About the Program

Students in the B.S. degree program in Criminal Justice receive a broad and comprehensive background that examines all aspects of crime and how society reacts to it. Students will learn about criminology—the causes and factors of crime; and the criminal justice system’s role and function—including policing, courts, and corrections.

The program challenges students to think with diverse world views and intense study of current events. The program equips students to be the next generation of criminal justice practitioners, policymakers, and researchers for positions at the local, state, and federal levels; law school; or graduate study.

About the Criminal Justice Department

102 Cassety Hall
1300 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-4517
Fax: (716) 878-3240
https://criminaljustice.buffalostate.edu/

Career Information

Students are able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of legal principles governing criminal justice.
2. Demonstrate an appropriate understanding of the theories and ideologies of crime and their interactive influences with criminal justice policies and practices.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the organization and process in criminal justice agencies.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of crime control efforts.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the research process in criminal justice.
6. Demonstrate critical thinking.
7. Demonstrate preparation for a career in criminal justice or graduate study.

Program Requirements

General Education 23 Requirements
33 credit hours 33

Criminal Justice Major Requirements (42 credit hours)
Core Courses (18 credit hours)
CRJ 101 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
CRJ 201 CRIMINAL LAW 3
CRJ 202 THE POLICE PROCESS 3
CRJ 204 THE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS 3
CRJ 303 CRIMINAL JUSTICE THEORY AND IDEOLOGY 3
CRJ 315 RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3

Supporting Courses (6 credit hours)
Select two from the following: 6
CRJ 250 INTRODUCTION TO INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS
CRJ 301 POLICE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
CRJ 302 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMUNITY
CRJ 305 THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
CRJ 306 PROBATION, PAROLE, AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
CRJ 307 COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
CRJ 308 CRIME PREVENTION
CRJ 317 CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 320 CRIMINAL COURTS
CRJ 355 CRIME ANALYSIS

Advanced Electives (6 credit hours)
Select two from the following: 6
CRJ 402 ADVANCED ADMINISTRATION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 404 WHITE-COLLAR AND CORPORATE CRIME
CRJ 406 CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS
CRJ 408 PROSEMINAR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1
CRJ 409 ADVANCED ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CRJ 410 ORGANIZED CRIME
CRJ 420 ADVANCED ISSUES IN PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS
CRJ 440 DRUGS, CRIME, AND DRUG POLICY
CRJ 450 TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 455 ADVANCED INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS
CRJ 470 ADVANCED SEMINAR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 485 MOCK TRIAL
CRJ 488 INTERNSHIP IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2 (3-15)
CRJ 495 SPECIAL PROJECT 3 (1-3)
CRJ 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY 3 (3-12)

Senior Seminar and Diversity Requirement (3 credit hours)
Select one from the following:
CRJ 425 RACE, ETHNICITY, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
CRJ 430 GENDER AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Statistics Core Requirement (3 credit hours)
Select one from the following: 3
CRJ 310 STATISTICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
ECO 305 STATISTICS FOR ECONOMICS
MAT 311 INTRODUCTORY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
PSY 350 STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
SOC 299 SOCIAL STATISTICS

Professional, Behavioral, and Social Science Electives (6 credit hours)
Select two courses from two different departments:

ANT 325 FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
BUS 312 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
BUS 334 BUSINESS LAW I
BUS 360 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
CAS 301 PERSPECTIVES ON CHILD ABUSE AND ADVOCACY
CRS 302 CREATIVE APPROACHES TO PROBLEM SOLVING
ECO 302 WOMEN IN THE ECONOMY
ECO 312 URBAN ECONOMICS
ECO 350 PUBLIC FINANCE
ECO 360 INTRODUCTION TO THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF LAW
ENG 300 WRITING FOR THE PROFESSIONS
ENG 302 TECHNICAL WRITING
FOR 312 CHEMISTRY AND CRIMINALISTICS (4)
HEW 320 PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS AND HEALTH
HEW 425 ALCOHOL PROBLEMS
HIS 311 AMERICAN IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION
HIS 322 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
HIS 341 AFRICAN AMERICANS AND CIVIL RIGHTS
LIB 300 ADVANCED LIBRARY RESEARCH METHODS
PAD 435 ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES IN PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT SECTORS
PHI 304 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
PHI 310 HISTORY OF ETHICS
PHI 314 RIGHTS AND RESPECT
PLN 325 MAPS AND MAPMAKING USING GIS
PLN 380 NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
PSC 305 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
PSC 312 LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
PSC 315 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
PSC 317 U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
PSC 319 GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUESTIONING POLITICS
PSC 320 U.S. CIVIL LIBERTIES
PSC 321 CIVIL PROCEDURE
PSC 345 POLITICS AND HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST
PSC 360 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
PSC 364 AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY
PSC 421 DISCRIMINATION AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
PSY 325 SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
PSY 367 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
PSY 375 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 376 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 392 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 393 ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 480 PSYCHOTHERAPY: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PROCEDURES
REL 321 WORLD RELIGIONS
SAF 305 FUNDAMENTALS OF SAFETY
SAF 310 PERSONAL SAFETY AND FIRST AID
SAF 340 COMMUNITY SAFETY
SSE 363 AMERICAN IDENTITY IN TRANSITION: DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM IN THE UNITED STATES
SOC 321 THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY
SOC 330 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOC 340 SOCIOLOGY OF THE CITY
SOC 350 POWER, CLASS, AND INEQUALITY
SOC 351 SOCIOLOGY OF RACE AND ETHNICITY
SOC 353 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
SOC 370 SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
SOC 380 SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME
SOC 382 SOCIOLOGY OF LAW
SOC 383 SOCIOLOGY OF PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS
SOC 390 SOCIOLOGY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
SOC 393 SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS
SPA 201 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I
SPC 306 PUBLIC SPEAKING
SPC 307 GROUP COMMUNICATON
SPC 311 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
SWK 301 POVERTY AND PUBLIC POLICY

All College Electives
39-45 credit hours 39-45
Total Credit Hours 120

The Criminal Justice Department offers three concentrations for students who would like to specialize in a particular field of criminal justice. To register for a concentration, please see the Department. Students who do not select a concentration are automatically placed in the integrated concentration that allows students to tailor their major by choosing their supporting and advanced electives to fit their educational and career goals.

Concentration in Policing
The primary objective of the policing concentration is to provide students with the appropriate foundation for understanding policing issues. It helps prepare students for professional careers in law enforcement available in federal, state, local, or private justice-related organizations.

Supporting Courses:
CRJ 301 POLICE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 3
CRJ 317 CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3

Advanced Electives:
CRJ 409 ADVANCED ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT 3
CRJ 440 DRUGS, CRIME, AND DRUG POLICY 3

Concentration in Corrections
The primary objective of the corrections concentration is to enhance students’ knowledge of correctional programs, policies, and issues. It helps prepare students for professional careers in institutional or community-based correctional programs available in federal, state, local, or privately-run organizations.

Supporting Courses:
CRJ 302 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMUNITY 3
CRJ 306 PROBATION, PAROLE, AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS 3

Advanced Electives:
CRJ 406 CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS 3
CRJ 420 ADVANCED ISSUES IN PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS 3

Concentration in Intelligence Analysis
The primary objective of the intelligence analysis concentration is to allow students to develop competency and practical knowledge of intelligence analysis issues and techniques. It helps prepare students for professional careers in intelligence and/or crime analysis in government agencies or law enforcement available in federal, state, or local organizations.

Supporting Courses:
CRJ 250 INTRODUCTION TO INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS 3
CRJ 355 CRIME ANALYSIS 3

Advanced Electives:
CRJ 450 TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
CRJ 455 ADVANCED INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS 3


1 CRJ 408 may be taken 3 times as long as 3 different topics are taken. Only two CRJ 408 courses will apply to the CRJ major. If you take more than 3 CRJ 408 courses, the extra courses will be invalid and you will not receive credit.

2 CRJ 488 requires senior class standing, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at Buffalo State and/or Instructor Permission.

3 CRJ 495 and CRJ 499 require senior class standing and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at Buffalo State. No more than one CRJ 499 and/or CRJ 495 course may be used in the major and none may be used in the major if taken prior to successful completion of CRJ 315 without written consent of the department.