Criminal justice is the practice of upholding the law and seeing that criminals are brought to justice. People with a major in criminal justice are able to find a number of lucrative jobs. The prerequisites for a major in criminal justice differ depending on the school you want to attend but most schools have the same general requirements.
1. Math
Much of the work done in criminal justice involves analyzing, data collecting, and interpreting data. That is why many schools require students to have a strong background in math before perusing their major in criminal justice. Statistics is one of the most common requirements for a criminal justice course. Statistics allows students to study research techniques and data analysis. Another commonly required math course for criminal justice majors and undergraduates is introductory calculus. Calculus can aid a student in criminal justice because it focuses on evidence analysis.
2. Science
The science requirements can differ depending on what aspect of social justice you are focusing on. For example, forensics focuses on human genetics and DNA, so you will likely need to take classes in physics, biology, and chemistry. For criminology you’ll need to take classes in sociology and anthropology to learn about human behavior. People majoring in social justice usually need to take advanced science courses as well. There are number of advance sciences to choose from including but not limited to genetics, molecular biology, and gross anatomy.
3. A Bachelor or Associate Degree
Before moving onto to your masters degree, you must first have the right bachelor or associate degree. Because verity and different world views are so important to criminal justice, there are a few different bachelor and associate degrees that would qualify a person for criminal justice major course.
– Classes that can go toward an associate of science in criminal justice include environmental science, human anatomy, introduction to sociology, introduction to humanities, human anatomy, psychology of adjustment, English, US history, US Government, and college math.
– Classes that can typically go towards a bachelor of science in criminal justice are: US history, women’s study, English compositions, elementary statistics, management (gender and race), geology, music appreciation, microeconomics, and global business.
– Classes that can go toward an associate of arts in criminal justice are: English, writing, US history, foreign language, college algebra, introduction to biology, and introduction to psychology.
– Classes that can usually go toward a bachelor of art in criminal justice are: college algebra, English and advanced English, history of civilization, world literature, introduction to visual art, biology, US government, and foreign language.
Please keep in mind that all the requirements listed are just the most common prerequisites. Prerequisites vary from school to school. Some schools may require things like prior hands on experience or an internship. Be sure to look up your schools unique set of requirements.