Home » 2025-2027 Undergraduate Bulletin » Programs » Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice

Information

Website: www.uwosh.edu/criminaljustice/

CRIM JUS

Faculty

Beck
Camlibel
Jones
C. Rose
K. Rose
Richie

Degrees

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Applied Science.
Students who complete a major in Criminal Justice may wish to consider advanced study at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in the Master of Public Administration program (for specifics, please see the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Graduate Bulletin).

Summary of Fields of Study

Goal(s)

The criminal justice curriculum for the major is designed to prepare students for careers in many professions related to crime and justice. Courses focusing on law, corrections policing and criminology teach students about the complexities associated with the criminal justice process and crime analysis. In addition to the course work, criminal justice students can learn outside the classroom through criminal justice internships at a variety of criminal justice agencies. Since the Criminal Justice Major includes a focus on criminological theory, research methodology, statistical analysis, and law, graduates earn a criminal justice education that will have prepared them to pursue advanced degrees in the fields of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Law.

2. The Major(s)

The Criminal Justice Major is offered both as an on-campus and an online major. The Criminal Justice Major is recommended for students who seek an understanding of the criminal justice system. The major is not intended to serve as a professional training program; rather it focuses on the legal, ethical, administrative and behavioral aspects of the criminal justice system and its various parts.

3. The Minor(s)

Criminal Justice offers a minor in criminal justice. Like the Criminal Justice Major, the minor is offered both as an on-campus minor and an online minor.

Admission/Graduation Requirements

A. Requirements for the Admission to the Criminal Justice Major:

A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or greater upon a minimum of 30 credits will be required for acceptance in the Criminal Justice Major. The 30 credits must include:
- Writing 188 3 cr.
- Mathematics requirement 3 cr.
- Natural Science requirement 4 cr.
Credits earned by students who have transferred to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will be included and evaluated on the same basis as credits earned at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

B. Requirements for Maintenance of Criminal Justice Major Status:

Criminal Justice majors are expected to maintain a 2.5 grade point average or higher overall and a 2.75 grade point average or higher in their Criminal Justice courses; this includes courses taught by other academic units that are designated electives and/or requirements in the Criminal Justice Major.
Students expecting to enter and be retained in the Criminal Justice Major must complete their First-Year College Writing and their USP Mathematics requirements by the time that they have completed 60 credit hours.
Students who fail to maintain the required standards will automatically be placed on probation. If they do not meet the required standards after one active term they will be dropped from the Program. They may apply for readmission to the Program only after they comply with Program standards. They may apply for readmission only once.

C. Graduation Requirements for a Criminal Justice Major:

For a student to graduate with a Criminal Justice major, the student must meet all University, College and Criminal Justice Major requirements; also the Criminal Justice major must possess a 2.50 grade point average on all academic course work and a 2.75 grade point average in all courses that count toward the major, with grades “C” or better.

Required Core Courses

Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice 244
Criminal Justice 270
Criminal Justice 281
Criminal Justice 288
Criminal Justice 312 OR Public Administration 221
Criminal Justice 318
Criminal Justice 343 OR Social Work 340 OR Psychology 275
Criminal Justice 351
Criminal Justice 358

Comment:

Criminal Justice 281 should be taken before or concurrently with 343. The final course taken should be Criminal Justice 358.

The Major(s), with Emphases and/or Options

1. Criminal Justice Major

Required Credits: 42 minimum
Required Courses: In addition to the required core courses: A Criminal Justice Major must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits of elective courses in Criminal Justice selected from the following lists:
- Electives: Complete courses, outside of the required core courses, from the program’s upper-level offerings.
- Cognate courses/electives offered by other departments: A maximum of 6 of the 15 required CJ elective credits may be taken from the following list:
  - Anthropology 312, 324, 340, 343, 374, 377
  - Economics 307
  - Fire and Emergency Response Management 362
  - Geography 340, 341, 441
  - Human Services 353, 415
  - Information Systems 311, 316, 411, 412
  - Master of Public Administration 751
  - Political Science 304, 306, 310, 342, 392
  - Psychology 303, 305, 307, 367, 383, 398
  - Public Administration 307, 362, 364
  - Sociology 311, 325, 331, 337, 351, 353, 355, 359, 361, 365, 369, 373
  - Social Justice 304, 307, 325, 331, 359
  - Social Work 333, 375
  - Urban Planning 425
  - Women’s and Gender Studies 303, 306, 307, 315, 323, 342, 343, 353
    - This does not include all courses that may be approved. Students should consult with their Criminal Justice Advisors about courses not on this list.

Comment:
- Students, with the permission of their Criminal Justice advisor, may take an internship in a criminal justice or related service agency. Up to eight elective credits can be earned for this experience.

The Minor(s)

1. Criminal Justice Minor

Required Credits: 21 minimum
Required Courses:
- Criminal Justice 110, 312, 318, 351, 358
- Additional Requirement: Complete one course from the following:
  - Criminal Justice: Criminal Justice 244, 270, 281, 288
Electives: Complete minimum of one upper-level Criminal Justice course.

Course Offerings

Criminal Justice 110	3 (crs.)
Introduction to Criminal Justice (XS)
A beginning course in Criminal Justice designed to provide an understanding of the criminal justice system and to lay the foundation for additional work in the discipline. The purpose of this course is to examine the American criminal justice system. The course will cover the foundations of the criminal justice system, including an overview of: laws and justice, explanations of criminal behavior, victims of crime, policing, criminal processing, American prisons and jails, probation and parole, and juvenile justice. Special course fees may apply.


Criminal Justice 125Q1	3 (crs.)
The Real Criminal Justice System (XS)
This is an introductory survey course on the criminal justice system and civic engagement. This course will cover the major branches of the criminal justice system – policing, adjudication, and corrections with special attention being paid to the importance of community engagement for citizens and professionals working in the criminal justice system.


Criminal Justice 199	3 (crs.)
Introduction to Forensic Investigation
In this course students will be introduced to the methods and theories of forensic science and how forensic scientists aid in the process of criminal investigations. The topics covered include forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, forensic pathology, forensic entomology, DNA analysis, forensic toxicology, crime scene investigation, and textile analysis. Students will also learn about the nature of evidence and the chain of custody. Cross-listed: ANTHRO 199/CRIM JUS 199.


Criminal Justice 244	3 (crs.)
Correctional Process
A survey of the correctional process; correctional objectives, alternatives, policies, and procedures; relationship between the correctional process and the crime control, rehabilitative, and due process models.


Criminal Justice 270	3 (crs.)
Introductory Criminal Law
Inquiry into the categories of crimes, responsibility for crimes, limitations on criminal capacity, modifying circumstances and special defenses for criminal conduct.


Criminal Justice 281	3 (crs.)
Elementary Statistics in Criminal Justice Research (XM)
This course has been designed to introduce students to commonly used statistical tests in criminal justice research. Through this introduction, students will be equipped with the ability to conduct and interpret statistical analyses by hand and with computer statistical software. Topics covered (at minimum) include: variables and variable types; scales of measurement; graphical presentation of data and frequency distributions; measures of central tendency and variance; probability theory and probability distributions; inferential statistics: scientific sampling, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, statistical tests of hypotheses (t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, partial correlation, bivariate and multiple regression analysis, and nonparametric tests of significance); the use of SPSS (data entry, programming SPSS to conduct statistical tests, and interpretation of statistical output). Prerequisite: MATH 104, 105, 106, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, or 114 with a grade of C or better, or placement into MATH 171 or 201.


Criminal Justice 288	3 (crs.)
Police in Modern Society
An analysis of police roles, structure, and performance in American Society. A review of the interaction between economic, legal, political, psychological, and social forces and police behavior.


Criminal Justice 304	3 (crs.)
Criminal Investigation
A survey of the techniques used for investigation of crime. Includes early developments and their effect on modern methods, interrelationships between scientific crime detection and professional skills of investigators, the proper care and handling of evidence for its useful introduction at criminal trials, and the impact of court decisions on police procedures. The course focuses on practical limitations on the effectiveness of crime investigation techniques. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110, 199, or 288, or Forensic Certificate student.


Criminal Justice 312	3 (crs.)
Managing Criminal Justice Organizations
The study of administrative problems and issues as they relate to criminal justice organizations.


Criminal Justice 315	3 (crs.)
Police Deviance
This course examines and seeks to understand the problem of police officers and agencies that engage in deviant or criminal behavior. It will also examine the impact that deviance has upon the public’s perceptions of police legitimacy. Finally, police accountability and reform policies will be discussed. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 288. Special course fees may apply.


Criminal Justice 318	3 (crs.)
Adjudication Process in Criminal Justice
An exploration of the criminal judicial process as distinguished from adjudication of civil disputes. Includes discussion of constitutional mandates and other aspects of justice administration in political and social institutions. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 270 (or concurrent enrollment in 110 or 270).


Criminal Justice 319	3 (crs.)
Criminal Courts: Proof of Guilt
Rules of evidence as they affect participants in criminal justice and the consequences for that system. Prerequisite: CRIM JUST 110, 199, or 270, or Forensic Certificate student.


Criminal Justice 328	3 (crs.)
Criminal Court Behavior
An analysis of the behavior of the principal actors in the criminal court process–prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys. Court processes will be analyzed from an organizational perspective. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 270.


Criminal Justice 331	3 (crs.)
Women and Crime
This course is the study of women and crime, including women as participants and victims of crime, and criminal justice professionals. The course explores the pathways by which women become involved in criminal behavior, the response of the criminal justice system, and the complex worlds women experience on the street and in prison. Cross-listed: CRIM JUS 331/WG STDS 331.


Criminal Justice 333	3 (crs.)
Illegal Bias in the Criminal Justice System
An examination of the extent of illegal biases in criminal justice practice. Students will be guided to confront their and others’ attitudes shaped by racial, sexual, and sexual orientation biases. The primary goal is to teach a method of open discourse to negotiate these conflicts in an evolving culture. Cross-listed: CRIM JUS 333/SOC JUST 333. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 270.


Criminal Justice 334	3 (crs.)
Comparative Criminal Justice Policies (XS)(GS)
This course has been designed to broaden student’s awareness of the intertwining historical and contemporary factors underlying differing criminal justice policies through a global perspective of how differing laws, policies, and practices in other nations as well as by some states in the U.S. impact criminal justice systems and broader society so that students can develop an awareness of alternative laws, policies and practices and their outcomes.


Criminal Justice 340	3 (crs.)
Police Administration
Focus is on theoretical principles as they relate to practice in complex organizations. Attention given to the interrelation of police, courts and correctional facilities as administrative units. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 288 or 312.


Criminal Justice 343	3 (crs.)
Quantitative Research Design
Quantitative methods of empirical research and program evaluation in Criminal Justice; selection of appropriate quantitative methods and statistical tests; data analysis using computer facilities; research paper writing.


Criminal Justice 344	3 (crs.)
Crime Films, Popular Culture, and Criminology
Within today’s popular culture, movies about crime and criminals are common. Such films have become so common and popular, that very few of us have not shared in the experience of watching a crime movie. We all share this experience and, to one degree or another, we all can (and often do) draw from this cultural resource when thinking about issues relating to crime, criminals, and criminal justice. Throughout this source, we explore this phenomenon, and learn how crime movies, combined with other elements of our popular culture (music, literature, websites, video games, and so on), have produced a “popular criminology” that runs parallel to its more scientific cousin: academic criminology. Once these domains have been defined and their differences explored, we will “take criminology to the movies” and begin to look at how these two domains interact. For instance, does popular criminology support or contradict our scientific theories? Or, does it simultaneously do both?


Criminal Justice 346	3 (crs.)
Community-Based Corrections
An overview of probation and parole services and other alternatives to incarceration for adult offenders. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 244.


Criminal Justice 347	3 (crs.)
The Juvenile Justice System
The development and present structure of the juvenile justice system: legal structure, services, current policy issues. Survey of both community-based and institutional juvenile corrections. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 244.


Criminal Justice 348	3 (crs.)
Law of Corrections
Examination of the rights of pretrial detainee and convicted offenders from detention through parole. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 110 or 270.


Criminal Justice 351	3 (crs.)
Theoretical Criminology
An exploration of both historical and contemporary criminological theories that explain the nature and etiology of criminal behavior, as well as, the behavior of criminal justice systems. Attention is placed on the content, validity, implications, and policy applications of these theories.


Criminal Justice 352	3 (crs.)
Organized Crime
This course highlights (1) the nature, extent, and theoretical explanations of organized crime, (2) the business of organized crime, (3) the measures being taken to combat organized crime in the United States and around the world, and (4) differing world perspectives on organized crime.


Criminal Justice 354	3 (crs.)
Homeland Security & Terrorism
This course focuses on various aspects of homeland security, domestic, and international terrorism. Terrorist group motivations, tactics, campaigns, and targets as well as counter-terrorism-related law enforcement strategies, criminal justice procedures; organization, missions, and critical issues in US homeland security will be discussed.


Criminal Justice 357	3 (crs.)
Human Dental Anatomy and Forensic Odontology
This course focuses on anatomy of the human dentition and how it can be applied to confirm or rule out the suspected identity of deceased individuals. This course will cover the mineralized tissues of the oral cavity in the child, adolescent, and adult stages of life. Students will learn the basics of dental anatomy, identifying if a tooth is human, how to take and interpret radiographs, and how to apply that knowledge to make a positive or negative identification. Cross-listed: ANTHRO 357/CRIM JUS 357. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 199.


Criminal Justice 358	3 (crs.)
Major Criminal Justice Issues
The administrative machinery of Criminal Justice in theory and practice. Critical examination of the roles of police, prosecution, courts, and correction in America today. Policy development implementation and evaluation with regard to key criminal justice issues. Prerequisite: Criminal Justice major with CRIM JUS 270, 288, 281, 244, 312, 318, 343, 351 and at least, 9 of the 15 required Criminal Justice elective credits; OR Criminal Justice minor with CRIM JUS 110, at least one of the following: CRIM JUS 244 or 270 or 281 or 288, & all CRIM JUS 312, 318, 351; OR instructor consent.


Criminal Justice 361	3 (crs.)
Forensic Burial Recovery
This course introduces students to the methods and theories surrounding the recovery of human remains and associated artifacts from clandestine burials. Topics covered include approaches to searching for burials including the use of cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar, methods for recovering canid scavenged remains, approaches to searching for skeletal remains mixed in leaf litter, mapping, approaches to dealing with comingled remains, approaches to fatal fire recoveries, methods for detecting bones submerged in water, and excavation techniques. Students will be required to attend two day-long Saturday sessions during the semester to practice simulated burial recovery. Cross-listed: ANTHRO 361/CRIM JUS 361. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 199


Criminal Justice 365	3 (crs.)
Crime Scene Documentation and Evidence Collection
In this course students will be introduced to the methods and theories of crime scene documentation and evidence collection. Topics covered will include the standard types of physical evidence, securing the scene, crime scene processing models, scene photography, scene sketching, narrative descriptions, evidence collection, processing and packaging evidence, and report writing. This course will include processing simulated crime scenes, which will prepare students for careers in law enforcement and medicolegal death investigation. Cross-listed: ANTHRO 365/CRIM JUS 365. Prerequisite: CRIM JUS 199.


Criminal Justice 374	3 (crs.)
Human Osteology
This course focuses on the human skeleton and the data it provides forensic anthropologists, paleoanthropologists, and archaeologists. Skeletal and dental anatomy is covered in detail, with special attention given to anthropologically important aspects of specific bones and teeth. Students will also learn how to recover bone from forensic and archaeological contexts, recognize bone fragments, estimate age-at-death, sex and biological affinity from skeletal elements, diagnose bone pathologies, collect metric data, and identify trauma. The information covered in this course is the foundation for future studies in bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology, and forensic anthropology. Cross-listed: ANTHRO 374/CRIM JUS 374 Prerequisite: ANTHRO 202 or instructor consent.


Criminal Justice 375	3 (crs.)
Special Topics in Criminal Justice
A course on a topic not normally covered in the curriculum. Each time it is offered, the topic will be announced in the timetable.


Criminal Justice 377	3 (crs.)
Forensic Anthropology
In this course students will be introduced to the methods and analytical techniques of forensic anthropology. The topics covered will include the stages of soft tissue decomposition, estimation of the post-mortem interval, forensic entomology, using skeletal elements to estimate demographic information, forensic odontology, skeletal trauma, and determining the cause of death. Additionally, Students will analyze simulated forensic cases using real human skeletons and learn to construct case reports for law enforcement agencies. Cross-listed: ANTHRO 377/CRIM JUS 377. Prerequisites: ANTHRO 202 or 374 or instructor consent.


Criminal Justice 388	3 (crs.)
Drugs and Crime
This course is a study of drug use and crime. Topics include the history and classification of drug abuse, the impact of drugs on crime, the modus operandi of drug trafficking organizations, and law enforcement supply and demand reduction strategies. Students will be able to identify various types of controlled substances and explore their effect on human behavior and society, treatment modalities within the criminal justice system, and the impact of drug policies on societies.


Criminal Justice 396	1 – 8 (crs.)
Internship in Criminal Justice
Supervised field experience in a criminal justice agency (e.g., police department, prosecutor’s office, or a correctional agency) accompanied by an analysis of the experience. Open only to students who have earned a minimum of 90 credits. Prerequisite: Instructor consent.


Criminal Justice 446	1 – 3 (crs.)
Independent Study
See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisite, and proper contract form requirements.


Criminal Justice 474	3 – 6 (crs.)
Honors Thesis
The Honors Thesis is one of two options offered to Honors students to meet the senior capstone requirement of The Honors College. Students who choose the thesis engage in research as an independent study over two semesters (fall/spring or spring/fall) with the support of a faculty advisor. They decide on a topic in their major or minor, address recent scholarship, develop a prospectus, and produce substantial work (e.g., a written thesis, scientific experiment or research project, or creative arts exhibit or production). At the end of the term in which the capstone is completed, students give presentations at the Honors Thesis Symposia. Credits are applied to the respective program. Prerequisites: In good standing with The Honors College, prior enrollment in HNRS 175Q and HNRS 275Q, and senior status.