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.