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Academics > Majors and Areas of Study > Criminal Justice Studies > Program Requirements

The Criminal Justice Studies program emphasizes issues involving juvenile delinquency and family members in abusive relationships. This program is framed by Thiel College's commitment to a liberal arts education, signifying the fundamental importance of supporting the development of humane and altruistic perspectives of students in all fields of thought and work.

The major in Criminal Justice Studies requires a minimum of 44 semester credit hours, distributed according to the rules presented below. (Note: All courses listed are three credit hours unless otherwise indicated; CJS=Criminal Justice Studies).

Major Requirements
The major requires a minimum of 44 credit hours and must include the following courses:

SOC 121 or 141	Micro/Macrosociology
CJS 101	Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies
CJS 301 or CJS 303	Juvenile Justice Systems or Family Justice Issues
SOC 341	Social Research Methods
SOC 342	Sociological Theory
SOC/CJS 371	Professional Seminar (1 CH)
MATH 211	Statistics (4 CH)
PHIL 267	Ethics
POSC 116	American Government and Politics
POSC 436	Constitutional Law

The major also requires 15 additional course hours selected from the unselected classes listed above (Micro/Macrosociology and Juvenile Justice Systems/Family Justice Issues) and the following:

SOC 191	Social Problems
SOC 251	`Minorities
SOC 321	Deviance
SOC 331	Criminology
SOC 401	Sociology for the Family
SOC 411	Organizations
SOC/CJS 431	Selected Topics
POSC 236	Public Policy
POSC 300	Introduction to Legal Studies
POSC 316	Topics: Civil Rights and Liberties
POSC 336	Public Administration
PSY 240	Child Development
PSY 242	Adolescent Development
PSY 300	Abnormal Behavior
PSY 360	Social Psychology
PSY 370	Counseling Methods
PHIL 377	Legal Philosophy
REL 200	Contemporary Ethical Issues

Students electing to double major in sociology and criminal justice studies may not use the same elective courses to satisfy the elective requirement in both majors.

An elective, experiential educational opportunity in criminal justice studies areas is strongly encouraged. Internships may be in the local area, Washington, D.C. via Thiel’s Washington Semester programs or in another region accessible to the student and approved by the program’s administrators (e.g. Harrisburg, Pa., a nearby city or near the student’s home.) Credit hours awarded are variable (1 to 16), depending on the program selected.

For more information about this exciting new major, contact Dr. Allan Hunchuk, Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology.