Program Description & Learning Outcomes

The University of Maryland, College Park's (UMD) Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJS) is a national and international leader in research and criminal justice education.  The CCJS department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree.  Students enrolled in the CCJS major are expected to meet the following learning outcomes:

  • Students will demonstrate understanding of the three pillars of our criminal justice system - courts, policing, and corrections
  • Students will demonstrate understanding of the major theories that are used to explain criminal behavior
  • Students will demonstrate understanding of how crime and criminal justice are products of political, economic, social structures and examine how they intersect with systems of oppression
  • Students will demonstrate competency in the ability to read, interpret, and synthesize (in writing) important research related to criminological theory and the criminal justice system
  • Students will demonstrate understanding of the research methods used in the study of criminology and criminal justice
  • Students will demonstrate competency in applying quantitative skills to criminological concepts

The major requirements for the degree are listed below. The CCJS major is comprised of 36 credit hours of coursework in the CCJS department and either MATH 107 or STAT 100. A calculus class (MATH 120, 136, or 140) with a grade of C- or higher may be substituted for MATH 107 or STAT 100.  The requirements below are in effect for all students who matriculated into the UM system Fall 2015 or later and for students who are currently changing their major to CCJS.  

 

CCJS Major & Graduation Planning Resources:

 

CCJS Major Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)
  • CCJS 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CCJS 105: Introduction to Criminology
  • Gateway Math course* (choose one of the following):
    • MATH107: Introduction to Math Modeling and Probability
    • STAT100: Elementary Statistics and Probability
      • *A calculus class (MATH 120, 136, or 140) with a grade of C- or higher may be substituted
  • CCJS 200**: Statistics for Criminology & Criminal Justice
    • **Approved Advanced Statistics courses that may be used in lieu of CCJS200: BIOM301; BMGT230; ECON230; EPIB315; GEOG306; GEOL351; GVPT422; INST314; JOUR405; PSYC200; QMMS451 [formerly EDMS451]; SOCY201
  • CCJS 230: Criminal Law in Action
  • CCJS 300: Criminological and Criminal Justice Research Methods
2 CCJS Criminal Justice Courses (6 credits)
(Select two from the following three classes)
  • CCJS 340: Policing
  • CCJS 342: Corrections
  • CCJS 345: Courts and Sentencing
1 CCJS Criminology/Theory Course (3 credits)
(Select one from the following three classes)
  • CCJS 450: Advanced Juvenile Delinquency
  • CCJS 451: Crime and Delinquency Prevention
  • CCJS 454: Contemporary Criminological Theory
4 CCJS Courses of Choice (12 credits)
  • Two CCJS Courses of Choice must be at the 400-level (e.g. CCJS 418D, 418G, 418F, 444, etc.)
  • Two CCJS Courses can be at any-level (Completed using one or a combination of the followings ways):
    • Complete additional CCJS courses that are not required (i.e., CCJS 225, 325, 346, 352, 360, 370, etc.)
    • Complete 1 Independent Study (CCJS 399) for credit (max 3 credits)
    • Complete 1 Internship (CCJS 359) for credit (max 3 credits)
Total CCJS Credits: 36 Credits
Total Credits for the CCJS Major: 39 Credits

 

Please keep the following information in mind:

  • No grade lower than a C- may be used toward the major
  • Students must achieve a combined grade point average of a 2.0 in the CCJS major
  • CCJS 386 and CCJS 332 will not fulfill CCJS Course of Choice requirements
  • Students cannot overlap (double count) courses fulfilling CCJS major requirements with the CCJS Courses of Choice requirement (e.g. CCJS451 cannot fulfill both the Criminology requirement and the 400-level CCJS Course of Choice requirement)