Honors Program in Criminal Justice

The Honors Program in Criminal Justice is designed to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity for more complete training in research and writing than is normally available in the general undergraduate program.

Honors Program Curriculum

The major of Criminal Justice with Honors is a 36 credit program.

Students who have been admitted to the program may elect to begin taking courses that will be applied to the required 12 honors credits of coursework that will count toward the electives requirement of the major.

Select one of the following Advanced Theory course options:

•  A writing-intensive course with a special honors section – OR –

•  One of the two honors theory courses (RCRJ 507 or RCRJ 540) – OR –

•  Other courses proposed and approved by the faculty

All students in the cohort will take a three-credit “Great Ideas in Criminal Justice” course (RCRJ 490). This course will include a series of lectures by faculty members in the School of Criminal Justice. The course will provide the incoming honors students with the opportunity to meet faculty and to learn about the research being conducted in the School.

Students will select either the Independent Senior Thesis (RCRJ 482/492) or the Topical Senior Research (RCRJ 481/491) track of the Honors Program. Each track will be six credits over two semesters.

Students in both tracks will complete a thesis by April 15 of the senior year. This thesis will be reviewed by the committee created for this purpose. In order to graduate with honors in the major, the student's thesis project must be approved.

Admission to the Criminal Justice Honors Program

Students can apply to the Honors Program in the second semester of the sophomore year or the first semester of the junior year. Minimum requirements for admission include Criminal Justice as a declared first major, an overall GPA not lower than 3.25, and a Criminal Justice GPA not lower than 3.50. Additionally, to remain in the Honors Program, all honors students must maintain a 3.50 GPA in the major.