Criminal Justice - B.A.
James B. Pratt, Jr., Ph.D., Discipline Coordinator
The baccalaureate degree program in criminal justice program reflects the unique perspective and history of Fisk University. Issues of racial disparity, racial profiling, the shootings of African American youths by police, the disproportionate incarceration of persons of color, the exoneration of persons sentenced to death, and the denial of civil rights to convicted felons call into question the administration of “justice” by the American criminal justice system. Fisk University, through its Race Relations Institute, was once a leading force in uniting scholars, policy makers, and practitioners in the battle against racial injustice. The criminal justice program at Fisk University is guided by critical analyses of the problems and successes of criminal justice systems throughout the world with the goal of producing scholars, policy makers, and practitioners in the criminal justice field who recognize injustice and seek to improve and/or change the existing system to benefit all societies.
Program Goals
Students Completing the program will be able to:
- Identify the functions of the components and agents of the criminal justice system at the local, state, and national levels, and the legal statutes, court cases, and procedures that guide their operation.
- Understand the theories of criminology that provide the foundation of the justice system.
- Evaluate the positive and negative consequences of the exercise of discretionary power by each component and/or agent of the criminal justice system in an individualized system of justice.
- Assess the effectiveness of the various criminal justice policies intended to prevent and control crime.
- Distinguish disparities from discrimination regarding the application of criminal justice policies and the administration of justice in a multiracial and multiethnic global society.
- Develop basic skills for quantitative and qualitative research design and data analysis.
- Apply an ethical framework to reach judgments and sound decisions in recognizing injustices.
- Understand the interplay between society and the criminal justice system, with emphasis on the social institutions, cultural norms and values, and the responses to other social problems that impact the criminal justice system.
- Gain practical experience through an internship at a criminal justice or related agency.
Requirements
- Core courses: 36 semester hours
- Foreign language: 0-6 semester hours (depending on language placement)
- Cognate courses: 12 semester hours
- Required major courses: 33 semester hours
- Elective major courses: 27 semester hours
- General elective courses: 6 - 12 semester hours
Suggested Program Plan for Criminal Justice Majors
First Year, Fall Semester
| CORE 100 | NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION SEMINAR | 1 |
| CORE 150 | COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| CORE 131 | ESSENTIAL MATHEMATICS FOR A CONTEMPORARY WORLD | 3 |
| SOC 100 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| | FOREIGN LANGUAGE 101 - FRENCH OR SPANISH | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
First Year, Spring Semester
| CORE 120 | CRITICAL THINKING | 2 |
| CORE 160 | COMPOSITION II | 3 |
| CRJ 200 | INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| CSCI 100 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING | 3 |
| SOC 115 | SOCIAL PROBLEMS | 3 |
| | FOREIGN LANGUAGE 102 - FRENCH OR SPANISH | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Second Year, Fall Semester
| CRJ 210 | POLICE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| HIS 270 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY | 3 |
| HSS 280 | SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| HSS 290 | BEHAVIORAL STATISTICS | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Year, Spring Semester
| CORE 260 | HUMANITIES: THOUGHT AND EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| | CORE C: Arts | 3 |
| CRJ 220 | CORRECTIONS | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Third Year, Fall Semester
| CORE 201 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 3 |
| CRJ 300 | RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| PSY 348 | ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| | | |
| PSCI 252 | JUDICIAL PROCESS | 3 |
| | Or | |
| PSCI 305 | AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Third Year, Spring Semester
| BAD 220 | BUSINESS LAW | 3 |
| CORE 240 | NATURAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| SOC 351 | CRIMINOLOGY | 3 |
| SOC 376 | RACE AND ETHNICITY | 3 |
| CRJ | CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Fourth Year, Fall Semester
| CORE 360 | THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLES | 3 |
| SOC 370 | PRACTICUM I | 3 |
| SOC 499 | SENIOR SEMINAR | 3 |
| CRJ | CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE | 3 |
| CRJ | CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Fourth Year, Spring Semester
| SOC 380 | INDEPENDENT READINGS AND RESEARCH | 1-3 |
| SOC 390 | PRACTICUM II | 3 |
| CRJ | CRIMINAL JUSTICE ELECTIVE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Recommended General Electives
Total Credit Hours: 120