Criminal Justice, B.A.
Serve your community and make a difference. Our criminal justice degree provides you with the skills to aid your community, lead change and help those in need.
The criminal justice program provides both traditional and adult students with quality and interdisciplinary education that will prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities in the criminal justice system or to further your education in graduate studies.
As a criminal justice student, you will gain a comprehensive knowledge of the field; focused on the development of critical thinking and improvement of oral and written communication.
Our curriculum focuses on all aspects of the justice system.
- Policing
- Victimology
- Corporate and white-collar crime
- Drug use and abuse
- Criminology
- Juvenile delinquency
- Criminal justice research methods and statistics
You will understand why crime exists, become aware of the pertinent factors of criminality, explore various prevention systems and learn how to measure crime through research methodologies.
Request Information
Take the next step toward completing your Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Get StartedTake the next step toward completing your Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Learning Inside & Outside the Classroom
Future employers and post-graduate schools will look at your entire undergraduate work both inside and outside the classroom. Take full advantage of all opportunities that are available to you at LR, including research, study abroad, internships, student clubs and organizations.
-
Internships & Careers
Internships
We understand that education goes beyond our university campus. As a student you will complete an internship, allowing you to apply what you’ve learned in classes and gain real-world experience prior to graduation. You can complete your internship in a variety of areas, including juvenile justice, probation, law enforcement or corrections.
In addition, our program welcomes professional development guest speakers as well as recruitment visits from a variety of criminal justice career representatives. Given the prominence of this profession beyond the LR campus, you will have many opportunities to make the world a “laboratory for learning” during the completion of your degree.
Career Opportunities
Our comprehensive curriculum will provide you with the knowledge, understanding and confidence to pursue a variety of careers at the local, state and national levels.
- Law enforcement and criminal investigation
- Prisons and corrections
- Probations
- Drug enforcement
- Transportation security
- Customs and border security
- Juvenile justice
- Public safety
- Cyber security
- Forensic accounting
- Private and personal security
- Victim advocacy
- Social services
- Teaching and research
Graduates of our criminal justice program may also seek an advanced degree or attend law school.
Lenoir-Rhyne has allowed me to succeed through the care of faculty and staff and the endless opportunities offered by the university and the community.
Major Requirements
The criminal justice program prepares students interested in careers in the criminal justice system as well as those planning to pursue graduate degrees in various fields. The program provides students with an academically sound understanding of theory, research, and practice as they relate to crime, justice, and our criminal justice system. The criminal justice major earns a B.A. degree.
Honors
Students may be invited by the full-time criminal justice faculty to undertake a senior honors thesis. Upon successful completion of the thesis, along with CRJ 498 and CRJ 499 , a student will graduate "with honors in criminal justice." Normally in order to be considered, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above and a minimum major GPA of 3.5 or above. The faculty may invite a student to undertake honors who has not met the GPA requirement and likewise may not invite every student who has done so. CRJ 498 and CRJ 499 may count toward the major elective requirements.
-
General Education Requirements (37 hours)
Graduation Requirements (4 hours)
- Technical Requirements (6 Hours)
-
Major Requirements (45 Hours)
- CRJ 230 - Introduction to Criminology
- or
- SOC 230 - Introduction to Criminology
- CRJ 260 - Introduction to Criminal Justice
- or
- SOC 260 - Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CRJ 320 - Research Methods
- or
- SOC 320 - Research Methods in Sociology
- CRJ 335 - Juvenile Deliquency
- or
- SOC 335 - Juvenile Deliquency
- CRJ 440 - Criminal Justice Statistics
- CRJ 455 - Critical Issues in Criminal Justice
- CRJ 458 - Internship in Criminal Justice
Choose 24 Credit Hours from the Following Major Elective Courses- CRJ 310 - Corrections
- CRJ 315 - Policing
- CRJ 318 - School Shooters
- CRJ 323 - Criminal Investigation
- CRJ 325 - Organized Crime
- CRJ 328 - Serial Killers
- CRJ 345 - Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
- CRJ 350 - Victimology
- CRJ 340 - Drugs & Criminal Justice
- or
- PSY 374 - Drugs and Behavior
- CRJ 360 - Corporate & White Collar Crime
- CRJ 381 - Special Topics
- CRJ 382 - Special Topics
- CRJ 383 - Special Topics
- POL 324 - Constitutional Law II Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
- POL 420 - Selected Topics in American Politics
- PSY 332 - Psychological Disorders(pre-requisite of PSY 100 required)
- SOC 200 - Social Problems
- SOC 317 - Social Stratification
-
General Elective Credits
General Electives (28 hours) as needed to reach 120 hours overall.
-
Total Credit Hours - Minimum 120 hours
On occasion, technical and/or program requirements may also meet specific General Education requirements. Please confer with your program advisor to determine which courses, if any, may be counted accordingly.
All bachelor's degree programs at Lenoir-Rhyne require at least 120 credit hours. If, in combination, General Education, technical, and program requirements do not generate at least 120 hours, additional credits must be completed to achieve 120 hours. These classes may be general electives, or a student may complete a minor or additional major.
Admission & Financial Aid
-
Undergraduate AdmissionOur admission team is here to assist you in making the college search process as easy as possible. Our counselors are happy to provide the information and guidance you need to submit your application, apply for financial aid and scholarships, visit and tour our campus.
-
Financial AidWe recognize that paying for college is a top concern for students and their families. Our financial aid staff is here to provide you with financial aid options and assistance to help you achieve your educational goals.
News & Events
The Visiting Writers Series has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Arts Culture Catawba, ensuring a significant cultural event for the community: an appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Percival Everett on January 20, 2026.
View More
One scholarship. Full tuition. A job after graduation. Michael Gerbitz ’27 just unlocked one of the best deals in higher education: the Department of Defense SMART Scholarship.
View More