Criminal Justice Courses and Descriptions
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Courses required for all Criminal Justice degrees:
Minimum requirements for graduation:
- Associate of Science in Criminal Justice: 60
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security: 125
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – no Minor: 125
Criminal Justice (Required Courses for Associate and Bachelors)
CJ 105 Introduction to Criminal Justice
This course provides instruction on the components of the American Criminal Justice
System: Courts, Police and Corrections. Students will utilize critical thinking skills to
discern the balance between individual rights and public order as it pertains to the
Criminal Justice Process. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the Criminal Justice
System and Processes through examinations, assigned papers and reports. Additionally,
students will participate in field and classroom experiences created to explore the
various career opportunities within the Criminal Justice System.
CJ 115 Criminal Law
This course covers the key components of criminal law and its enforcement. While
the primary focus is substantive criminal law other topics include an overview of the
criminal law process, defenses, and jurisdiction of the courts. The primary emphasis is
on substantive criminal law including its statutory codification. The course will examine
crimes against persons, property and peace and order in detail and analyze the essential
elements and burdens of proof required for a conviction. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite:
None.
CJ 120 Introduction to Criminology
The course is a theoretical study of crime, its causes, prevention and control. The student
will examine the field of criminology and obtain an appreciation for how research models
are used to better understand and explain criminal behavior and society’s response to it.
3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.
CJ 130 Introduction to Law and Judicial Process
This course covers the major structures, basic legal concepts and legal procedures that
regulate the criminal court system. The course also examines the roles of key participants
and the effect of Appellant and Supreme Court decisions on the criminal law process. 3.0
credit hours. Prerequisite: None.
CJ 200 Introduction to Corrections
This course covers the basics of corrections including historical events and social issues,
which have shaped our current systems. This course also covers functions of corrections
today including contemporary prison populations, custodial structure, prisoner rights and
legal issues, capital punishment, and community corrections programs and developing
issues. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.
CJ 210 Law Enforcement Security
This course covers the basics of security and domestic intelligence. 3.0 credit hours.
Prerequisite: CJ 130 Introduction to Law and Judicial Process
CJ 220 Ethics in Law Enforcement
This course covers the basics of public administration and the ethical issues of public
service. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: CJ 130 Introduction to Law and Judicial Process.
CJ 230 Evidence Forensics
This course covers the law, types and current rules of evidence acquisition. 4.0 credit
hours. Prerequisite: CJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement.
CJ 250 Juvenile Justice
Students will learn about the juvenile justice system and apply constitutional law and
procedures that are distinctly different from the adult criminal system. 3.0 credit hours.
Prerequisite: None.
Personal and Professional Development
PD 100 Student Success Skills
This course provides instruction in the both theory and practice of personal growth that lead to successful life experience. Topics include research in critical self-analysis of student habits and attitudes; and psychological impediments to successfully setting and achieving personal goals. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.
PD 200 Career Development Seminar
This seminar provides an opportunity for the student to apply critical self-examination techniques and processes for developing a career path and an awareness of the need to embed life-long learning into career management. Topics include career planning research, job searching, developing career search documents, and refining interview and communication skills within an awareness of psychological boundaries implicit in this process. Successful completion of this course requires the creation of a professional resume suitable for email. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.
General Education Requirements
Students enrolled in Associate degrees must complete a minimum of 21 semester credit hours in general education distributed among the following disciplines. Refer to the General Education section of the course catalog for Herzing College courses that would satisfy these requirements.
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in English Composition
- 1 Semester Credit Hour in Information Literacy and Research Writing
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in Speech
- 4 Semester Credit Hours in Computer Applications
- 4 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics (College Algebra or Above)
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in Social or Behavioral Science
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in Science or Humanities with a Critical Thinking Focus
Elective Courses for the Associate Degree
Additional Course Required for the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice - Homeland Security Degree
CJ 300 Criminalistics
This course covers the nature of physical evidence with a study of the current
technologies available to crime laboratory personnel. 4.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: CJ
120 Introduction to Criminology.
CJ 310 Criminal Investigation
This course is an introduction to criminal investigation and the investigative process.
Current issues in criminal investigations will be studied along with true case studies. 4.0
credit hours. Prerequisite: CJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement
CJ 400 Criminal Psychology
The psychology of crime is a subdivision of the general field of Forensic Psychology. This
course introduces and explores the concept of criminal behavior using an interdisciplinary
approach with a primary focus on the psychological perspective. This study will include
human nature theories as well as psychological criminology and criminal profiling. 3.0
credit hours. Prerequisite: PS 101 Psychology.
CJ 420 Narcotics and Drug Abuse
This course evaluates conservative and liberal views on crime control proposals, guns
and crimes, drug policies, the war on drugs, and the legalization of drugs. This course
communicates complex ideas about how the criminal justice system operates and
is affected by politics. The basics of current drugs and their affects are studied and
evaluated. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.
CJ 430 Financial Crimes
The course explores financial crimes and the impact on society. The course will include
topics like various types of fraud, identity theft, counterfeit documents and internet
crimes. The course will explore how these crimes have evolved and the use of financial
crimes to fund terrorism and the drug trade. The course will give the student an overview
of each type of financial crime and the methodology for investigation and prosecution.
3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None
FS 100 Introduction to Fire Service
This course details the job of today’s firefighter, beginning with the basic requirements
of Firefighter I and II, and including extensive information on subjects such as hazardous
materials and terrorism. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.
FS 200 Fire Prevention
This course covers model building and fire prevention codes, including detailed
information on the legal, economic, and political aspects of the fire inspection process.
Addresses right of entry, enforcement authority, the permit system, building limits and
types of construction, as well as fire protection systems and their maintenance. 3.0 credit
hours. Prerequisite: FS 100 Introduction to Fire Service.
HS 205 Domestic and International Terrorism
This course provides on introduction to the methods utilized by a terrorist or a terrorist
group, including the hierarchical structure, an introduction to the methods utilized for
training, funding and gathering intelligence, the operational phases of a terrorist attack
and the process of target selection. Students will examine Foreign Terrorist Organizations,
Domestic Terrorist Organizations and the organization’s primary spheres of influence and
ideologies, methods of funding, past terrorist attacks and potential for attack against the
U.S. interests domestically and globally. 4.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: CJ 115 Criminal
Law.
HS 320 Critical Incident Stress Management
This course covers both basic and advanced knowledge and the suggested skills required
to provide effective group crisis intervention services. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: PS
101 Psychology.
HS 400 Industrial Security
This course covers the design and evaluation process for physical protection systems and
protection of assets. The course will include a problem-solving approach to security and
risk assessment. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: CJ 210 Law Enforcement Security.
HS 490 Capstone Project
This course covers the Citizen Corps/Community Emergency Response Team program
created to spearhead the effort to harness the power of every individual through
education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and
better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and
disasters of all kinds.
PH 100 Public Event Planning and Emergency Management
This course covers the basics on public event planning and the security involved before,
during, and after the event. Scheduling and coordination is explained in depth. 3.0 credit
hours. Prerequisite: None.
PH 200 Community Health
This course is designed to assist practitioners in effectively communicating messages
as well as impacting the norms and behaviors of both individuals and communities. 3.0
credit hours. Prerequisite: None.
Open Elective Courses
Additional General Education Requirements
Students enrolled in bachelor degrees must complete a minimum of 16 semester credit hours in general education above and beyond the general education courses completed for their associate degree. These credits must be distributed among the following disciplines and a minimum of 9 semester credit hours must be upper level (300-400 level courses). Refer to the General Education section of the course catalog for Herzing College courses that would satisfy these requirements.
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in English Composition or Literature
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics (College Algebra or above)
- 4 Semester Credit Hours of Natural Science with a Lab Component
- 3 Semester Credit Hours in Cultural Diversity
- 3 Semester Credit Hours of General Education Electives
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