Criminology and Criminal Justice Campus Postbaccalaureate Certificate

Program Description

The Criminology and Criminal Justice postbaccalaureate certificate program is designed for people who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in another field and are interested in learning about Criminology & Criminal Justice. Our campus-based postbac program provides students with a broad base of knowledge about crime, offenders, victims, and the justice system. This includes coverage of criminological theories, research on crime prevention and crime control policy, and current practices in policing, courts, and corrections. Students graduating with the postbac certificate are well-positioned to pursue a career in criminal justice or seek an advanced degree in this field.

Degree Requirements

Students in the Criminology and Criminal Justice postbaccalaureate certificate program complete courses in three distinct categories (this is in addition to meeting general University requirements for post-bacs):

Required Courses (20 credit hours)

These Criminology and Criminal Justice courses provide students with foundational knowledge and skills that are needed for employment in criminal justice or for the pursuit of an advanced degree in this field of study.

• CCJ 200 Criminology and Criminal Justice
• CCJ 320 Theories of Crime
• CCJ 330 Crime Control Strategies
• CCJ 380 Criminal Justice Research
• CCJ 420 Criminal Law and Legal Reasoning

Specialization Courses (8 credit hours)

• CCJ 230 Policing in America
• CCJ 240 Punishment and Corrections
• CCJ 310 American Courts

Elective Courses (12 credit hours)

The Department offers a wide range of elective courses each year that allow students to tailor their Criminology and Criminal Justice minor to meet particular interests or career aspirations. Any Criminology and Criminal Justice course not used to satisfy the above requirements counts as an elective. A minimum of 8 of the 16 credits must be taken at the upper division level. Upper division (UD) courses are listed in the range from 300 to 499.

The postbaccalaureate certificate requires 40 total credits in Criminology and Criminal Justice coursework. Up to 16 lower division transfer credits can be as substitutes. All classes used to satisfy CCJ post-bac requirements, whether taken at PSU or elsewhere, must be passed with a grade of "C" (2.00 GPA) or above.
 

Courses

The curriculum is largely delivered via in-person classes on PSU’s campus. Some of the courses are periodically offered online or as hybrid course (partially online).

Be sure to visit the Criminology and Criminal Justice Campus Undergraduate Courses page for information about course description and term offerings.

Please note that the courses and academic terms are subject to change. Students should consult the University’s official classes list for the most up-to-date schedule.

Transfer Credits

The Criminology & Criminal Justice program at PSU has extensive experience with undergraduate transfer students. More than one-half of our students transfer into PSU from the local community colleges and regional Universities so you are likely to run into old classmates. The Criminology and Criminal Justice program has agreements with all Oregon community colleges and some Washington community colleges allowing specific courses to automatically substitute for specific Criminology & Criminal Justice courses. Other transfer credits from regionally accredited community colleges, four-year colleges and universities are determined by PSU upon admission.

See how your criminal justice courses from Oregon and Washington community colleges transfer into PSU’s Criminology and Criminal Justice undergraduate programs.

Advising

The College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA), where the Criminology & Criminal Justice department is housed, has professional advisors available to assist students. This includes support for transferring into PSU, understanding BA/BS and general university requirements, course planning for the Criminology and Criminal Justice major, preparing for graduation, and provision of general program information.

Criminology and Criminal Justice majors are encouraged to meet regularly with their adviser to ensure that they are on track to graduate.