Criminal Justice

(130 semester hours) Requirements are subject to change.

The criminal justice major at Springfield College prepares students to carefully analyze criminal justice processes, with an emphasis on community-based, state, and federal responses to social control. Students learn not only how criminal justice agencies work, but why and with what consequences. The major emphasizes the development of communication and reasoning skills and fosters an understanding of the relationship between criminal justice and race, class, and gender, and social institutions (i.e., family, schools, political, and economic systems).

Criminal justice advisors assist students to discover their individual strengths, in making an appropriate selection of courses and internships to complement those strengths, and to develop a wider understanding of social processes.

The criminal justice major prepares students to make civic contributions as thoughtful, informed citizens and to engage in life-long learning. The major also prepares students for a variety of entry-level employment opportunities in law enforcement, court personnel, corrections, community mediation, and social justice organizing efforts. This combination leads to work supporting healthy alternatives to the currently dominant approaches to controlling crime.

For more information about the criminal justice major, contact
Dr. Gordon Robinson of the Social Science Department at (413)
748-3256 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

General Education Program - 41 s.h. in addition to courses taken for the major.

I. General Education Program

To integrate the humanics philosophy into their lives, Springfield College students engage in the search for knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of values through a variety of courses in the sciences and humanities. In addition to those General Education courses, students must complete 6 s.h. of Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) courses. For more information see the General Education Program and WAC courses. In the major requirements listed below, selected courses which fulfill General Education categories are marked with an asterisk; selected WAC courses are marked with a “W”.

II. Core Requirements (39 s.h.)

CRIM 101 - Introduction to Criminal Justice Credits: 3 s.h
CRIM 325W - Juvenile Delinquency Credits: 3 s.h
CRIM 370 - Violence and Victimization Credits: 3 s.h
CRIM 460W - Criminology Credits: 3 s.h
CRIM 465 - Criminal Corrections Systems Credits: 3 s.h
CRIM 486 - Supervised Internship in Criminal Justice Credits: 3 s.h
HLTH 260 - Drugs and Society Credits: 3 s.h
POSC 110* - Introduction to American Government Credits: 3 s.h
POSC 320 - Civil Liberties Credits: 3 s.h
SOCI 101* - Introduction to Sociology Credits: 3 s.h
SOCI 220W - Families in Society Credits: 3 s.h
SOCI 492W - Social Research and Program Evaluation Credits: 3 s.h

III. Electives (50 s.h., to complete 130 s.h.)

Criminal justice majors are encouraged to complete a minor or to select, in consultation with their advisor, electives which will complement their required coursework.Recommended electives include choices in political science, psychology, and sociology.

IV. Sample Program by Year

The program listed below is a sample—courses are not guaranteed to be offered during the semester or year listed. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements are met on a timely basis and that required prerequisite courses are completed before taking upper-level course requirements; therefore, they should consult carefully with an advisor when planning their program. Students must average a minimum of 16.25 s.h. a semester to complete this program in four years.

In addition to the courses identified below, the following General Education categories need to be fulfilled for this major: Natural Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, Health, Physical Education, Literature, Second Language/Culture, Visual and Performing Arts, History, Religion, and Philosophy. 50 s.h. of electives will be required to complete 130 s.h.

Courses marked with an * fulfill or partially fulfill a General Education category. Courses marked with a w may fulfill a (WAC) requirement, depending on the year taken.