requirements:

C J 300, Introduction to Criminal Justice Research	4
C J 449, Senior Seminar	3
C J 480, Criminal Justice Planning and Crime Analysis	3
Criminal Justice Electives: 4 upper-division criminal justice courses (not to include C J 393, Internship in Criminal Justice, or any criminal justice required course)	12

Nondepartmental Requirements

Students seeking the BCJ degree must complete the College of Arts and Sciences second language requirement (see second language requirement under "College Degree Requirement" section of this catalog) and two Viewing a Wider World courses, one each of two different colleges other than the College of Arts and Sciences.

General Electives: Sufficient to bring the total credits to 128, including 55 upper-division credits.

DEGREE: ASSOCIATE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The Department of Criminal Justice also offers an Associate in Criminal Justice degree (ACJ). Successful candidates for this degree must complete all required Criminal Justice lower-division courses, all university general education lower-division courses, and all Arts and Sciences core courses. In addition, students seeking the ACJ degree must fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences second language requirement by (1) completing a second language through the 112 level, (2) completing SPAN 213, or (3) fulfilling one of the other alternative methods (See second language requirement under the "College Degree Requirement" section of this chapter). Besides these criteria, students must take sufficient general electives to bring the total to 66 credits for the ACJ degree.

Students must complete the last 15 semester credits at New Mexico State University (including branch campuses).