Introduction

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The School of Public Affairs’ Bachelor of Arts program in Criminal Justice (BACJ) is interdisciplinary and combines course work in criminology and criminal justice with a liberal arts focus. The Criminal Justice degree prepares students for occupations within criminology and criminal justice agencies by providing them with the critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills necessary for career advancement or graduate study. The course work explores the complex nature of crime causation; the history, framework, and operations of criminal justice organizations; the implications of public policies related to crime and justice; and the intricacies of many substantive aspects of criminology and criminal justice, including capital punishment, victimology, race and crime, and community corrections. Further our program integrates research methods and statistics to help students critically consume information, determine how to ask important questions, and carry out research, should they choose to do so. Our program is designed to ensure that graduates adapt to the evolving nature of criminology and criminal justice.

As with all undergraduate degrees, students must complete the requirements of the CU Denver core curriculum. The CU Denver core curriculum draws heavily on social and natural sciences, as well as liberal arts, offering students the benefit of a well-rounded education. The BACJ program will not only provide a direct line to employment in the growing fields of criminology and criminal justice, but it also will facilitate the transition of outstanding students into the School of Public Affairs’ MCJ and PhD graduate programs. Students will be well-prepared with respect to substantive knowledge, critical thinking and analytic skills, research methods, and participating in diverse and inclusive environments to pursue advanced degrees in Criminology, Criminal Justice, and related fields.

Program Delivery

• This is an on-campus and online program.

Declaring This Major

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General Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.

• CU Denver General Graduation Requirements   
• CU Denver Core Curriculum    
• School of Public Affairs Graduation Requirements   
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