Criminal Justice
This is an archived copy of the 2025-2026 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://catalog.ndsu.edu.
- Department Web Site:
www.ndsu.edu/cjps/ - Sample Program Guide:
bulletin.ndsu.edu/programs-study/undergraduate/criminal-justice/#planofstudytext
Major Requirements
Major: Criminal Justice
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 120
University Degree Requirements
For complete details on these and other university degree requirements, refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section in the University Catalog.
- Minimum of 120 semester credits (some programs may exceed this minimum).
- Complete the University General Education requirements.
- Minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- Minimum of 30 credits in resident at NDSU.
- Minimum of 36 upper level credits (courses numbered 300 or higher).
- Students with transfer credit must meet the NDSU 30 credits in residence (#4). Of these 30 credits in residence, a minimum of 15 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 credits must be in the student's declared major curricula.
University General Education Requirements
A list of university approved general education courses along with the administrative policies governing the requirement and the categories is available here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Category C: Communication | 12 | |
| Category R: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | |
| Category S: Science and Technology | 10 | |
| Category A: Humanities and Fine Arts | 6 | |
| Category B: Social and Behavioral Sciences | 6 | |
| Category W: Wellness | 2 | |
| Category D: Cultural Diversity | ||
| Category G: Global Perspectives | ||
| Category L: Digital Literacy | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 201 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 210 | Introduction to Policing | 3 |
| CJ 230 | Criminology | 3 |
| CJ 270 | Introduction to Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 325 | Applied Research Methods | 3 |
| CJ 330 | Criminal Law and Procedure | 3 |
| CJ 406 | Crime and Delinquency 1 | 3 |
| CJ 407 | Deviant Behavior 1 | 3 |
| CJ 460 | Criminal Court System 1 | 3 |
| CJ 461 | Corrections 1 | 3 |
| or CJ 410 | Police & Society | |
| CJ 465 | Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Criminal Justice 1 | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Criminal Justice Elective: Select 3 additional CJ prefix credits. | 3 | |
Using CJ 494 or CJ 496 to fulfill these electives requires permission from the department chairperson. | ||
| Total Credits | 45 | |
- 1
Students approved to complete the accelerated B.S. in Criminal Justice to M.S. in Criminal Justice program will take the graduate level courses (CJ 606 Crime and Delinquency, CJ 607 Deviant Behavior, CJ 660 Criminal Court System, CJ 661 Corrections, and CJ 665 Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Criminal Justice).
Minor Requirements
Minimum Credits Required: 18
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CJ 201 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 210 | Introduction to Policing | 3 |
| CJ 230 | Criminology | 3 |
| CJ 270 | Introduction to Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 300-400 Level | 6 credits of CJ credits at the 300-400 level required. Using CJ 494 and CJ 496 to fulfill these electives requires permission from the department chairperson. * | 6 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- *
Students who do not complete a Research Methods course in their major program of study will be required to complete CJ 325 Applied Research Methods as part of their minor requirement.