Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) Undergraduate Programs
Department Office: 257 STEWART HALL/(320) 308-4101
Graduate Assistants: 222 STEWART HALL/(320)308-3016
www.stcloudstate.edu/criminaljustice
Also see College of Social Sciences description and requirements.
Programs at a Glance
Degree programs
- BA – Criminal Justice Studies
- Minor – Criminal Justice Studies
- Private Security
- Corrections
- (Also POST Law Enforcement Academic Core)
Program admission and performance requirements
Admission – Department
- 2.65 GPA or higher in all courses completed at SCSU
University minimum requirements for bachelor’s degrees
- 120 credits
- 40 credits in General Education
- 1 credit in PESS 122
- 45 credits in upper-division (300-400) courses
- 30 credits in residence at SCSU
- 2.00 GPA overall, in major, and in minor (departments may set higher standards)
(See this section and the section on the College of Social Sciences for more information.)
Chairperson: Robert Prout
Faculty: Andzenge, Campbell, Clifford, Gilbertson, Hennessy,
Hesse, Lane, Lawrence, Prout, Schreiber, Seefeldt
Adjunct Faculty: Aceves, Altobell, Anderson, Bentrud, Caldecott,
Eibes, Ellering, Hand, Hanson, Harris, Heckendorn, Klaphake, Kutzke, McDonald, Morgan, Norman, Schaefer, Schumann,
Wirth
The baccalaureate degree program emphasizes the interrelatedness of law enforcement, court services, corrections, juvenile justice, and private security within the criminal justice continuum. If students wish to specialize in a subfield of the continuum, they must first receive exposure to the total system. After this balance students can then pursue their specialization through formal instruction, seminars, internships, and independent study. Criminal justice majors may also choose not to specialize but to continue an in-depth study within the general field of criminal justice.
Additional credit hours beyond the General Education requirements, prerequisite courses, and the minimum 45 semester hours necessary for a major in Criminal Justice Studies are needed to meet the 120 semester hours of credit necessary for the Bachelor of Arts degree. This additional course work is recommended in both cognate and elective areas; the former includes biology, chemistry, economics, political science, psychology, social work, and statistics; and the latter includes education, English, Spanish, and philosophy.
The Department suggests that the required course STAT 219 be completed before enrolling for CJS 486.
Prerequisite for admission to the Criminal Justice major and minor program is a 2.65 GPA overall on all SCSU course work. A requirement for graduation with a major in criminal justice studies at St. Cloud State University is researching, writing and orally defending a senior thesis. This requirement, which also fulfils the university's upper-division-writing requirement, is completed in CJS 488 Senior Thesis.
Licensure
The Minnesota Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Board criteria state that students who wish to pursue a career in law enforcement in Minnesota must meet licensing requirements for both education and training. The Department of Criminal Justice Studies at St. Cloud State University has been certified as a provider of the academic law enforcement licensing core. For meeting the educational portion of peace officer certification, the POST Board has designated the following required courses for students attending Alexandria and Hibbing Skills: CJS 421 (Parts 1, 4, 6, 7); 422 (Parts 2, 3, 5), and 431. Students also must be certified in one of the following: Red Cross Advanced First Aid, Crash Injury Management (CIM/First Responder), or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Students attending Hibbing skills are also required to complete TSE 391.
Bachelor of Arts
Major (45)
Required: (33 Cr.)
CJS 111, 411, 415, 420, 430, 431, 486, 487, *488, 489; STAT **219.
Electives: (12 Cr.)
CJS 100, 101, 305, 325, 401, 421, 422, 425, 433, 441, 444, 445, 446, 450, 451,
453, 455, 457, 461, 465, 470, 473, 480, 482, 485, 489, 490, 492, 496, 188-388 (1-12 Cr.); 199-499 (1-16 Cr.); CHEM
207, 307; ECON 381; ENGL 216; GEOG 490; HLTH 305, 391, 405; HIST 350;
PHIL 212, 482; POL 413, 491, 492; SOC 304, 366, 367, 368; CMST 412:
SSCI 460.
Minor (21)
Required: (9 Cr.)
CJS 111, 411, 415
Electives: (12 Cr.)
The 12 credit hours of elective courses must be chosen from those courses
offered within the program major.
*Prerequisite: CJS 111, 486, 487, and STAT 219.
**Prerequisite: MATH 193 or 112, STAT 193 or equivalent.
Private Security Minor (27)
This minor is designed to develop in students the understandings, skills
and insights necessary for success in a career in the unique blend of
management and criminal justice that is loss prevention/asset protection.
Required: (21 Cr.)
CJS 305, *430, *431, 455, MGMT 301, 352, FIRE 375.
Electives: (6 Cr.)
Elective courses chosen with adviser approval based upon the student's
career goals.
*In order to avoid overlapping of courses, criminal justice courses may not be used to satisfy requirements of both the criminal justice major and private security minor. Students majoring in criminal justice and minoring in private security must substitute another course with adviser approval for CJS 430 and 431.
Corrections Minor (27)
This minor is designed to develop in students the understanding and skills
necessary for success in the field of corrections, including jails, prisons,
probation, parole, and other correctional alternatives and offender treatment
services.
Required: (12 Cr.)
CJS 415*, 441, 450, 470
Electives: (3 Cr.)
Choose one course from CJS 430*, 431*, or 461.
Required: (12 Cr.)
CJS 444- Internship: After completion of at least 9 credits of the above
courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0, in coursework included in minor, at
an approved corrections-related agency; to be arranged by the student
with the permission and approval of the Advisor.
* Students majoring in Criminal Justice may not apply more than 6
credits of courses that are required for the major to the Corrections
minor.
