Criminal Justice, Minor
Minor in Criminal Justice
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Overview
Admissions and Requirements
Courses You’ll Take
Tuition & Fees
Program Overview
The online Criminal Justice, Minor allows students to diversify their academic skill-set and additional career or education paths.
This unique online option allows the student to:
- Gain a broad academic background in criminal justice.
- Research topics pertaining to the administration of justice.
- Prepare for careers requiring a high level of character and ethical standards, preparing them for leadership positions.
Career Outlook: A minor in criminal justice is a valuable enhancement to a variety of professions. Individuals seeking to work in government, courts, social work or psychology find a criminal justice minor an asset to their degree.
A minor in criminal justice is a complement to many majors including:
- Biology or Biochemistry
- Forensic Science
- Family Science
- Fisheries and Wildlife
- Insect Science
- Journalism
- Language
- Pre-Law
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Political Science
Admissions and Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
High school diploma or GED
NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states
To apply to this program:
- Complete and submit the online application for admissions
- Pay the $45 non-refundable application fee
Courses You’ll Take
Course Information
Students take all of CJUS 101GS, 215 and 230. Students choose 15 credit hours from the remaining electives. *This course is the immediate prerequisite. Other preparation is required prior to this immediate prerequisite.
Core Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJUS 215 | Correctional Services and Systems | 3 |
This course covers the historical development of corrections leading to an analysis of our correctional process and systems in contemporary America. | ||
| CJUS 230 | The Police Service | 3 |
This course is intended to introduce students to the major developments and problems in policing. Topics will include rights and responsibilities of the uniformed officer, patrol and manpower distribution theories, police unionism, ethics and corruption, community relations, and the police subculture as a distinct value system. | ||
| CJUS 101GS | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
This course is intended to provide a broad understanding of the functional components of the criminal justice system and their interrelationship. It will also provide a basic understanding of the American crime problem. | ||
Elective Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJUS 360 | Sex Crimes | 3 |
This course is designed to introduce the students to the growing problem of sex crimes. Areas covered will include prostitution, the role of fantasy in sex crimes, pornography, Internet related sex crimes, sex trafficking and tourism, pedophilia, dangerous sex crimes, and rape. Related laws, typologies of offenders, profiling offenders, and evidence collection will also be discussed. | ||
| CJUS 326 | Theories of Crime and Criminal Law | 3 |
This course is intended to introduce students to the philosophical foundations of criminal law, as well as the various theories that have been proposed to address criminal offending and the prevention of crime. Students will evaluate each theory within the context of the crime and the criminal justice system in the United States | ||
| CJUS 430 | Drugs and the Criminal Justice System | 3 |
This course focuses on the historical and contemporary pattern of psychoactive drug use in the United States and on the development of criminal justice policies intended to reduce or eliminate drug use and/or drug problems. Specific topics include major types of psychoactive drugs, the War on Drugs, the international context of drug production and distribution, and personal and social problems resulting from drug use. A major focus of the course will be the evaluation of different criminal justice strategies for reducing drug-related problems. | ||
| CJUS 370 | Women and Crime | 3 |
The study of gender criminology, female offenders, and the incarceration and treatment of offending women; an examination of female victims of male violence including battering, stalking, and sexual victimization; an evaluation of women working in the criminal justice field, their employment and promotion rates, gender discrimination, and safety on the job. | ||
| CJUS 340 | Criminal Evidence, Procedure and the Courts | 3 |
The emphasis of this course will be on the concept of evidence and the rules governing its admissibility. There will also be theoretical and pragmatic considerations of constitutional requirements affecting evidence and procedure. Prerequisite: CJUS 101 | ||
| CJUS 350 | Organized Crime | 3 |
Designed to examine the different organized criminal elements in American society. This examination will include their economic effect on society, law enforcement efforts to minimize that effect, the major criminal areas involved in their day-to-day operations, and the historical development of the criminal groups as they exist today. Prerequisite: CJUS 101 | ||
| CJUS 401 | Special Topics | 3 |
Prereq: CJUS 101GS or permission of instructor
Concerned with current issues and developments in the criminal justice field. Each semester a topic will be chosen as the subject for inquiry. It is designed for students who wish to explore current issues and broaden their exposure to important and timely issues in criminal justice. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours. | ||
| CJUS 420 | Supervision and Management in Criminal Justice | 3 |
This course introduces upper-level students to supervision and management concepts within criminal justice organizations, Students will learn how to employ sound principles of human relations and supervision techniques to be effective leaders. Prerequisite: Junior standing | ||
| CJUS 375GS | Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | 3 |
An examination of selected non-American criminal justice systems. Specific areas of comparison will include but not be limited to, the police, judiciary, and criminal corrections, of selected foreign systems. | ||
| CJUS 480 | Senior Seminar: Professional Ethics and Career Development | 3 |
Graduating seniors must take this class in the school year they plan on graduating. This is a capstone course for the criminal justice program and will include assessment methods. Emphasis of the course will be on ethics in the criminal justice profession and the continued development of skills that will aid in the student's career development. | ||
| CJUS 445 | Sex Offender Supervision and Control | 3 |
This course examines the numerous social policies and laws used to treat and control sex offenders. Students will delve into the history, purpose and rationale, laws, legal challenges and court rulings, and the effectiveness of various policies of control. Prerequisite: CJUS 215 | ||
| CJUS 315 | Victimology: Victims of Crime | 3 |
This course is designed to introduce the students to the overall problems dealing with victimization. Areas covered will include homicides, child abuse and neglect, rape, spouse abuse, abuse to the elderly, and other victimizations along with the post traumatic stress involved. The philosophy, history, and objectives of victimology will be reviewed in additions to the Victims' Rights Movement and research findings about victims. This course is designed to assist students in relating to victims of crime in a professional manner. | ||
| CJUS 380GS | Minorities and Criminal Justice | 3 |
This course provides a survey of minority relations and criminal justice adjudication in America (law enforcement, judicial processing and corrections). Particular attention is focused on majority/minority relations and how these sentiments are reflected within the criminal justice process. While many minority groups will be examined, three will be emphasized: (1) racial minorities; (2) female victims and offenders; and (3) unique white ethnic subcultures. | ||
| CJUS 321 | Technology in Criminal Justice | 3 |
Prereq: CJUS 101GS
This course is designed to introduce students to some of the major developments and issues in technology that are facing the criminal justice system. Students will explore topics such as cybercrime, digital investigation and evidence preservation, use of technology in the commission of sex crimes, fraud, hacking, terrorism, and the legal issues and statues surrounding the use of technology in the commission of crime and in the investigation of crimes involving technology. | ||
| CJUS 370 | Women and Crime | 3 |
The study of gender criminology, female offenders, and the incarceration and treatment of offending women; an examination of female victims of male violence including battering, stalking, and sexual victimization; an evaluation of women working in the criminal justice field, their employment and promotion rates, gender discrimination, and safety on the job. | ||
| CJUS 201 | The Juvenile Justice System | 3 |
Prereq: CJUS 101GS This course is intended to introduce various components that comprise the juvenile justice system. Topics will include juvenile courts, role modeling, interaction between youth and the juvenile justice system, and the future of the juvenile justice system. | ||
| CJUS 345 | Criminal Law | 3 |
Prereq: CJUS 101GS Examines the foundation and elements of criminal law. Special emphasis is placed upon the definition of crime, criminal liability, defenses to criminal liability and the sanctions for committing crime. | ||
| CJUS 250 | Criminal Justice Research Methods I | 3 |
A course intended to give students some fundamentals in planning, research, and grant writing for criminal justice subsystems, (Program planning and evaluation). | ||
| CJUS 353 | Crime Prevention and Security | 3 |
Prereq: CJUS 101GS
Concerned with the security and safety of communities, businesses, and individuals. It emphasizes the needs for citizen involvement, private industry and business participation, educational programs, in cooperation with criminal justice agencies. | ||
Tuition & Fees
Nebraska Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $259.00
- Fees
- $57.25
- Total
- $316.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $777.00
- Fees
- $171.75
- Total
- $948.75
Out of State Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $405.00
- Fees
- $57.25
- Total
- $462.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $1215.00
- Fees
- $171.75
- Total
- $1386.75
Timbre Wulf-Ludden, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Timbre Wulf-Ludden's primary research interests focus on institutional corrections, prison violence, juvenile justice, the importance of race and gender in media depictions of offenders and re-entry challenges for adult males. Recently, she was awarded the Junior Faculty Professional Development Teaching Award.
Application Deadlines
Rolling admissions. Application review will begin upon receipt of all required application materials.