About Criminal Justice
Law, policing, courts, corrections, and the study of crime. Courses carry the CJ subject code and are offered through the College of Education, Health & Human Sciences. Numbers below 300 are introductory, 300–499 advanced undergraduate, and 500 and above graduate. Prerequisites are enforced at registration.
How the sequence works
Of the 9 CJ courses listed, 2 are introductory (numbers under 300), 2 are advanced undergraduate (300–499). 1 course has no prerequisite and is a reasonable first step. Later courses assume the earlier ones, so read prerequisites before you plan a term — they are enforced at registration and an override from the Criminal Justice department is the only way around them.
CJ 1000 — Introduction to Criminal Justice 3 cr
The system's components, how a case moves through it, discretion, and current controversies.
Prerequisite: none.
CJ 2100 — Criminology 3 cr
Theories of why crime occurs — from classical to biosocial to critical — and the evidence for each.
Prerequisite: CJ 1000.
CJ 2300 — Policing in a Democracy 3 cr
History, function, and organization of policing; use of force; accountability; and community relations.
Prerequisite: CJ 1000.
CJ 2500 — Criminal Law 3 cr
Elements of crimes, defenses, and the constitutional limits on the criminal law.
Prerequisite: CJ 1000.
CJ 3100 — Criminal Procedure 3 cr
Search and seizure, interrogation, the right to counsel, and the exclusionary rule.
Prerequisite: CJ 2500.
CJ 3300 — Corrections 3 cr
Sentencing, incarceration, community supervision, reentry, and the aims of punishment.
Prerequisite: CJ 1000.
CJ 3500 — Research Methods in Criminal Justice 4 cr
Measuring crime, program evaluation, data sources, and a small applied project.
Prerequisite: CJ 2100.
CJ 3700 — Victimology 3 cr
Patterns of victimization, the victim in the system, services, and restorative approaches.
Prerequisite: CJ 2100.
CJ 4900 — Criminal Justice Capstone 3 cr
An applied policy analysis or agency project, presented to practitioners.
Prerequisite: senior standing.
Planning and advising
Your degree audit shows exactly how CJ courses apply to your requirements; this list only shows what is offered. If you are choosing between two courses, deciding when to take a heavy one, or wondering whether a course will run next term, your academic adviser or the Criminal Justice program office can tell you. Course availability by term is set close to registration and is not guaranteed by anything on this page.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every course, prerequisite, credit value, and department on this page is invented; nothing here describes a real curriculum or a course you can enroll in.