For Pre-Majors

Apply for Admission into the Major (CRJ)

Requirements

• A minimum of 12 credits from Buffalo State
• A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better
• Completion of the appropriate form, available in the Criminal Justice Office

Take CRJ 101 in Your First Semester

CRJ 101 is a prerequisite for most criminal justice classes. 

Major Core Classes Required for Graduation

• CRJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
• CRJ 201 Criminal Law
• CRJ 202 The Police Process
• CRJ 204 The Correctional Process
• CRJ 303 Criminal Justice Theory and Ideology
• CRJ 315 Research Methods in Criminal Justice

Statistics

You must take one of the following

• CRJ 310
• ECO 305
• MAT 311
• PSY 306
• SOC 301

Or an equivalent Statistics course from another college. 

Sign Up for a Major Concentration

• Policing
• Corrections
• Intelligence Analysis.

CRJ 408 – Special Topics in Criminal Justice

Up to 9 credits of CRJ 408 – Special Topics in Criminal Justice may be taken as long as the class covers a different topic. Only 6 credits may be used as a Criminal Justice elective. 

Pass/Fail

No class in the major (including the Professional, Behavioral and Social Science electives) may be taken Pass/Fail.

Skills and Competencies

Writing Across the Curriculum           

• CRJ 303 Criminal Justice Theory and Ideology and
• CRJ 315 Research Methods in Criminal Justice

Critical Thinking                             

• CRJ 425 Race and the Administration of Justice or
• CRJ 430 Gender and the Administration of Justice

Information Management

• CRJ 303 Criminal Justice Theory and Ideology

Intellectual Foundation Requirements May Be Met By Criminal Justice Classes

Diversity                                         

• CRJ 425 Race and the Administration of Justice or
• CRJ 430 Gender and the Administration of Justice             

Community College Credits

If you have credits from a community college, up to 12 criminal justice credits are accepted into the major. 

Additionally, statistics courses equivalent to MAT 311 from a community college will be accepted into the major. The department does not acknowledge any course from a two-year school as upper level.

Police/Military Training

The department does not accept police or military training as equivalent to coursework in the major.