The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Criminal Justice (Minor Required), Bachelor of Science

Program Overview

A Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice prepares students interested in criminal justice careers like law enforcement, parole and probation, corrections, and youth services. While students will learn about the inner workings of the justice system, our courses are also designed to develop skills that will make their careers more successful, like critical thinking skills, good communication skills, problem solving skills, and an ability to grow and learn after college. Finally, the degree prepares students interested in pursuing a graduate degree by providing a strong academic foundation in criminological theory, research methods, and statistics.

Core Curriculum – 42 hours

The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.

The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.

Major Requirements- 60 hours

Required Courses - 30 hours

Criminal Justice Core 
CRIJ 1301Introduction to the Criminal Justice System

3

CRIJ 1306Court Systems and Practices

3

CRIJ 1310Fundamentals of Criminal Law

3

CRIJ 2313Correctional Systems and Practices

3

CRIJ 2328Police Systems and Practices

3

CRIJ 3303Criminology

3

CRIJ 3304Criminal Justice Research Methods

3

CRIJ 3305Statistical Applications in Criminal Justice

3

CRIJ 3310Constitution and Criminal Law

3

Choose one:
CRIJ 4399Criminal Justice System Capstone

3

CRIJ 4370Senior Seminar on Policy Issues

3

Prescribed Electives - 30 hours

A minimum of 24 advanced hours are required.

Choose from:

CRIJ 1307Crime in America

3

CRIJ 1313Juvenile Justice System

3

CRIJ 3316Criminal Evidence and Proof

3

CRIJ 3322Juvenile Delinquency and Justice

3

CRIJ 3325Violent Crime and Offenders

3

CRIJ 3327Family Violence

3

CRIJ 3331Legal Aspects of Corrections

3

CRIJ 3341Probation and Parole

3

CRIJ 3344Gender, Crime and Justice

3

CRIJ 3345Race, Crime and Justice

3

CRIJ 3350Social Justice

3

CRIJ 3352Immigration Law, Policies and Practices

3

CRIJ 3353Human Trafficking

3

CRIJ 3354War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity

3

CRIJ 4312Principles of Law Enforcement and Supervision

3

CRIJ 4313Current Issues in Law Enforcement

3

CRIJ 4314Private Security and Loss Prevention

3

CRIJ 4316Environmental Crime and Justice

3

CRIJ 4320Criminal Justice Organization and Management

3

CRIJ 4321White-Collar and Organized Crime

3

CRIJ 4322Terrorism

3

CRIJ 4335Restorative and Community Justice

3

CRIJ 4341Correctional Casework and Counseling

3

CRIJ 4343Current Issues in Corrections

3

CRIJ 4350Peace, Nonviolence and Justice

3

CRIJ 4353Gangs

3

CRIJ 4355Current Issues in the Courts

3

CRIJ 4356Law and Society

3

CRIJ 4357Crime Prevention Techniques

3

CRIJ 4361Comparative Criminal Justice Systems

3

CRIJ 4362Special Topics in Criminal Justice

3

CRIJ 4364Field Internship

3

CRIJ 4365Independent Studies in Criminal Justice

3

Minor – hours will vary

Minors vary in credit hours required. If applicable, the credit hours in the minor selected may impact the number of free electives required to reach the 120 credit hours needed to earn a bachelor’s degree. 

Advanced Minimum Credit Hours: 42

Total Credit Hours: 120