Program Overview:
The field of Criminal Justice is a very broad field that includes the operational agencies that administer the American criminal justice system, the academic and private research centers that study criminal justice issues and evaluates programs and policies, the governmental institutions that develop criminal justice policy, the private sector that augments governmental criminal justice operations, and a host of academic disciplines that contribute to the knowledge and support services of the criminal justice system.
The Criminal Justice Major at Saint Rose engages highly motivated undergraduate students in a rigorous interdisciplinary educational experience. The program's goals are to develop a student's ability to think critically, to communicate effectively by learning how to critically read, write, and present information orally, to understand the scientific method and its application in both the academic and operational worlds, and to learn problem solving approaches in order to prepare students upon graduation for criminal justice careers in both the public and private sector or placement in criminal justice, related graduate or professional programs of study.
Students must earn a C or better in all courses used to satisfy requirements for the major. Except in special cases where a student receives written approval from the department Criminal Justice, Behavior & Law chairperson. Students may not take courses required for the major on a pass/fail basis; exceptions are noted below. Once having declared the Criminal Justice, Behavior & Law major, students must satisfy all remaining courses applicable to the major at The College of Saint Rose.
Students may apply a maximum of 6 credits of CJS 494 Internship, 4 credits of CJS XXX Legal Experience, 4 credits of CJS XXX Cold Case, and 4 credits of CJS 480/CJS 481 Mock Trial to their CJS major. All of these courses are taken pass/fail. Credits accrued beyond these limits will be counted as general elective credits.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Robert Flint
Interim Chair, Department of Criminal Justice, Behavior, & Law
Email: flintr@strose.edu
Program Webpage: Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law, BS
Program Requirements:
Major in Criminal Justice, Behavior, and Law (45-46 Credits)
Core Courses (18 credits)
Transfer students and students who switch to the major after their first semester must take CJS 110 and then any other 200+ level CJS 3-credit course in place of the CJS 101/102 sequence.
CJS 199 is required every semester.
Ethical Judgement and Dilemmas (3 credits)
Advanced Skill Development (3-4 credits)
Choose one of the following:
| CJS 300 | Stats & Research Mthds 2 | 4 |
| | CJS 300/400 level course outside of selected concentration | 3 - 4 |
Diversity (3 credits)
Choose one of the following:
Senior Seminar (3 credits)
Choose one of the following:
| CJS 496 | SeniorSeminar:Crim Jus Systems | 3 to 4 |
| CJS 497 | Senior Seminar: Research | 3 to 4 |
| CJS 498 | Senior Seminar: Law | 3 to 4 |
Concentration (15 credits)
Students must select one of the following concentrations:
Generalist
Students must choose 5 Courses (15 credits, 9 credits must be at the 300/400 level) from any of the courses listed in the other concentrations.
Criminal Justice
Students must choose 5 Courses (15 credits, 9 credits must be at the 300/400 level).
Criminal Behavior/Criminology
Students must choose 5 Courses (15 credits, 9 credits must be at the 300/400 level).
Law
Students must choose 5 Courses (15 credits, 9 credits must be at the 300/400 level).
For those interested in honors-level undergraduate research, please refer to the
Honors Research section.
Internship/Field Experiences/Service:
Field experiences and internships, both in the public and private sector, are available and encouraged. Since the College of Saint Rose is located in New York's Capital, the criminal justice student has many opportunities for internships of their choice.
Students must earn a C or better in all courses used to satisfy requirements for the major in order to be eligible for internship opportunities.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Required Course:
Students choose one of the following:
| CJS 496 | SeniorSeminar:Crim Jus Systems | 3 to 4 |
| CJS 497 | Senior Seminar: Research | 3 to 4 |
| CJS 498 | Senior Seminar: Law | 3 to 4 |
Suggested 4 Year Course Plan:
This suggested plan is designed to give students an idea of how to balance their coursework over 8 semesters and to graduate within 4 years. Most students will need to take a minimum of 30 credits each year in order to meet the graduation requirement of a minimum of 122 overall credits. It should be used along with your Degree Works worksheet and in consultation with your faculty advisor. It is meant as a guide, not a definitive list of courses that must be taken as written. Your faculty advisor will help you make any necessary adjustments during advisement.
Year 1
Fall (15 credits)
SOC 111 Intro to Sociology (L011) 3
CJS 101 Fundamentals of Criminal Justice 3
L05 Art, Music, Drama, Communications 3
L03 History 3
L06 Phil/RLS 3
Spring (16 credits)
CJS 112 Courts 3
CJS 110 Intro to CJS 3
CJS 111 Criminal Behavior 3
L01 English 4
L07 Math 3
Year 2
Fall (16 credits)
CJS 200 level elective 3
General Elective 3
L04 Literature 4
General elective 3
General Elective 3
Spring (16 credits)
CJS 200 Stats and Research Methods 1 4
CJS 200 level elective 3
L02 Language 3
L08 Computers 3
General Elective 3
Year 3
Fall (14 credits)
CJS 300 Stats and Research Methods 2 OR CJS 300+ elective 3
CJS 399 Career Preparation Seminar 2
General Elective 3
General Elective 3
General Elective 3
Spring (16 credits)
CJS 310 Ethics 3
CJS Diversity elective 3
L09 Lab Science 4
L12 P.E. 2 credits 2
CJS 300+ level elective 3
Year 4
Fall (15 credits)
CJS 300+ level elective 3
Free elective 3
General Elective 3
L10 Economics, Political Science, Business 3
General Elective 3
Spring (14 credits)
CJS 496/497/498 Senior Seminar 3-4
General Elective 4
Further disciplinary study 3
General Elective 4
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.msche.org
Career Opportunities and Graduate Study:
Graduates of this program will be prepared to enter a variety of career opportunities in the field of criminal justice or pursue graduate or professional education.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
The Undergraduate Admissions Office begins review of First-Year applications each fall in late September for the following Fall. Students are encouraged to submit a complete application as early as October. The Admissions Team will return a decision on complete applications within just three weeks. The College awards academic scholarships at the same time.
What Makes an Application Complete
- Online or Paper application (fee waived for all applicants!)
- Official High School Transcripts
- Official Transcripts for any College Level Courses
- SAT or ACT scores (See Test Optional FAQ's)
- Letter of Recommendation from a Counselor or Teacher
- Essay or Graded Paper
- Applicants may also apply via the Common Application Online.
- Art applicants are required to complete a portfolio review.
- Music applicants are required to complete an audition.
Admissions contact information (telephone number, admissions web pages)
Scholarships and Financial Aid
See Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section for more information.
The Bottom Line
The total cost of The College of Saint Rose (including tuition, fees, room and board) is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast, and we award more than $34 million in Saint Rose scholarships, grants and financial aid.
Take a look at our bottom line, and view a cost comparison with a four-year public institution.
More about Financial Aid
Financial Aid is defined as any grant, scholarship, loan, or employment opportunity given with the express purpose of assisting you with education-related expenses to make your education affordable. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of student need and the availability of funds.
The Admission and Financial Aid teams have designed a Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid to help prospective students and families get to the bottom line and find that The College of Saint Rose is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast--while maintaining powerful academic opportunities.
Find Out More: