Criminal Justice/CRJ - IAI Major Course Recommendations
Students planning to earn a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice or a related field are strongly encouraged to complete an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree before transferring. To enter a Criminal Justice program as a junior, students should complete at least 60 semester credit hours (up to a maximum of 64 transferable credits). Because admission to some programs is competitive, completion of the recommended coursework does not guarantee admission.
Students should consult their intended transfer institution to confirm course equivalencies, transfer policies, and program requirements.
Note to Faculty and Course Submitters working with IAI Courses:
Before submitting to the IAI Criminal Justice major panel, please review the panel criteria and other important documents which are available at
Criminal Justice IAI Major Recommendations (19-26 semester credits)
Criminal Justice Core Course (3 Semester Credits)
CRJ 901 - Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 semester credits)
Other Transferable Criminal Justice Courses (9 semester credits)
CRJ 911 - Introduction to Corrections (3 semester credits)
CRJ 912 - Introduction to Criminology (3 semester credits)
CRJ 914 - Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice (3 semester credits)
The courses listed above are generally accepted in transfer by bachelor's degree institutions. Depending on the receiving institution, they may fulfill major requirements or transfer as elective credit. Students should consult their intended transfer institution to determine how specific courses will apply to their degree program.
Students pursuing this field should also be proficient in basic computer skills, including navigating an operating system, accessing the Internet, and using word processing, database, and spreadsheet software.
Criminal Justice IAI GECC Recommendations (Minimum 37 semester credits)
These are the specific courses in the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) that should be taken for this emphasis.
Communication: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
Select a two-course sequence in writing (6 semester credits) with a grade of "C" or better and, Select 1 course in oral communication (3 semester credits).
Mathematics: 1 course (3 semester credits)
Student's choice of appropriate GECC math course.
Physical and Life Sciences: 2-3 courses (8-10 semester credits)
Select 1 course from Physical Sciences. Select 1 course from Life Sciences. Select at least 1 laboratory course. (Students with the appropriate preparation may substitute an initial course designed for science majors for a more general course.)
Humanities and Fine Arts: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
Select 1 course from Humanities, Select 1 course from Fine Arts and Select 1 from either Humanities or Fine Arts. - Courses can be taken from the same identifier as long as the course outcomes are different.
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
Select 3 courses from at least 2 different disciplines (e.g., no more than 2 courses from, for example, psychology). - Courses can be taken from the same identifier as long as the course outcomes are different.
Recommended: Introduction to Sociology and Introduction to Psychology
.
Check the worksheet to see what courses you can take to fulfill your general education requirements. The worksheet allows you to see what courses to take to fulfill the IAI Gen. Ed. package (Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum) at any participating college or university in the State. You will find it helpful to use the major recommended general education courses shown above. You may want to print or copy a hard copy of this page.
Return to the Illinois Baccalaureate Majors' Recommendations (IAI Majors).