Chaminade University of Honolulu

College of Arts & Sciences

Criminology & Criminal Justice Program

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Criminology & Criminal Justice (Major & Minor)

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

College
College of Arts & Sciences

Degree Type
Bachelor of Science (BS)

Program Type
Major, Minor

Program Delivery
On Campus, Fully Online

Time to Completion
4 Years

In Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program, you’ll explore these questions while gaining the knowledge and real-world experience to pursue a career in criminal justice and beyond.

As the oldest and largest criminology and criminal justice program in Hawaiʻi, we combine the study of crime and justice with hands-on learning, internships, career development, and immersive experiences. You’ll explore criminology, criminal justice, criminal law, crime scene investigation, research, and public safety while learning directly from faculty and professionals in the field.

Step into the experience through crime scene reenactments, evidence collection, witness interviews, internships, and unique learning opportunities such as underwater evidence recovery. You’ll develop critical thinking, investigative, communication, and problem-solving skills that you can take into careers in law enforcement, public safety, criminal justice, criminology, and law, or into graduate study and research.

4+1 MS in Criminal Justice Studies (MSCP) Pathway
The pathway allows eligible undergraduate students to begin graduate coursework while completing their bachelor’s degree, creating a streamlined path to a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Studies. You’ll build advanced knowledge in criminal justice, strengthen your research and analytical skills, and prepare for leadership, specialized careers, or further study—all while saving time toward your graduate degree.

Upon completion of the B.S. undergraduate program in Criminology & Criminal Justice, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the interrelated institutions and processes of the criminal justice system, including the basic rights guaranteed to each individual by both state and federal constitutions and laws.
  2. Apply theories of crime and criminal justice to explain actual and hypothetical scenarios, behaviors, and trends.
  3. Evaluate social, cultural, and technological change and its impact on the criminal justice system.
  4. Assess social inequities in crime and criminal justice processes by race, social class, gender, region and age.
  5. Articulate a working knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods by explaining the various social science methods of inquiry and use these to test specific criminological research questions.
  6. Engage the Marianist tradition of education for service, peace, and justice as it pertains to local and national social justice, injustices, and inequities in the criminal justice field.

View a sample 4-year plan

In addition to the general education requirements, these are the pre-major and major requirements below:

Pre-Major Requirements

  • CJ 151 Criminal Justice Systems
  • CJ 201 Foundations in Criminology
  • CJ 220 Criminal Investigation
  • CJ 223 Introduction to Law
  • CJ 280 Techniques of Interviewing, Interrogation, and Report Writing
  • CJ 291 Juvenile Justice System

Major Requirements

  • CJ 315 Behavioral Sciences Statistics
  • CJ 321 Research Methods
  • CJ 375 Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
  • CJ 399 Career Development in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • CJ 423 Criminal Law
  • CJ 424 Criminal Procedures and Civil Liberties
  • CJ 432 Law Enforcement
  • CJ 435 Ethics In Criminal Justice
  • CJ 451 Corrections: Prisons and Community Alternatives
  • CJ 487 Internship OR CJ 499 Directed Study
  • CJ 490 Seminar in Criminal Justice Agencies

Choose one (1) elective from the following:

  • PSY 321 Psychology of Personality
  • PSY 424 Abnormal Psychology
  • SO 401 Race and Ethnic Relations
  • SO 407 Society and Mental Disorders

Upon completion of the Criminology & Criminal Justice minor, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the interrelated institutions and processes of the criminal justice system, including the basic rights guaranteed to each individual by both state and federal constitutions and laws.
  2. Articulate a working knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods by explaining the various social science methods of inquiry and use these to test specific criminological research questions.
  3. Engage the Marianist tradition of education for service, peace, and justice as it pertains to local and national social justice, injustices, and inequities in the criminal justice field.

Minor Requirements

  • CJ 151 Criminal Justice Systems OR CJ 201 Foundations in Criminology
  • CJ 315 Behavioral Sciences Statistics
  • Minimum of 12 additional hours of upper-division Criminology and Criminal Justice courses
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