The Criminal Justice BA is a research-focused introduction to crime control and prevention. The program requires all students to design and implement an original research study, and places an emphasis on preparing students for graduate study and helping them gain admission to graduate school.
Major Requirements
General Education Requirements
No CJBA major courses can be used to fulfill your General Education Requirements. Refer to the General Education Requirements webpage for more information on meeting these requirements.
Year-Round Major Advising
Registration and Major Holds
Sophomores with 45-59 credits may have a major hold placed on their registration. The hold will be removed when they have an appointment with a major advisor. This discussion will encourage wise planning and allow students to ask any questions they may have about the major. How do you know if you have a major hold? Go to CUNYfirst and complete the following steps:
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Check the Holds box of your CUNYfirst Student Center. If "Advisement Required" appears, click on “details.”
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Click on “Advisement Required.”
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See which type of advisement you need. If you must see a major advisor, then make a major advising appointment following the steps preferred by this department.
Avoid Course Planning Mistakes!
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CJBA 241 is a prerequisite to CJBA 340 (Research Methods), an essential course in the major.
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You may take multiple sections of CJBA 380 (Special Topics) as long as they are on different topics. The second section will often be reflected on the transcript as CJBA 381. Note: Degree audits sometimes say that CJBA 381 is required, but there is no such class. Rather, the requirement is that students take two 300-level research courses. Contact the major advisor if your degree audit is in error.
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The CJBA major requires that you write a thesis during your senior year. CJBA 410 (Senior Thesis I) helps you craft a research proposal, and in CJBA 411 (Senior Thesis II) you build on that foundation and write your thesis. The hope is that you will find an area of research that interests you through one of your 300-level research focus classes.
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If you are a transfer student, consult with a major adviser after your transfer credits are posted on the John Jay transcript to see if the CJBA major makes sense for you.
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Remember that you will need at least a 2.0 in the major and at least a 2.0 overall GPA to graduate.
Monitor Your Progress in the Major (Major Checklist, Sample 4 yr Plan)
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DegreeWorks degree audit - Use this online planning tool to track your overall progress toward graduation. You will see which of your general education and major requirements are completed, in progress, or still needed. Refer to the DegreeWorks FAQs to better understand how to use this helpful tool. Note: be sure to confirm the accuracy of your degree audit with a general academic advisor.
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CJBA Major Requirement Checklist - Fill out this printable worksheet to keep track of which major requirements you have completed and which ones you still need.
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Sample Four Year Plan - See an example of how you could complete all your degree requirements (major, general education, electives) and graduate in four years! Remember that this sample plan shows just one possible way to combine your requirements. Transfer students in particular should work with advisors to determine a plan that works best for them.
Meet with a General Academic Advisor
A General Academic Advisor will confirm what general academic requirements you still need, make suggestions about smart course planning that will help you graduate without delays, discuss your interest in adding a minor or second major, inform you about opportunities such as study abroad, discuss general questions and concerns, and make helpful referrals. Visit the Academic Advisement Center's webpage for more information.
Find a Job or Internship
Networking is often the most successful way to find an internship or job. Make use of your friends, family, professors, co-workers, classmates, and anyone else you know to see if they have a connection to someone in the field you would like to work in. Many of your current classmates may have already participated in the Academic Internship Program and may still be in contact with their previous supervisors who they can pass along your resume to. Ask around!
Job fairs
Job fairs are another excellent opportunity to make connections with employers. If you are preparing a semester ahead to find your internship, you will have plenty of time to attend the John Jay College Career and Internship Fair offered each semester. The fair is a great opportunity to make connections, collect business cards, and network for future opportunities.
Career Events
You should also make use of the many career events offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development. Employers often participate in panels, workshops, information sessions and tabling at John Jay College. Log into John Jay Careers Online and see the “Events” tab into for the upcoming schedule of events.