John Jay College Of Criminal Justice | The City University of New York

The criminology major focuses on the nature and causes of crime, the behavior of criminals, and how society reacts to crime and criminals.  The major contains courses in sociology, other social science disciplines and the humanities.  Students who are planning to attend graduate or professional schools and students who are currently working in criminal justice or other public service fields as well as those planning to do so in the future will find this major of interest.

Some details:
Part 1: Basic Requirements
Part 2: Criminology Elective Areas
Part 3: Senior Seminar

Credits required:  33

Prerequisites:  SOC 101 and PSY 101.  These courses fulfill the College’s general education requirements in the social sciences.

Honors Option:  Students with a cumulative 3.5 grade point average are eligible for a Criminology Honors track.  The Honors track requires completion of nine additional credits to include Social Science Research 325, Statistics 250 and a two-semester research internship or independent study (6 credits).  Consult the major advisor for further information.

Advisor:  Professor David Brotherton, Department of Sociology (212.237.8694, dbrotherton@jjay.cuny.edu)

Additional information: Certain courses are offered only in fall semesters and others only in spring semesters.  Students who enrolled for the first time at the College in September 1996 or thereafter must complete the major in the form presented here.  Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose either the form shown here or the earlier version of the major.  A copy of the earlier version can be obtained at the Office of Undergraduate Studies or at the Lloyd George Sealy Library. 

Category A. Disciplinary Foundations

Select three of the following
Sociology 203 Criminology
Sociology 240 Social Deviance
Sociology 309 Juvenile Delinquency
Sociology 314 Theories of Social Order

Category B. Multi-Disciplinary Foundations                              

Select one of the following
Anthropology 230 Culture and Crime
Economics 170 Introduction to the Economics of Crime and Social Problems
Psychology 242 Abnormal Psychology

Category C. Research Foundations                                        

One of the following courses is required; both are recommended
Social Science Research 325 Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
Statistics 250 Principles and Methods of Statistics

Select five courses.  At least one must be chosen in each category.

Category A.  The Nature and Etiology of Crime
Anthropology 110/Psychology 110/Sociology 110 Drug Use and Abuse in American Society
Economics 315/Police Science 315 An Economic Analysis of Crime
Police Science 405 Organized Crime in America
Psychology 232 The Psychology of Adolescence and the Adolescent Offender
Sociology 206 The Sociology of Conflict and Dispute Resolution
Sociology 305 The Sociology of Law
Sociology 308 The Sociology of Violence
Sociology 360/Economics 360 Corporate and White Collar Crime

Category B.  The Relationship of Crime to Other Aspects of Society
African-American Studies Sociology 215 Police and the Ghetto
Anthropology 315 Systems of Law
Criminal Justice 420/Sociology 420 Women and Crime
Law 310/Philosophy 310 Ethics and Law
Literature 327 Crime and Punishment in Literature
Puerto Rican/Latin American StudiesSociology 401 Seminar in Latina/o Issues: Gender, Race, Ethnicity and the Legal System
Sociology 236/Criminal Justice 236 Victimology
Sociology 335 Migration and Crime
Sociology 401 Problems of Minority Groups

Category C. Societal Treatment of Crime
Anthropology 330 American Cultural Pluralism and the Law
Anthropology 340 Anthropology and the Abnormal
History 320 The History of Crime and Punishment in the United States
History 325 Criminal Justice in European Society: From 1750 to the Present
Psychology 272 Correctional Psychology
Psychology 372 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
Puerto Rican/Latin American Studies Justice 325 The Latina/o Experience of Criminal Justice
Sociology 301 Penology

Required of all students
Sociology 440 Senior Seminar (Criminology)

Total: 33 credits