2014-2015

Criminology and Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

This bachelors degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice will provide students with the opportunity to engage in diverse coursework to increase knowledge and analytical skills appropriate for a variety of career paths. These career paths include work in an area of the public justice system, such as police, courts, corrections, regulatory agencies, and environmental protection, or in community-based programs related to crime prevention, rehabilitation, and victim assistance, as well as pursuit of further education in graduate or law school.

In addition to a minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice the Department offers a minor in Law, Rights and Justice for those interested in pre-law.

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 36 units of major requirements
  • At least 18 units of minor requirements

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA C
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Emphasis, Minor, or Certificate Required Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
University Honors Program Optional
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan Optional
Progression Plan Link Not Available

Major Requirements

  • Take the following 36 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course:

    Note: You may apply up to 15 units of criminology, criminal justice, or administration of justice coursework taken at other institutions toward your criminology and criminal justice degree at Northern Arizona University.

Minor Requirements

  • You must complete a minor of at least 18 units from those described in this catalog. In consultation with your advisor, you should select a minor that is appropriate for your career aspirations and educational needs. Your minor advisor will advise you about this part of your academic plan.

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.


  • Web-Based Option

    We offer this on-line degree option to non-Flagstaff Campus students throughout Arizona. Students applying for this option must have earned one of the following degrees:
    • An Associate of Arts Degree in Administration of Justice or Administration of Justice Studies from an accredited Arizona Community College and must have completed the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC). 
    • An Associate of Applied Science Degree in Administration of Justice or Administration of Justice Studies from an accredited Arizona Community College and must have completed the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC). 
    The requirements for degree completion are the same as for the Flagstaff Campus B.S. Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice reflected in the above description.  Students must apply for admission to both the University and to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and be admitted by the University and also admitted to this program by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Admission by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is based in part on program capacity.

    To obtain further information about admission to this Web-Based Option contact the department.

  • Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program 

    This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan. Accelerated Programs provide the opportunity for outstanding undergraduates working on their bachelor’s degree to simultaneously begin work on a master’s degree, which may allow them to complete both degrees in an accelerated manner by applying 6 units toward both degrees. Students must apply to the accelerated program and the master’s program by the application deadline, and meet all requirements as listed on the Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year. Be sure to speak with your advisor regarding your interest in Accelerated Programs.