Undergraduate Program
The Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) may be earned through the Department of Criminal Justice at New Mexico State University. General admission requirements for New Mexico State University .
All students earning the BCJ must complete the General Education Requirements for your catalog year.
In addition, all students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours within the Department of Criminal Justice that includes 5 (15 credits) required lower division courses, 3 (9 credits) required upper division courses, and a minimum of 4 (12 credits) upper division elective courses. A detailed outline is displayed below.
Bachelor of Criminal Justice Curriculum
Required Courses:
Lower Division
Must be Completed Prior to Taking Upper Division Courses
- CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice - prerequisite for all other CJ courses
- CJ 205 Criminal Law I
- CJ 210 American Law Enforcement Systems
- CJ 230 Introduction to Corrections
- CJ 250 Courts and the Criminal Justice System
Upper Division
- CJ 300 Introduction to Criminal Justice Research (May substitute SOC 352, GOV 300, PSY 310, or SWK 467)
- CJ 301 Advanced Research Methods (May substitute any Introductory Statistics course)
- CJ 449 Senior Seminar - To be completed during the Senior year (90 or more earned credit hours)
Electives
Must complete 4 (12 credits) upper division elective courses (courses numbered 300 or higher) in addition to those listed above. CJ 393 Internship cannot be used to satisfy this requirement but may be used to satisfy the University requirement of 48 upper division credit hours.
Complete second language through the 212 (213) level; or MATH 192.
Second language can be waived with 3 credits in a single language from high school.
Complete statewide common core courses.
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Advising
Advising is required for each BCJ major through the sophomore year, 60 completed credits. After earning 60 credits advising is optional. Each BCJ major is assigned an advisor upon entering the major and typically works with the same advisor until the BCJ is completed.
The Department of Criminal Justice also participates in two interdisciplinary minors, a Minor in Security Technology and Intelligence Studies and a Minor in Forensic Science. Each minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours to be selected from a prescribed group of courses. The course curriculum for each minor appears below.
Minor in Security Technology and Intelligence Studies
A student must pass 18 credits with a grade of C or higher as outlined below. No courses may be taken S/U. A student must register in the minor before enrolling in any upper division Criminal Justice courses.
1. All Students Must Complete the Following (3 credits):
ET/ICT 456 Analysis of Physical Security Systems
2. Any Two CJ Courses From the Following (6 credits):
CJ 321 Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
CJ 412 Introduction to Security Technology and Loss Prevention
CJ 425 Ethics in Criminal Justice
3. One of the Following ET Courses (3 credits):
ET/ICT 457 Introduction to Information Security
ET/ICT 458 Database Design and Application
4. Any Two Courses from the Following, or Any Courses listed in #2 and #3 Not Completed (6 credits):
CJ 322 Organized Crime
CJ 411 Nature of Crime
CJ 432 Issues in Criminal Justice to be Approved by CJ Department Head
CJ 480 Criminal Justice Planning & Crime Analysis
CJ 483 Terrorists
CJ 484 Hate Crimes & Domestic Terrorism
ET/ICT 339 Computer Forensics
ET/ICT 377 Computer Networking (for use by students not majoring in ETE)
ET/ICT 490 Selected Topics to be Approved by ET Department Head
Three upper division CJ courses may meet three of the six credit Viewing a Wider World requirement for students majoring outside of the Col. of Arts & Sciences. Three upper division ET courses may meet three of the six credit Viewing a Wider World requirement for students majoring outside of the Col. of Engineering.
Minor in Forensic Science
Forensic Science involves the application of the principles and techniques of scientific analysis in a legal context. Forensic scientists study physical evidence to resolve issues involving criminal investigations, environmental analyses, and similar areas of research.
A student must complete 18 credits with grades of C or higher as discussed below in order to receive the Forensic Science minor. No courses may be taken S/U. Students must take at least 6 credits from outside their major(s). At least 9 credits in any minor must be upper division. Courses marked with asterisks have prerequisites. Students must be registered in the minor in order to enroll in any Criminal Justice courses.
These courses represent the minimum requirements for a minor. Students interested in a career in Forensic Science are encouraged to take additional courses from among the courses listed below.
I. CORE
Students must complete 6 credits from among the following courses:
CJ 306 Criminal Procedure
CJ 307 Law of Evidence
CJ 321 Criminal Investigation
CJ 424 Forensic Law
TOX 453 Regulatory Toxicology
II. TRACKS
Students must complete 9 credits from one of the following tracks; Track A - Laboratory Analysis,
Track B - Human Forensic Analysis, Track C - Forensic Psychology, or Track D - General.
A. Laboratory Analysis
BIOL 219* Public Health Microbiology
BIOL 221/221L* General Microbiology/Lab or BIOL 311/311L*, General Microbiology/Lab
BIOL 254/254L* Human Physiology/Lab or BIOL 354/354L*, Physiology of Humans
BCHE 395* Biochemistry
BCHE 396* Biochemistry and Biotechnology
CHEM 371* Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 421* Instrumental Analysis
TOX 361* Basic Toxicology
TOX 423* Environmental Toxicology
PHYS 211/L General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory (total 4 credits)
PHYS 304 Forensics Physics
Honors, Special Topics, or Independent Studies courses if approved by Head, Department of
Criminal Justice
B. Human Forensic Analysis
Required:
ANTH 430 Human Osteology and Forensic Anthropology; or
ANTH 474* Human Osteology
Complete at least 6 credits from:
ANTH 130G Human's Place in Nature
ANTH 315 Introduction to Archaeology
ANTH 355 Introduction to Physical Anthropology
ANTH 357G Medical Anthropology
ANTH 388 Archaeology Field School
ANTH 398 Historical Archaeology Field School
ANTH XXX Dental Anthropology (currently offered as ANTH 497)
BIOL 253* Human Anatomy (4 credits)
ANTH 477* Fauna Analysis
PHYS 304 Forensics Physics
Honors, Special Topics, or Independent Studies courses if approved by Head, Department of
Criminal Justice
C. Forensic Psychology
Required:
PSY 330* Psychology and the Law; or
CJ 346 Psychology and the Justice System
Complete at least 3 credits from each of the following areas:
Principles of Behavior
PSY 317* Social Psychology
PSY 321* Personality
PSY 324* Sexual Behavior
PSY 358* Individual and Group Differences
PSY 376* Evolutionary Psychology
Psychological Treatment
PSY 302* Abnormal Psychology
PSY 303* Community Psychology
PSY 362* Behavior Modification
PSY 374* Psychopharmacology and Toxicology
PSY 445* Clinical Psychology
D. General Track
Complete 9 credits from among:
ANTH 430 Human Osteology or Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 474* Human Osteology
CJ 306 Criminal Procedure
CJ 307 Law of Evidence
CJ 321 Criminal Investigation
CJ 346 Psychology and the Justice System
CJ 424 Forensic Law
PSY 330* Psychology and the Law
PHYS 304 Forensics Physics
TOX 361* Basic Toxicology
One of: *BIOL 219, Public Health Microbiology or *BIOL 311/L,
General Microbiology/Lab
One of: BIOL 253*, Human Anatomy or BIOL 322*, Zoology, or
BIOL 330*, Comparative Anatomy and Embryology
III. Additional Coursework
One course from areas I or II above not already taken, or Honors, Special Topics, or Independent
Studies courses if approved by Head, Department of Criminal Justice
* Prerequisites include:
ANTH 477 ANTH 370 or ANTH 474, and ANTH 315
BCHE 395 CHEM 112 or CHEM 116, CHEM 313, and CHEM 314
BCHE 396 BCHE 395, and CHEM 112 or CHEM 116, CHEM 313, and CHEM 314
BIOL 219 BIOL 211G and BIOL 211L
BIOL 221 CHEM 112, and BIOL 190 or BIOL 211G and BIOL 211L
BIOL 221L BIOL 219 or BIOL 221
BIOL 253 BIOL 190 (C or better) or BIOL 211G (C or better), and CHEM 110G or CHEM 111
BIOL 254 BIOL 190 or BIOL 211G and BIOL 211L, and CHEM 110G or CHEM 111
BIOL 254L Corequisite for BIOL 254
BIOL 311 BIOL 211G
BIOL 311L BIOL 219 or BIOL 311 or concurrent enrollment
BIOL 322 BIOL 111G or BIOL 190 and at least sophomore standing
BIOL 330 BIOL 190 or BIOL 111G and BIOL 211G
BIOL 354 BIOL 211G
CHEM 371 CHEM 112
CHEM 421 CHEM 371, and PHYS 212 or PHYS 216
PSY 302 PSY201G
PSY303 PSY 201G
PSY 317 PSY 201G, and one of PSY 310 or PSY 355, and one of STAT 251, STAT 271, or EST 311G
PSY 321 PSY 201G, and one of PSY 310 or PSY 355, and one of STAT 251, STAT 271, or EST 311G
PSY 324 PSY 201G
PSY 325 PSY 201G
PSY 330 PSY 201G
PSY 358 PSY201G, and one of PSY 310 or PSY 355, and one of STAT 251, STAT 271, or EST 311G; or consent of instructor
PSY 362 PSY 201G, and one of PSY 310 or PSY 355, and one of STAT 251, STAT 271, or E ST 311G; or consent of instructor
PSY 374 PSY 201G
PSY 376 PSY 201G, and one of PSY 310 or PSY 355, and one of STAT 251, STAT 271, or E ST 311G; or consent of instructor
PSY 417G Psy 201G
PSY 445 PSY 201G, PSY 302, and one of PSY 310 or PSY 355, and one of STAT 251, STAT 271, or E STAT 311G; or consent of instructor
TOX 361 CHEM 112, CHEM 114 or 110G. BIOL 111G or 211G recommended.
TOX 423 TOX 361 or 461
IV. ADDITIONAL COURSE
Complete one course from areas I or II above not already completed, or Honors, Special Topics, or Independent Studies course if approved by Academic Head, Department of Criminal Justice.
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* Requires one or more prerequisites. Consult undergraduate catalog for list of prerequisites.