Criminal Justice Prerequisites – Frequently Asked Questions

The criminal justice system is responsible for maintaining law and order through justice and enforcement. Different degree programs are being offered, which will eventually lead you towards one of the criminal justice institutions. Generally speaking, the course which will help you climb the ladder includes the degree program of Criminology, Criminal justice degree, Criminal psychology, Forensic Sciences, and a degree in Human Psychology.

The successful students are offered degrees to join the  Criminal Justice Choices’ institution, but what are the requirements that one has to fulfill for getting the degree? The general requirements of the degree are to complete the coursework and thesis or project.

During the course work, the passing criteria for a university student might be 50 Marks, but your chances of employment will be higher if you complete your coursework with good grades. The courses of all the accredited colleges and universities are designed in a way that the students can gain maximum knowledge about their respective subjects.

The course work of the degree program is often divided into two segments. The first segment is based on general courses, while the other one is based on courses related to the specific degree.

Although not a requisite, but students shall get good command over English writing and communication skills.

Prerequisites For Criminal Justice

As we have discussed the prerequisites for criminal justice briefly in the previous section, this section will be mostly based on more specific requisites of criminal justice.

Generally, the prerequisites for a bachelor’s degree program are 120 credits, including electives and compulsory courses. There are several specific subjects for every university which you need to complete to get a degree. At times, you can not take the text courses before you are done with passing the courses which you had opted in the previous semester.

These are the courses that will be included in the four year degree program of criminal justice. Note that the names of the courses and their credit hours might be different from the university in which you are applying, but generally, these topics are covered during the four years degree program.

Prerequisites For Criminal Justice Degree

For your convenience, we have separated the prerequisites of the criminal justice system into two tables. In the first table, we are going to discuss the associate of arts and associate of science degree in criminal justice while in the second table, we will be discussing the Bachelor of arts and science in the criminal justice system.

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Associate Degree Prerequisites

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Bachelor’s Degree Prerequisites

For the Bachelor’s degree program, you can choose to take the degree Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of science. The only difference between both of them is that the Bachelor of science is more focused on a particular subject; therefore, it requires you to complete more credits, while the Bachelor of arts degree is a general degree that needs lesser credits to be completed.

Criminal Justice Major Prerequisites

Are you planning to major in criminal justice? You are at the right place. We will walk you through the prerequisites for majoring in criminal justice. Note that these prerequisites might be slightly different depending upon the college in which you are applying, but most of the schools have similar requirements.

Maths

The Job of criminal Justice involves analyzing data and extracting useful information from it; therefore, most of the criminal justice schools require you to have a background in criminal justice. Statistics is a standard prerequisite for pursuing a degree in criminal justice because it allows the students to understand the statistical data and analyze the data for extracting the information from it.

Science

The science courses depend upon the major you have chosen. For example, the students of DNA or forensics will have to study biology, chemistry, and physics to develop their understanding of the relevant degree. On the other hand, the students of Criminology will study sociology and anthropology courses so that they can understand human behavior.

Criminal Justice Masters Degree Prerequisites

These are the Prerequisites for Criminal justice master’s degree.

· Bachelor’s or an associate degree from an accredited institute

· More than 3.0 CGPA. This might vary depending on the university or college in which you are applying. Some Colleges may require you to have lesser CGPA, while others may require a higher CGPA.

· The Applicant must have studied the course of Introduction to Criminal Justice. During this course, the student should have studied the basic concepts applicable in the criminal justice system; however, if you have not studied this course, you don’t have to worry. The universities give the students options to take a short exam to demonstrate their understanding of the basic concepts.

· The Applicant must submit the application form along with the non-refundable fee. The Admissions are open for two semesters in a year. So, you can apply in the fall semester as well as the spring semester depending on your convenience.

· Along with the application form, you should submit all the official transcripts from the institutions that you have previously attended. This includes the transcript of your Primary School, secondary school and Bachelor or associate diploma

· Two letters of recommendation from your teachers or employers who are well aware of your abilities and skills.

· Some universities might also require you to submit the previous research that you had done. If you have published research that will increase your chances of getting admission to your desired university, and if you don’t have, start working on it today so that you can write a credible research paper until your admission time.

Does Criminal Justice Involve Math

The sure and short question to this question is Yes. The criminal justice degree involves mathematics so that the students can develop an understanding of necessary Mathematics calculations. Most of the criminal justice colleges and universities require the students to have previous knowledge of mathematics.

If you have studied mathematics in your primary and secondary school, that will be enough. The understanding you developed in your early education will be the foundation for more advanced concepts that will be taught to you during your higher education in criminal justice major.

One may think that what is the need of studying mathematics in a criminal justice degree, there is undoubtedly a need for mathematics while you are in your professional career.

Think of a situation in which a Criminal justice organization employs you, and you are solving a case that involves the murder of a person from a fallen object. To investigate this matter, you will need to calculate the weight of the object, and from this calculation, you will draw the impact that it might have caused. Once you have these calculations, you can determine whether the object was heavy enough to kill a human being. So, this is one of the many scenarios in which you will need to have a firm grip on the subject of mathematics.

What Math Do You Need For Criminal Justice

Math is essential for criminal justice because it helps the professionals analyze the statistical data for evidence collection and extraction of useful information from this data. For this purpose, the students of criminal justice are taught about mathematical calculations.

The students who are applying for admission in criminal justice should have a basic understanding of mathematics. The basic understanding means that the students must know the concepts that are taught in Primary school and Secondary schools. Based on these general concepts, the students will develop advanced ideas which will help them throughout their career.

Apart from general mathematics, the students will also be studying introductory calculus. Calculus is the study of change and is beneficial for criminology and understanding the evidence. The introductory calculus will help them analyze the evidence, such as the rate of acceleration due to change in stimuli and acceleration.

The students who are prepared for the introductory calculus can directly begin while the students who lack a basic understanding of mathematics can begin with pre-calculus or Finite mathematics.

Criminal Justice Requirements

Criminal justice can be an exciting profession for many of us. It is for this reason that people are willing to get their education in criminal justice majors. During your education in the criminal justice major, you will be studying different laws of the United States, regulation, and the merits of punishments given to people who are not abiding by the law.

During your education, you will also be studying the impact of different crimes on society, the reasons for crimes, and how to eliminate the crimes. A Degree in criminal justice is the first step you take towards your career as a Police officer, detective, advocate, legal prosecutor, and defenders.

In view of the increasing interest of students in the criminal justice major, we have brought the criminal justice requirements for you.

If you are interested in earning your education in criminal justice and work for the betterment of your country you will have to:

· Earn a High School diploma

· Get yourself enrolled in a bachelor’s program and study the courses of Psychology, sociology, political science, public administration, history, economics, and various types of laws.

· Pass a background check which means that you should not be involved in any sort of criminal Activities

· Meet the physical requirements. Every organization has different needs, for example, the police department has more stringent physical requirements while the job of lawyer or advocate requires you to have sharp and critical thinking ability,

· You should be A US Citizen.

· Your age should be at least 21 years to start the training programs launched by different criminal justice organizations and law enforcement agencies.

Do You Need Math For Criminology

The Answer to this question is, YES! You need math for criminology.

The criminologists frequently read academic papers to understand the patterns of human behaviors, including extensive statistical data. The statistical information is based on the patterns of human behaviors; therefore, to understand it, a criminologist will need Mathematics.

For understanding Data, a criminologist will have to take two years, of course, on algebra. Algebra is known as the study of unknown variables, and it will help a criminologist solve the puzzle through analytical reasoning.

In addition to algebra, a criminologist will also study geometry, which will help him understand the different angles and dimensions of crime scenes. Apart from this, the geometry will help a criminologist in understanding the role of space in crimes.

Criminal Justice Degree Class Requirements

What Classes Are Required For An Associate’s Degree In Criminal Justice

The associate degree in criminal justice will prepare the students for their professional careers. Although the criminal justice career might seem exciting and exciting, there are many challenges associated with it. The primary purpose of educating the students is to meet these challenges of a professional career and serve the organization and the country effectively.

The curriculum for an associate’s degree in criminal justice typically includes the following courses

· Different types of laws

· Ethics

· Criminal Investigation

· Corrections and probation

· Juvenile Justice

· And homeland security

Many of the degree programs require the students to complete an internship during their coursework. These internships will be helpful for the students in gaining practical knowledge from professionals of different criminal justice organizations.

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Criminal Justice Education Requirements

The minimum educational requirement in many criminal justice jobs is a high school diploma; however, many students earn an associate, Bachelor’s, or master’s degree. The advanced educational degrees are an excellent opportunity for you to advance your career to higher positions.

Police officers and detectives must graduate from their training academies and then complete an on the job training.

The educational requirements might also vary depending upon the state in which you are willing to get a job. Some of the positions might just require a high school diploma and passing of physical examinations to start the training.

However, having an associate degree or Bachelor’s degree will open the new doors of opportunities for you. Some states require you to have an associate degree for entry level positions. On the other hand, a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree will act as a ladder for you to climb to the upper ranks in the criminal justice system.

The federal level criminal justice organizations mostly require a bachelor’s degree from an aspiring candidate. For example, the Central Intelligence Agency CIA ,  federal bureau of investigation (FBI) requires you to have at least a bachelor’s degree for entry level positions.

You can also join criminal justice organizations with an associate degree and continue your education. Continuing your education will help you get promoted to the higher ranks alongside the experience that you will gain while working in those organizations.

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Criminal Justice Degree Schools

Are you looking for the best criminal justice degree schools in the United States? If so, you are in the right place. We have brought different lists of criminal justice degree schools.

In this article, you will find the list of criminal justice school:

· State wise

· Undergraduate schools by best Value

· Graduate schools by best ranking

State Wise List Of Criminal Justice Degree Schools

In this section, you will find the state wise list in Alphabetical order. Note that the Schools included in the list are the ones with respect to the overall ranking of the United States.

Top-ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Alabama.

1. University of Alabama

2. Faulkner University

3. Jacksonville State University

4. Troy University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Alaska.

1. University of Alaska-Fairbanks

2. University of Alaska, Anchorage

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Arizona.

1. University of Arizona

2. Arizona State University

3. Northern Arizona University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Arkansas.

1. University of Arkansas

2. Harding University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in California.

1. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

2. California State University, Long Beach

3. San Diego State University

4. University of California, Davis

5. University of California, Irvine

6. University of California, Los Angeles

7. University of California, San Diego

8. University of California, Santa Barbara

9. University of California, Santa Cruz

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Colorado.

1. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

2. University of Colorado Denver

3. University of Northern Colorado

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Connecticut.

1. University of New Haven

2. Quinnipiac University

3. Sacred Heart University

4. University of Hartford

5. Western Connecticut State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Delaware.

1. University of Delaware

2. Wilmington University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Florida.

1. Florida International University

2. Florida State University

3. University of Central Florida

4. University of Florida

5. University of North Florida

6. University of South Florida

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Top ranked Criminal Justice schools in Georgia.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

2. Georgia State University

3. University of Georgia

4. University of North Georgia

Top ranked Criminal Justice school in Hawaii.

1. Hawaii Pacific University

2. University of Hawaii, Hilo

Top ranked Criminal Justice universities in Idaho.

1. Boise State University

2. University of Idaho

3. Lewis-Clark State College

Top ranked Criminal Justice University in Illinois.

1. The University of Illinois at Chicago

2. Loyola University of Chicago

3. Illinois State University

4. Bradley University

5. Lewis University

6. Western Illinois University

7. Elmhurst College

8. Olivet Nazarene University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Indiana.

1. Indiana University Bloomington

2. Purdue University

3. Indiana University Bloomington

4. Anderson University

5. Indiana University-Purdue University

6. Ball State University

7. Bethel College

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Iowa.

1. University of Iowa

2. Simpson College

3. Saint Ambrose University

4. Mount Mercy University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Kansas.

1. South Western college

2. Wichita State University

3. Washburn University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Kentucky.

1. University of Louisville

2. Bellarmine University

3. Thomas More College

Top ranked Criminal Justice schools in Louisiana.

1. Louisiana State University

2. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

3. McNeese State University

4. University of Louisiana at Monroe

Top Ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Maine.

1. University of Southern Maine

2. University of Maine at Augusta

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Maryland.

1. Salisbury University

2. St. Mary’s College of Maryland

3. University of Maryland-Baltimore County

4. University of Maryland-College Park

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Massachusetts.

1. Northeastern University

2. University of Massachusetts Lowell

3. Merrimack College

4. Western New England University

5. Bridgewater State University

6. University of Massachusetts Boston

7. Salem State University

8. Westfield State University

9. Worcester State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Michigan.

1. Michigan State University

2. University of Detroit Mercy

3. Western Michigan University

4. Grand Valley State University

5. Wayne State University

6. University of Michigan – Dearborn

7. Madonna University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Minnesota.

1. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

2. Hamline University

3. Saint Cloud State University

4. Winona State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice universities in Mississippi.

1. University of Mississippi

2. Mississippi College

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Missouri.

1. Saint Louis University

2. Truman State University

3. Drury University

4. University of Missouri – Kansas City

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Montana.

1. The University of Montana

2. Montana State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Nebraska.

1. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2. University of Nebraska-Omaha

3. University of Nebraska-Kearney

4. Bellevue University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Nevada.

1. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

2. College of Southern Nevada

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in New Hampshire.

1. Southern New Hampshire University

2. New England College

3. University of New Hampshire

4. Plymouth State University:

Top ranked Universities in New Jersey.

1. Rutgers University

2. Rutgers University-New Brunswick

3. The College of New Jersey

4. Monmouth University

5. Seton Hall University

6. Rowan University

7. Rutgers University-Camden

8. Fairleigh Dickinson University

9. Georgian Court University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Universities in New Mexico.

1. University of New Mexico

2. New Mexico State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in New York.

1. Pace University

2. University at Albany, State University of New York

3. Molloy College

4. St. John’s University

5. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

6. Marist College

7. Iona College

8. Rochester Institute of Technology

9. Adelphi University

10. Alfred University

11. State University of New York College at Oneonta

12. The College at Brockport

13. Roberts Wesleyan College

14. Saint Joseph’s College – New York

15. The State University of New York at Plattsburgh

16. State University of New York at Oswego

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in North Carolina.

1. North Carolina State University

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3. University of North Carolina Wilmington

4. Western Carolina University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in North Dakota.

1. University of North Dakota

2. North Dakota State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Ohio.

1. University of Cincinnati

2. Xavier University

3. University of Dayton

4. Cedarville University

5. Ohio Northern University

6. University of Mount Union

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Oklahoma.

1. University of Oklahoma

2. Oklahoma City University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Oregon.

1. University of Oklahoma

2. Concordia University Portland

3. Eastern Oregon University

4. Portland State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania.

1. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

2. West Chester University of Pennsylvania

3. Temple University

4. University of Scranton

5. La Salle University

6. Drexel University

7. University of Pittsburgh

8. DeSales University

9. Messiah College

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Rhode Island.

1. University of Rhode Island

2. Johnson and Wales University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in South Carolina.

1. Clemson University

2. University of South Carolina

3. Citadel Military College of South Carolina

4. University of South Carolina – Columbia

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in South Dakota.

1. University of South Dakota

2. University of Sioux Falls

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Tennessee.

1. Middle Tennessee State University

2. Tennessee State University

Top ranked Criminal justice Schools in Texas.

1. Texas Christian University

2. Sam Houston State University

3. St. Mary’s University

4. Texas State University – San Marcos

5. Texas A&M University – College Statio

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Utah.

1. Weber State University

2. Utah Valley University

3. Brigham Young University-Provo

Top ranked Crimina Justice Schools in Vermont.

1. Norwich University

2. Champlain College

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Virginia.

1. George Mason University

2. Virginia Commonwealth University

3. Hampton University

4. Roanoke College

5. Longwood University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Washington.

1. Washington State University

2. Eastern Washington University

3. University of Washington Tacoma

4. University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Top ranked criminal Justice Schools in Washington DC.

1. George Washington University

2. Howard University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in West Virginia.

1. West Virginia University

2. Fairmont State University

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Wisconsin.

1. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

2. Carthage College

3. University of Wisconsin-Platteville

4. Carroll University

5. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Top ranked Criminal Justice Schools in Wyoming.

1. University of Wyoming

2. Casper College

As we have discussed the State-wise Schools now, we shall discuss the undergraduate school.

Undergraduate Schools for Criminal Justice

In this list, you will get to know about the 15 Schools in criminal justice.

1. George Mason University – Fairfax, VA

2. George Washington University – Washington, DC

3. University at Albany, SUNY – Albany, NY

4. Rutgers University-Newark – Newark, NJ

5. Northeastern University – Boston, MA

6. American University – Washington, DC

7. Pace University – New York, NY

8. University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH

9. Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL

10. University of Massachusetts-Lowell – Lowell, MA.

11. University of Illinois at Chicago – Chicago, IL

12. Michigan State University – East Lansing, MI

13. Molloy College – Rockville Centre, NY

14. West Chester University of Pennsylvania

15. Washington State University

Top Universities For Criminal Justice

1. University of Maryland College Park – College Park, MD

2. University at Albany SUNY – Albany, NY

3. University of California Irvine – Irvine, CA

4. University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH

5. Arizona State University – Phoenix, AZ

6. Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL

7. Pennsylvania State University University Park – University Park, PA

8. University of Missouri St. Louis – St. Louis, MO

9. Rutgers University-Newark – Newark, NJ

10. Michigan State University – East Lansing, MI

What Classes To Take For Criminal Justice In High School

Are you planning to pursue your career in the Criminal Justice System? If so, you must start making efforts from today to become a successful professional in the field, and becoming successful requires you to begin by taking steps today.

The education you earn in high school will help you a lot in the future because it is the necessary foundation on which your whole career will be standing. So make this foundation strong and firm.

We will walk you through the courses that will be helpful for you in the future if you are willing to join the criminal justice system.

These are the courses that be helpful for

· Community protection

· Legal System

· Criminal Justice assistance

· Physical education

· Criminology

· Psychology

· And sociology.