Overview

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers professional degree programs with a strong foundation in the liberal arts and the social sciences. The department fosters programs of research and public service which focus on data gathering and alternatives in problem solving and seeks to stimulate the interest and involvement of all relevant academic disciplines in criminal justice issues and problems. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.sc.edu/crju/.

Degree Offered

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a four-year program of study leading to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in criminal justice. The degree requirements are based upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and the social sciences. An array of professional criminal justice courses is offered to support the particular interests of various students. Students also are encouraged to participate in community service activities. Pursuant to this, the department provides information on opportunities for volunteer work and involvement in the criminal justice field.

Criminal justice majors who have completed 90 hours with a GPA of 3.50 are eligible for the accelerated degree program. Students in the accelerated program may take up to 9 hours of credit at the 700 level which will count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Entrance Requirements

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice follows the general admission policies of the University. Should there be more applicants for the degree program than the number of spaces available, admission decisions will be competitive and may take into account the applicant's grade point average as well as other factors deemed indicative of the student's potential for success in the program.

Transfer Students. Transfer students from other institutions, other USC campuses, or other degree programs must have a cumulative GPA of 2.25 and a semester GPA of 2.00 on the last semester enrolled. Official transcripts of all academic work must be sent to the admissions office. These transcripts will be evaluated by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice for possible transfer credits. Only collegiate courses completed at accredited institutions will be considered, and credit transfer will be approved only where an analysis of the course level and content indicates that the work is appropriate for inclusion in a program of study offered by the department.

Progression Requirements

Students in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice are expected to make orderly progress toward a baccalaureate degree. To facilitate this, the department's undergraduate program is divided into upper and lower divisions.

1. Lower-division students are those who have earned fewer than 60 semester hours toward the degree or who do not meet admission requirements to the upper division. Lower-division students may not enroll in upper-division criminal justice (CRJU) courses, which include all CRJU courses numbered 300 and above.

2. Admission to the upper division is based upon a minimum 2.00 cumulative USC GPA; completion of CRJU 101, 211, 221, 231, and 301 with grades of C or higher; completion of 60 hours or more toward the degree, including all general education requirements necessary to satisfy all University core requirements; and formal approval of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Office of Academic Programs.

3. Criminal justice courses in which majors make less than a grade of C must be repeated.

4. The minimum acceptable GPA on all work of a particular semester is 2.00. Students who fail to achieve this GPA will be given an academic warning. The minimum acceptable cumulative GPA is 2.00. Students who fail to maintain this GPA will be placed on probation for one semester. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to 2.00 or above at the end of the next semester of enrollment, regardless of the number of hours attempted, will render students ineligible to enroll in CRJU courses for a period of one calendar year and until the cumulative GPA is at least 2.00.

Warning. Students are given an academic warning whenever the semester GPA falls below 2.00. Students are subject to an academic warning from the end of the first semester of enrollment. Students on warning must discuss improvement of their academic achievement with the department's Office of Academic Programs.

Probation. Students achieving a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00 at the end of any semester will be placed on probation to signify that they are not making satisfactory academic progress. Students are subject to probation from the end of the first semester of enrollment. Students placed on probation are responsible for securing from the department's Office of Academic Programs, or dean, information regarding services available to assist them in improving their academic performance.

Ineligible. Students who are placed on probation and who fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 2.00 or above at the conclusion of the next semester of enrollment, regardless of the number of hours attempted, will be declared ineligible and will not be permitted to enroll in courses offered by the department for a period of one calendar year and until the cumulative GPA is at least 2.00. These students may continue study within the University if otherwise eligible.

Other Regulations

1. In order to obtain a degree from the department, all students enrolled in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice must maintain a minimum 2.00 GPA on all USC work attempted, as well as a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 on all hours presented for graduation, in addition to meeting all academic degree requirements.

2. In order to earn a B.S. with a major in criminal justice, students must complete a minimum of 45 semester hours while enrolled as a criminal justice major in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Students must also complete CRJU 102 plus at least five of the remaining 12 courses required in the major while enrolled.

3. Students desiring the B.S. with a major in criminal justice as a second baccalaureate degree must meet all requirements for admission to the department and all requirements for the degree. Students must also complete a minimum of 45 semester hours while in the department.

4. Courses for credit taken through ETV, correspondence, off campus, or other formats may be accepted for inclusion in a degree program only when approved by the department's Office of Academic Programs in advance of registration for that course.

5. The normal maximum load for undergraduates is 17 semester hours. In exceptional cases, students may request an overload. Such requests must be submitted to the department's Office of Academic Programs on the proper form provided by that office.

6. Criminal justice courses may not be audited.

Attendance

Attendance regulations may be established by each instructor provided they are not more lenient than University policy and they must adhere to the following standards:

1. The number of permissible absences must be specified in writing in the course syllabus.

2. The penalties for failure to meet attendance requirements must be clearly specified in writing in the course syllabus.

3. The responsibility of students and faculty members with respect to attendance regulations must be specified, so that records will be adequate and processing of excused absences is in accordance with a clearly defined procedure.

Degree Requirements

(122-124 hours)

The department's Office of Academic Programs will make every effort to assist students in maximizing their academic and professional potential through advisement. However, the ultimate responsibility for meeting all requirements for the degree rests solely with the individual student.

The following are the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in criminal justice:

1. General Education Requirements

English (6 hours)

ENGL 101, 102 (6 hours) (must be passed with a grade of C or above).

Students who exempt ENGL 101 and/or 102 without receiving credit toward graduation must enroll in 3 or 6 credits of English above the 100 level.

Quantitative Skills (12 hours)

Numerical and Analytical Reasoning (6 hours)
This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following four ways.

1. MATH 122 or MATH 141, plus an additional course chosen from MATH (at a higher level) or a course listed below in Section A
2. PHIL 110 and PHIL 111

3. Two CSCE courses
4. Two STAT courses

PSYC 226 and PSYC 227 or STAT 201 and SOCY 497 (6-8 hours)

Liberal Arts (24 credits)

GINT 201 (3 hours)
HIST 101 or 102 and 111 or 112 (6 hours)
PSYC 101 (3 hours)
SOCY 101 (3 hours)
SPCH 140 (3 hours)
PHIL 102 (3 hours)
One additional course from fine arts (3 hours)

Natural Sciences (8 credits)

Two courses with accompanying laboratories from: ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, ENVR, GEOL, MSCI, or PHYS

University Foreign Language Requirement

Students shall demonstrate ability in a foreign language. This ability can be demonstrated by achieving a score of two on the USC Foreign Language Examination. Those failing to do so must satisfactorily complete equivalent study of foreign language at USC. Hours so earned may be counted as electives.

Students are encouraged to choose additional foreign language courses in selectives or minor/cognate/electives and to satisfy their cultural awareness requirement.

Cultural Awareness

Each student must complete 12 hours of course work designed to provide an understanding of the origins and nature of the many different cultures served by the criminal justice system. No more than 6 hours from the same academic discipline may be counted toward this requirement. However, all 12 hours can be chosen from courses satisfying other degree requirements. A current list of course options will be available through advisement. Among the options are designated courses in ANTH, ARTE, ARTH, CRJU, ENGL, GINT, HIST, MUSC, PSYC, RELG, WOST, and foreign languages.

Writing Emphasis

Each student must complete 6 hours of course work with substantial writing and revision components. All students must pass CRJU 301, which will satisfy 3 hours of this requirement.

2. Major Requirements (36 credits)

Each course must be passed with a grade of C or better.

Required Courses

CRJU 101, 211, 221, 231, 301, 321, and 341 (21 hours)

Additional Major Courses

Five additional CRJU courses selected with the consent of the department's Office of Academic Programs (15 hours)

3. Selectives (18 credits)

ANTH 300, 301, 302, 303, 307, 310, 353, 355, 357, 358, 359, 557, 561, 567

ECON 311, 462, 500, 508, 530

ENGL 428, 455, 460, 462, 463, 610, 612, 615

Foreign Language (any upper-division [200 or above] course [6 hours maximum])

GEOG 210, 341, 543

GINT 300, 365, 370, 374, 421, 452, 550, 551, 554, 567
HIST 415, 421, 464, 649, 663
JOUR 202, 542
PHIL 311, 315, 316, 512, 532
PSYC 330, 410, 420, 430, 460, 510, 521, 526
RELG 342, 354, 383

SOCY 305, 307, 310, 320, 322, 323, 340, 355, 460, 522, 523
SOWK 302, 303, 304, 305, 404, 421

WOST 352, 464, 555

4. Minor/Cognate/Electives (18 credits)

Any minor or cognate approved by the department's Office of Academic Programs. A cognate may be distributed over more than one subject area.

Course Descriptions (CRJU)

• 101 -- The American Criminal Justice System. (3) A survey of the law enforcement, courts, corrections, juvenile, and planning systems. Problems of interrelationships between criminal justice agencies and the community.
  
• 211 -- Policing. (3) Current and historical perspectives on the functioning of American policing. Emphasis on the management of police organizations and relationships with the community.
  
• 221 -- Criminal Courts. (3) A study of the structure and organization of the federal and state court systems, with special attention to the criminal courts. The basic functions of the courts will be examined.
  
• 231 -- Corrections. (3) Changes in American correctional philosophy, administration, and techniques, including the shift from institutional incarceration to community-based correctional programs.
  
• 301 -- Research Methods in Criminal Justice. (3) (Prereq: STAT 201 or equivalent courses in quantitative methods) Logic, design, analysis, and ethical principles in criminal justice.
• 321 -- Criminal Law. (3) The origin and development of criminal law in America. The basic elements of crimes and defenses.
  
• 341 -- Sociology of Crime. {=SOCY 353} (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of criminals.
  
• 351 -- Juvenile Delinquency and Justice. {=SOCY 350} (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of delinquents.
  
• 399 -- Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and Office of Academic Programs is required for undergraduate students.
  
• 491 -- Selected Current Topics. (3) A seminar for advanced students. May be repeated once with the consent of the advisor.
  
• 494 -- Internship. (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) A supervised experiential course in a criminal justice agency. Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and Office of Academic Programs is required for undergraduate students.
  
• 524 -- Victimology. (3) The scientific study of crime victims and public policy responses to victims' plights.
  
• 531 -- Alternatives to Incarceration. (3) A survey of the correctional alternatives to imprisonment, including probation, parole, and various community service programs. The research evidence on the various alternatives and the role of the community and citizens in the correctional process.
  
• 532 -- Violence in American Society. (3) Historical overview of violence in American society. An examination of the theoretical causes and preventive strategies for acts of violence. Both individual and collective violence are studied.
  
• 542 -- Drugs and Crime. (3) A survey of the relationship between substance abuse and criminal offending. The historical and contemporary criminal justice system responses to illegal substances.
  
• 543 -- Criminal Justice and Mental Health. (3) An overview of the interface between the mental health sciences and the criminal justice field.
  
• 545 -- Crime Prevention and Private Security. (3) Crime prevention strategies and their relationship to private sectors of law enforcement.
  
• 554 -- Women and Crime. {=WOST 554} (3) Impact of gender-based relations on crime and the criminal justice system.
  
• 562 -- Citizen Involvement in Criminal Justice. (3) Citizen involvement programs including crime prevention, dispute-resolution centers, and use of volunteers.
  
• 563 -- Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice. (3) An historical overview of the intersection between issues of race, crime, and justice. The impact of the criminal justice system on minority groups.
  
• 582 -- Computer Applications in Criminal Justice. (3) Computing, database systems, and software applications in research and professional practice.
  
• 585 -- Crime and Public Policy. (3) Public policy responses to crime, their formation, and their impact on both crime and criminal justice systems.
  
• 591 -- Selected Topics in Criminal Justice. (3) A seminar for advanced students. Individual topics to be announced with suffix and title. May be repeated once with the consent of the advisor.