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Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice

BA with a Major in Criminology, Law, and Justice

• Admission to the Major
• Degree Requirements
• Recommended Plan of Study

Minor in Criminology, Law, and Justice
Minor in Law and Society
Distinction

4022 Behavioral Sciences Building (BSB)
(312) 996–7971
http://www.uiccriminaljustice.org/home/index.php
Administration: Head, Edna Erez
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Lisa Frohmann, lfrohman@uic.edu
Academic Adviser: Dwayne Alexander

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Criminology, Law, and Justice is a social and behavioral science field of study that selects crime, law, and the criminal justice system for its subject matter. Using social science methodologies, the program examines the nature, extent, and causes of crime in various settings, the impact of crime on victims and society, and both formal and informal responses to crime. These responses include individual and community reactions, the investigation of crimes and arrest of offenders by the police, and their prosecution, defense, and adjudication by the courts; and an array of sentencing and correctional outcomes. The nature and effectiveness of criminal justice reform efforts are also studied.

The degree prepares graduates for a broad range of professional roles in the criminal justice system, as well as the broader legal system. It also serves as entry to graduate programs of criminal justice and related research and professional programs such as law, sociology, public administration, paralegal studies, and various social services.

BA with a Major in Criminology, Law, and Justice

Admission to the Major

Prior to declaring a major in Criminology, Law, and Justice, students must achieve a grade of C or better in CLJ 101—Introduction to the Justice System.

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

BA with a Major in Criminology, Law, and Justice
Degree Requirements	Hours
Major Requirements	33
General Education and Electives
to reach minimum total hours	87
Minimum Total Hours—BA with a Major in
Criminology, Law, and Justice	120

General Education

See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.

Major Requirements

Courses	Hours
CLJ 101—Introduction to the Justice Systema	3
CLJ 200—Law in Society a	3
CLJ 210—Principles of Criminal Law	3
CLJ 220—Criminology	3
CLJ 240—Criminal Justice Organizations	3
CLJ 261—Research Methods I	3
CLJ 262—Research Methods IIb	3
One course from the following:	3
CLJ 345—Police in Society (3)
CLJ 350—Courts in Society (3)
CLJ 355—Punishment, Prisons, and Corrections (3)
CLJ 301—Writing in the Disciplinec	0
Three courses at the 300- or 400-leveld	9
Total Hours—Major Requirements	33

a This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category.
b CLJ 262 also fulfills the LAS Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
c CLJ 301 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
d Only 3 hours of CLJ 395 may count toward the degree.

Recommended Plan of Study

To view a recommended plan of study for the major in Criminology, Law, and Justice, please visit the LAS Web site http://www.uic.edu/las/college/info/fygp.

Minor in Criminology, Law, and Justice

Students from other disciplines who want to minor in Criminology, Law, and Justice must complete 18 credit hours as outlined below:

Required Courses—Criminology, Law, and Justice Minor	Hours
CLJ 101—Introduction to the Justice System	3
CLJ 200—Law in Society	3
CLJ 210—Principles of Common Law	3
CLJ 220—Criminology	3
CLJ 240—Criminal Justice Organizations	3
One course at the 300- or 400-level chosen with the
consent of the adviser	3
Total Hours—Criminology, Law, and Justice Minor	18

Minor in Law and Society

Students from other disciplines who want to minor in Law and Society must complete 18 credit hours as outlined below:

Required Courses—Law and Society Minor	Hours
One course from the following:	3
PHIL 102—Introductory Logic (3)
PHIL 103—Introduction to Ethics (3)
ECON 120—Principles of Microeconomics (3)
ECON 121—Principles of Macroeconomics (3
One course from the following:	3
CLJ 101—Introduction to the Justice System (3)
POLS 101—Introduction to American Government
and Politics (3)
Four courses from one of the following tracks:	12
Criminal Justice:
CLJ 110—Rights, Justice, and the Law (3)
CLJ 210—Principles of Criminal Law (3)
CLJ 310—Substantive Criminal Law (3)
CLJ 311—Criminal Procedure (3)
Law in Social Context:
POLS 120—Introduction to Political Theory (3)
CLJ 200—Law in Society (3)
CLJ 220—Criminology (3)
CLJ 423—Violence (3)
CLJ 424—Gender, Crime, and Justice (3)
HIST 251—History of Race Relations in America (3)
HIST 404—Roman Law and the Civil Law
Tradition (3)
Public Law:
POLS 258—The Judicial Process (3)
POLS 353—Constitutional Law (3)
POLS 354—The Constitution and Civil Liberties (3)
POLS 356-Constitutional Law: Women, Gender, and     Privacy (3)
Total Hours—Law and Society Minor	18

Courses in the student’s major may not be counted toward the Law and Society Minor. One class not included in the minor may be substituted for any course within a track with the consent of the Law and Society faculty adviser.

Distinction

Departmental Distinction. A candidate must have a 3.50/4.00 cumulative GPA in all criminology, law, and justice courses and a 3.25/4.00 cumulative GPA in all UIC courses.

High Distinction. A candidate must have a 3.50/4.00 cumulative GPA in all criminology, law, and justice courses, a 3.25/4.00 cumulative GPA in all UIC courses, and complete a paper written for CLJ 399—Independent Study, which will be reviewed by a faculty adviser and the Departmental Undergraduate Committee. Qualified students should contact the departmental undergraduate director two terms in advance of graduation.