CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Associate Professor Peter Gregware, department head
Professors Mays, Winfree; Associate Professor Gray, Maupin; Assistant Professors Bejarano, Bond-Maupin, Crowley, Mentor; Assistant College Professors Akins, DiMatteo
(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 fields of forensics, security, and intelligence. Graduates have also been successful in law school and graduate programs in criminal justice. The undergraduate major consists of at least 36 credits in the major field, 21 of which must be numbered 300 or above (excluding C J 393, Internshipin Criminal Justice).
The department offers two minors. The first is a minor in Security Technology and Intelligence Studies offered in conjunction with the Department of Engineering Technology. It consists of eighteen credits of approved course work in criminal justice and engineering technology. The second is an interdisciplinary minor in Forensic Sciences. Students interested in either of these minors 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 28 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................................................. 3
C J 301, Advanced Research Methods (or any statistics class).......................... 3
C J 449, Senior Seminar ........................................................................................................ 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 from two different colleges other than the College of Arts and Sciences.
A student must earn a C or better to receive credit for any departmental and nondepartmental requirement for both the BCJ and ACJ degrees.
General Electives: Sufficient to bring the total credits to 128, including 54 upper-division credits.
DEGREE: ASSOCIATE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The Department of Criminal Justice also offers an Associate in CriminalJustice 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 with a grade of C or better, (2) completing SPAN 213 with a grade of C or better, (3) completing C D 374 and 375 with a grade of C or better,(4) completing two years of the same language in high school with a grade of C or better in the second year, or (5) 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 pursuing a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree will need to complete all second language requirements for that degree. Students earning an Associate's Degreein Criminal Justice or an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice at any accredited college or university and who have earned a C or higher in their criminal justice courses are considered to have completed the required lower division courses in Criminal Justice.
Students must complete the last 15 semester credits at New Mexico State University(including branch campuses).