The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice provides students with the knowledge, skills and professional abilities relevant to the criminal justice field, as well as a strong liberal arts component that develops communications skills, information literacy, abstract thinking and critical analysis and fosters historical, political and social awareness. Students will explore the theoretical, operational and legal components of law enforcement and the prevention, adjudication and correction of juvenile and adult crime. Graduates are prepared for careers in the public or private sector of criminal justice or cybercrime and security.
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program offers area concentrations that enable students to tailor their degrees to their careers and educational goals. Concentrations include:
Disclaimers
*Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice: This concentration is only available online.
**Probation and Parole: This concentration is available online only in New Jersey.
Completion of the Strayer University Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program does not guarantee that a student has met the requirements for employment in the criminal justice field. Prior to enrolling in the program, students are encouraged to consult the applicable licensing board in the field of their employment. Students should be advised that many criminal justice employers take into account the following factors when determining eligibility for employment: U.S. citizenship, state residency, criminal background screening, physical and psychological health, age and military discharge information. Links to the most commonly requested information for regulated professions are available on the Strayer website at https://www.strayer.edu/student-consumer-information/licensed-careers.
The university recognizes that the information technology (IT) industry uses IT certifications as a means of vetting potential IT professionals in the fields of network security and cybersecurity. Therefore, a number of carefully chosen courses have embedded IT certification training along with academic rigor in order to prepare students for certification. Review the undergraduate-level CIS course descriptions in the course descriptions section of this catalog to determine which courses in this program have certification training availability and the requirements associated with each course. Certifications are the best means of validating a student's skills and knowledge.
Requirements
Area I – Core Component
| BUS 100 | Introduction to Business | |
| CIS 105 | Introduction to Information Systems | |
| COM 101 | Effective Communication Skills | |
| CRJ 100 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | |
| ENG 115 | English Composition | |
| MAT 104 | Algebra with Applications | |
| LEG 100 | Business Law I | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 31.5 |
Area II – Major Component
| CRJ 105 | Crime and Criminal Behavior | |
| CRJ 180 | Juvenile Delinquency and Justice | |
| CRJ 220 | Ethics and Leadership in Criminal Justice | |
| CRJ 317 | Criminal Justice Technology | |
| CRJ 320 | Criminal Investigation | |
| CRJ 325 | Criminal Procedure | |
| CRJ 499 | Undergraduate Capstone in Criminal Justice | |
| LEG 320 | Criminal Law | |
| SOC 205 | Society, Law and Government | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 40.5 |
Area II – Concentration Component
Students must choose one of the concentrations listed to complete the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
Area III – General Education Component
Area IV – Elective Component
These courses are selected in consultation with a dean, advisor or coach; within this component it is possible for students to develop a minor in a second area of study (see Minors). Students attending New Jersey campuses must take five electives from the General Studies disciplines listed in the catalog: Economics, English, Foreign Language, History, Humanities, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science and Sociology.
Area II – Concentration Requirements
Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice Concentration*
The Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice concentration integrates cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence into the field of criminal justice. Students will gain a deep understanding of AI, its history, applications across the criminal justice system, and ethical considerations. This concentration equips graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the intersection of AI and criminal justice, making them well- prepared for the evolving landscape of law enforcement, crime prevention and many other criminal justice applications.
| CIS 211 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | |
| CIS 214 | Introduction to Prompt Engineering | |
| CIS 365 | Advanced Artificial Intelligence Applications | |
| CRJ 315 | Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18.0 |
*Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice: This concentration is only available online.
Probation and Parole Concentration**
The Probation and Parole Concentration is designed to provide opportunities for a student to examine corrections, probation and parole in both concepts and procedures. This concentration focuses on the continuum of services provided in the criminal justice system that manages and supervises criminal and delinquent offenders.
**Probation and Parole: This concentration is available online only in New Jersey.
All courses are 4.5 quarter credit hours.
Computer Security and Forensics Concentration
The Computer Security and Forensics Concentration is designed to provide opportunities for students to explore computer networking, security and forensics technologies. Students will learn how to gather evidence to identify, track and prosecute cybercriminals, as well as focusing on networking protocols, topologies, hardware and operating systems.
| CIS 170 | Information Technology in Criminal Justice | |
| CIS 175 | Introduction to Networking | |
| CIS 333 | Networking Security Fundamentals | |
| SEC 340 | Computer Forensic Technology | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18.0 |
Crime and Criminal Behavior Concentration
The Crime and Criminal Behavior Concentration is designed to provide students opportunities to explore the logical structure of criminology theories. Students are introduced to the application of major theories, concepts of crime, criminal justice, and criminology as well as how criminology theories are used to formulate crime prevention programs and to provide a better understanding of criminal and delinquent behavior.
| CRJ 310 | Law Enforcement Operations and Management | |
| OR | |
| CRJ 400 | Crime Prevention Strategies | |
| CRJ 322 | The Criminal Mind | |
| CRJ 331 | Forensic Psychology | |
| CRJ 435 | Drugs, Gangs and Organized Crime | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18.0 |
Criminal Justice Administration Concentration
The Criminal Justice Administration Concentration is designed to provide opportunities for students to understand how criminal agencies operate. This concentration focuses on the leadership and operations of the intricate workings of the United States criminal justice system.
| CRJ 310 | Law Enforcement Operations and Management | |
| OR | |
| CRJ 400 | Crime Prevention Strategies | |
| CRJ 330 | Comparative Criminal Justice | |
| CRJ 410 | Corrections | |
| CRJ 430 | Advanced Law Enforcement | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18.0 |
Homeland Security and Emergency Management Concentration
The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Concentration is designed to provide opportunities for students to explore the operationally oriented field of emergency response management, including strategic responses to national security threats like terrorism, natural disasters and global security issues.
| CRJ 420 | Emergency Management Procedures | |
| CRJ 440 | Terrorism and Antiterrorism | |
| SEC 310 | Homeland Security Organization and Administration | |
| SEC 315 | Security Assessment and Solutions | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18.0 |