Criminal Justice Undergraduate Program

The Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) may be earned through the Department of Criminal Justice at New Mexico State University. General admission requirements for New Mexico State University.

All students earning the BCJ must complete the General Education Requirements for your catalog year.

 

 

 

 

Elective courses for 2014-2015 or newer:

Must complete 4 (12 credits) upper division elective courses (courses numbered 300 or higher) in addition to those listed above.

CJ 393 Internship cannot be used to satisfy this requirement but may be used to satisfy the University requirement of 48 upper division credit hours.

 

Masters Accelerated Program (MAP) is the chance to take up to 12 graduate credits (courses numbered CJUS 450 level and higher) during your undergrad that can apply towards a Master's degree.  

You must apply for the MAP program before taking the classes (nothing more than filling out a form). 

Please email either Marija Dimitrijevic at marijad@nmsu.edu 

or 

Dr. Carlos Posadas at cposadas@nmsu.edu to fill out the form or ask questions.  

 

Requirements:  

  1. Receive approval - feel out the MAP form (email marijad@nmsu.edu or cposadas@nmsu.edu)
  2. Must be a Junior or Senior with a minimum of 60 undergraduate credits 
  3. Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 
The Benefits: 
  1. Cost - up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses are paid as undergrad courses 
  2. Your Master’s program duration - many students would need only 1 year to complete a Master’s degree 
  3. Take graduate level courses while still an undergrad 
  4. Courses count as electives towards graduation with a bachelor’s degree 
  5. After you graduate with a bachelor’s degree, these credits are applied to your Master’s studies 
  6. If, for some reason, you decide not to pursue a Master’s degree, it still shows prospective grad universities and employers that you are capable of grad-level work and enhances your profile/competitiveness among other candidates 
  7. Those elective CJUS 450 and higher courses can count as Honors courses through the Contract system (6 upper division HON credits earns Honors Certificate, 18 HON credits earns University Honors) 

 

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Undergraduate Classes Offered

Please see the link to the Course Lookup page: https://courselookup.nmsu.edu/
Students will have to log in and can see all current sections and whether there are seat available in those classes.
For all Undergraduate Students: We offerr the mater's accelerated program; this is an opportunity for undergraduated students to take graduate courses while still an undergraduate. Please find out more on our MAP webpage. 

$250 Discount Per Credit Hour for Active Law Enforcement Officers

We offer active-duty law enforcement officers a tuition discount for our online bachelor's and master's programs.

Eligible officers can now receive a $250 discount per credit hour for our Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice. This significant reduction is part of our commitment to supporting those who serve and protect our communities.

Program Details:

Delivery Format: 100% online with optional synchronous sessions available

Program Credits: 36 credits

Program Length: 1.5 years full-time; 2 years part-time

Cost Per Credit Hour: $444.40*

Active Law Enforcement Cost Per Credit Hour: $250*

How to Apply:

Apply Online: All applicants should apply online for the Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Submit a Memo: Along with the admissions documents, submit a memo on your police department’s letterhead, signed by your leader, stating that you are an active-duty officer.

Advising

Advising is required for each BCJ major through the sophomore year, 60 completed credits. After earning 60 credits advising is optional. Each BCJ major is assigned an advisor upon entering the major and typically works with the same advisor until the BCJ is completed.

**Enough upper division courses are offered such that students may complete the BCJ at a distance by using the Canvas platform- Earning the Bachelor of Criminal Justice Online.

 

MINORS

Minor in Forensic Science

The Department of Criminal Justice participates in a Minor in Forensic Science.

Minor in Forensic Science requires a minimum of 18 credit hours to be selected from a prescribed group of courses. The course curriculum appears below.

Forensic Science involves the application of the principles and techniques of scientific analysis in a legal context. Forensic scientists study physical evidence to resolve issues involving criminal investigations, environmental analyses, and similar areas of research.

A student must complete 18 credits with grades of C or higher as discussed below in order to receive the Forensic Science minor.

No courses may be taken S/U.

Students must take at least 6 credits from outside their major(s).

At least 9 credits in any minor must be upper division.

Courses marked with asterisks have prerequisites.

Students must be registered in the minor in order to enroll in any Criminal Justice courses.

These courses represent the minimum requirements for a minor. Students interested in a career in Forensic Science are encouraged to take additional courses from among the courses listed below.

I. CORE

Students must complete 6 credits from among the following courses:

CJ 306 Criminal Procedure
CJ 307 Law of Evidence
CJ 321 Criminal Investigation
CJ 424 Forensic Law

II. TRACKS

Students must complete 9 credits from one of the following tracks. Please read more about TRACKS.