At Concordia University Chicago, students pursuing a Criminal Justice degree will obtain an interdisciplinary experience, rooted in the social sciences, which incorporates theory and practice.

Students are able to tailor their degrees by enrolling for courses in sociology, political science, psychology, philosophy and social work.

Career Opportunities

  • Probation Officer
  • Police Officer
  • Private Investigator
  • Post-Prison Program Worker
  • FBI Agent
  • Juvenile Group Home Worker
  • Correctional Officer 
  • Counselor 
  • Court Paralegal
  • Parole Agent
  • Juvenile Detention Officer
  • Service to various justice-related organizations 

Study Format

  • On Campus

Criminal Justice Program and Degree Overview

Our qualified and devoted faculty whose educational, career and research backgrounds are directly related to the interests and needs of those pursuing an interdisciplinary degree. Our courses will allow students to critically analyze how institutions that deal with issues of Criminal Justice impede and promote social justice.

Most courses for the Criminal Justice program derive from sociology and political science. Students are required to take courses that set the foundation and build upon their theoretical background, research methodology and practical application of criminal justice issues.

To fulfill the remaining requirements, students can choose from many different electives that focus on areas of emphasis such as Sociology of Corrections, Law & Society, or Procedural Criminal Law. Students specifically interested in designing a pre-law course of study should consult with their academic advisor.

For details about required course descriptions, please visit our online catalog.

Criminal Justice Major Opportunities

You will participate in an internship, the internship is a supervised criminal justice related work experience.

 Not only do students experience, firsthand, the possibilities and limitations of engaging in justice-focused fields, but internships often provide networking which could lead to future career opportunities. Former students have completed internships at local police departments, the state attorney’s office, juvenile detention centers and law firms.

Clubs, Associations and Organizations

Join one of the many clubs or organizations for sociology and criminal justice. There are student-led groups that provide the forum for students to meet fellow majors, discuss issues relating to Criminal Justice, plan future events and interact with faculty.

Global Justice Series

Every year, faculty schedule events of particular interest to Criminal Justice majors. Past speakers have included law enforcement professionals, probation officers, prison ministry staff, gang members, and academic researchers studying in areas such as prisons, the military and gangs. Events also include documentary screenings and discussions on pertinent films including those related to military operations, prison torture and human rights.

Certification in Policing

The Certification in Policing is one of the only programs that consist of courses specific to the critical analysis on police culture, officer decision-making, and community-based ideas for change. This certification will bridge the rigor and critical thinking skills expected in a sociology and criminal justice academic program with the issues and concerns currently affecting police and criminal justice-related institutions.

Students will be provided with a strong skill set if they choose to become an officer in policing, probation, correctional or parole systems. The courses required for this certification will best prepare future police recruits in the areas often limited in the police academy including:

  • Legal parameters of policing
  • Building community relationships
  • Historical and modern policing models
  • Role of race, gender and class in officer decision making

These skills will also prove beneficial to those who desire to study or work within organizations whose members are impacted by police, such as anti-violence, prisoner reintegration and social justice programs. For students who desire to attend graduate school after they finish with their undergraduate program at CUC, this certification will lay a firm foundation for programs such as law, sociology, criminal justice, peace studies, social justice, women’s and gender studies or other social science disciplines.

Majors and minors may acquire the certification by taking the required (1) and elective (3) courses denoted in bold below.

REQUIRED MAJOR COURSES - 36 HOURS

  • CRJ-2400 Criminal Justice
  • CRJ-4520 Criminological Theory
  • CRJ-4720 Social Research Methods
  • CRJ-4990 Internship in Criminal Justice
  • SOC-2010 Introduction to Sociology
  • CRJ-4530 Sociology of Corrections
  • CRJ-4510 Law and Society
  • CRJ-4540 Sociology of Policing 

CHOOSE 12 HOURS FROM COURSE WITH SOC/CRJ PREFIX

Electives (12 hours) Any courses not taken above

  • CRJ-2110 State and Local Government
  • CRJ-2310 Human Security
  • CRJ-2330 International Humanitarian Law
  • CRJ-2340 International Security
  • CRJ-2410 American Legal Process
  • CRJ-3110 Public Policy
  • CRJ-3415 Substantive Criminal Law
  • CRJ-3425 Procedural Criminal Law
  • CRJ-4030 Probation, Parole, & Reentry
  • CRJ-4150 Social Psychology
  • CRJ-4350 Global Terrorism
  • CRJ-4425 Sociology of Gender and Sexualities
  • CRJ-4435 Social Deviance
  • CRJ-4610 Race and Ethnic Relations
  • CRJ-4620 Social Inequality: Class/Status/Power
  • CRJ-4630 Urban Sociology
  • CRJ-4640 Globalization and Human Rights
  • CRJ-4645 American Social Movements
  • CRJ-4650 Gangs and Society
  • CRJ-4910 Special Topics in Criminal Justice
  • CRJ-4550 Theories of Policing
  • CRJ-4560 Legal Parameters of Policing
  • CRJ-4570 Community-Police Relations
  • PSY-4605 Abnormal Psychology
  • SOW-4000 Introduction to Social Work

Alpha Kappa Delta - International Sociology Honors Society

Membership in Alpha Kappa Delta is an earned honor. Once you join, you become a lifetime member. Your membership may be used on your resume, applications for graduate school, and job applications. 

Membership is limited to students in sociology, criminal justice, or social work who have maintained a record of high academic achievement. The purpose of Alpha Kappa Delta is to seek to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition.

Requirements to Join:

  1. Must be sociology major or demonstrate a serious interest in sociology/social issues (all sociology minors, social work majors, and law & justice majors fulfill this requirement)
  2. Have an overall 3.0 GPA, including sociology courses
  3. Must be at least  junior 
  4. Taken at least 4 courses with an SOC prefix

Potential candidates should contact Dr. Carol Jabs as the AKD chapter representative by phone, ext. 3145 or email, Carol.Jabs@CUChicago.edu for further information.

Download the application.

American Correctional Association, CUC Chapter

Membership is open to all individuals and organizations with interest in the correctional field. The American Correctional Association is the largest international organization interested in correction-related scholarship, networking, research and professional standards. This group receives information and field trip invitations to state and national prisons not available to regular classroom groups. Interested students can attend full-day, extended field trips and even participate in correctional officer, warden and counselor job shadowing.

In 2010, Concordia University Chicago welcomed our first ever chapter of the American Correctional Association, the largest international organization interested in correction-related scholarship, networking, research and professional standards.

Benefits of ACA membership:

  • Yearly subscription to Corrections Today, official publication of the ACA.
  • You can attend, or present, at the yearly conference. This is a great way to meet others with similar interests and to build your professional network.
  • Looks great on a resume.