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Lasell University
Lasell University

Criminal Justice

Major

What You'll Learn
Career Success
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Are you interested in a career in law, law enforcement, or public safety?

The Criminal Justice major explores why society considers some actions to be criminal and how those definitions are influenced by social, economic, political, and psychological forces.

Prepare for a career in areas such as law, law enforcement and public safety, crime prevention, domestic violence, gang interventions, adult and juvenile probation and corrections, parole, drug and alcohol abuse and prevention, and diversion programs for first-time offenders as well as law and graduate programs.

Lasell offers a Master of Science in Criminal Justice through the Double Laser Program providing students the opportunity to earn an accelerated Master's degree in as little as one year after graduation.

Program Features

  • In the Forensic Science I (CJ205) class, students learn the modern methods of detection, investigation, and solution of crimes, and get hands-on analysis of evidence such as fingerprints and other impressions, ballistics, glass, hair, handwriting and document examination, and drug analysis. Students also conduct DNA and blood testing and tour crime labs.
  • A senior year yearlong Capstone Experience includes both a full year Justice Studies internship and a full year Senior Capstone class. Students have internships in courts, police agencies, corrections, governmental agencies, and youth service organizations.
  • The Criminal Justice program is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education under the Guidelines for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Academic Programs.
  • Lasell has established the Theta Ro Chapter of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Phi, and the Beccaria Society, a club for majors.
Hear what makes Lasell's Criminal Justice program unique. Hear how students connect their learning to real-world experiences in the community.

What You'll Learn

From your first day, you’ll take courses in your major and advance towards graduation with a yearly plan. Not sure what classes to take? We’ll help you create the perfect plan. 

Courses and Sample 4-Year Plan

This example four-year plan is provided as a broad framework that you can follow in order to complete your degree within four years. Be sure to always consult your academic advisor before registering for classes.

WRT101
Writing I

In this course, students gain understanding of and confidence in strategies for effective writing by composing and reading in a variety of genres. The course emphasizes writing as a process and focuses on the rhetorical choices writers make. Students engage critically with sources by examining how genre, context, purpose, credibility, and bias work together to create meaning and impact audiences. Students who choose to take Writing I Workshop are provided with time during class to work on their writing while the instructor and a writing tutor are present to provide assistance. Students must earn a “C” or higher in order to pass this course

The First Year Seminar (FYS) is part of the Core Curriculum and a requirement for all incoming first year students and transfer students with fewer than 15 credits. The First Year Seminar is a theme-based inquiry course that engages students in a specific area of interest while providing support for a smooth transition into the Lasell University community and the Connected Learning philosophy. Through studying an academic topic, students develop and apply core intellectual skills and receive an introduction to the core knowledge perspectives. At the same time, students connect to the experiences and people that make up the Lasell University Community. Course outcomes are accomplished through engaging activities including reading, writing, class discussions, presentations, team projects, field trips, and exploration of campus resources. Civic engagement and service-learning activities are often part of this course as is participation in the Connected Learning Symposium. Through the seminar, students develop close ties with faculty and peer mentors who serve as advocates for first year students' academic success. Past course titles have included: The Immigrant Experience, Fashion & Film of the 20th Century, The Social History of Rock & Roll, Exploring Cultures & Languages, The Spark of Creativity, Women and Sports, and Latin America: Food And Traditions. This requirement may be fulfilled by taking either FYS103 or HON101 (for students enrolled in the Honors Program).

This course is the foundational course for mathematical and quantitative reasoning at Lasell College. Mathematical reasoning is the critical skill that enables a student to solve real-world problems involving quantitative analysis by making use of particular mathematical skills. Through the development of their mathematical reasoning skills, students will recognize the power of mathematics in its own right as well as its relevance in the real world. Students will develop and enhance their mathematical reasoning skills through a project/application-based curriculum supported by readily available current technological tools and topics that will include, but not be limited to, the following: solving systems of equations, linear programming, statistical, and graphical data analysis.

This course is an overview of the history, philosophy, ethics, and legal issues related to the criminal justice system. The course provides an overview of the criminal justice system, focusing on critical decisions with an emphasis on contemporary issues, controversies, and trends.

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the law. Students are introduced to the basics of the legal system in the United States including its organization and operation. The course covers major areas of legal practice and the legal principles that apply. Legal concepts are explained and legal terminology defined.

This course is a continuation of Writing I and focuses on research and public writing. Theme-based courses provide students with lenses to explore issues of interest and develop their reading, research, and writing skills. Students work with a topic of their choice, broadly based on the course theme. Assignments build upon each other, lead up to a researched position paper, and culminate in a public piece. Students who choose to take Writing II Workshop are provided with time during class to work on their writing while the instructor and a writing tutor are present to provide assistance. Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in order to pass this course. Prerequisite: WRT 101

KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

This Knowledge Perspective course will provide students with the opportunity to interpret and analyze the complex interrelationships and inequities in human societies in a global historical context. Emphasizing the interrelatedness and mutuality of influence between East and West, we examine questions of exclusiveness, intolerance, and cooperation. Prerequisite: ENG101 with a C or better

Equity & Intersectionality(KP)

In this course, contemporary criminological theories are analyzed and evaluated with an emphasis on the social construction of crime, criminal offending, and victimization. Theories of crime are distinguished from theories of criminality. Assessments of theoretical advances, including theory integration and general theories of crime are examined. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101, or SOC 101

001
KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

In this course we explore our awareness of the relationship between our experience and broader society. How are our lives shaped by our social positions in society – our social class, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and more? How do the members of different groups view each other and interact with each other? Why do inequalities exist and how do these affect us? How does culture shape our behavior, and why do religions, schools, families, and other institutions remain stable but also change over time?

This course examines policing from a variety of perspectives. The philosophical foundations of social control in relation to policing, as well as the emergence, organization, and structure of police systems are examined. There is also an examination of the relationship between the police and the public in different historical, political, and economic contexts. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

The field of criminal justice operates most effectively when it relies on a core of ethical principles to guide discretionary actions. If criminal justice professionals are to maintain our personal integrity in light of organizational and social demands can be difficult. As criminal justice professionals our choices and policies emanate from our personal beliefs and values. In principle we intend to come to an understanding of what various ethical considerations can assist us to make the right decision when exercising our discretion. Prerequisite: CJ101 or LS101 & ENG102

Choose an Elective or Minor course

This is an introductory course in descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include: data analysis, and graphical methods of describing data, measures of central tendency and variability, probability, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, correlation, and regression analysis. Prerequisites: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing and ENG 102.

In this project-based course, students explore a social or intellectual problem using at least two knowledge perspectives. Faculty and students follow a collaborative process of exploration, discussion, and problem solving that integrates knowledge perspectives and core intellectual skills.

Corrections is the vast collection of persons, agencies, and organizations that manage convicted criminals. This course examines theories of punishment, the history of corrections, classification and sentencing schemes, prisons, probation and parole, and alternative sanctions. It also explores corrections-related personnel issues, legal issues, and specific concerns dealing with race, age, and gender. Prerequisite: CJ101 or LS101 & Sophomore standing

This course examines the history and contemporary practice of criminal law. Topics include the purposes of the law, categories and general features of crime, elements of criminal offenses for prosecution, and categories of defenses. Prerequisite: LS 101 or CJ 101.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

PHIL302
Ethical Reasoning

This course will address the interaction between the lives we lead and the application of traditional (and some nontraditional) ethical theories and principles to important decision points in our lives. Students will take on real-life ethical problems and dilemmas for each class; each student will be responsible for presenting a number of issues, as well as for guiding the discussion of those issues in class. The problems we address will largely span a lifetime of experiences and concerns. Students will also write several papers that evaluate formal arguments, using standard tools of critical thinking and philosophy. The course is discussion based, so a willingness to read carefully, to think critically, and to engage in classroom presentations and discussions is essential. Prerequisite: Junior standing, MDSC203 & ENG102.

Criminal procedure refers to the process whereby the criminal law is enforced. Major topics to be covered in this course include: the exclusionary rule, search and seizure, identification, interrogation, trial rights, sentencing, and due process. Special emphasis is placed upon how the rules of procedure affect the components of the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.

This course explores issues unique to individuals of different classes, gender, and/or races or ethnic groups. The course focuses on these issues specifically in the context of the American criminal justice and legal systems. Issues of diversity relevant to all aspects of the criminal justice system are examined. Prerequisites: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, Sophomore standing.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

The course is an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research using the field of criminal justice as the backdrop. The purpose of this course is to provide the background that will help the student to read, understand, and critique data and studies in the field. Students will acquire a working knowledge of programs like excel to collect and also analyze federal and other statistical studies. Required for all CJ majors. Prerequisite: MATH208

This course begins with the constitutional and legal basis for state and local government. The functions of the executive and legislative branches are examined. Governmental bureaucracy and budgetary processes are studied as well as political parties, interest groups, public opinion, and political reporting in the press.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

CJ441
Topics in Crime & Public Policy I

This course is the first portion of the Capstone course offered in the fall semester to introduce seniors to a general understanding of policy studies. Students examine what policy analysis consists of, stages of policy analysis, and assessment of policy change. The class examines current policy issues in Criminal Justice such as community policing, sentencing, and minority overrepresentation in prison populations. The course examines various research strategies, design and methods and addresses research problem definition and how to produce a state-of-the-art policy paper and literature review. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: PSYC331, CJ331 or SOC331

This course provides an opportunity for participants to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 120 hours during the fall semester in a professional work setting related to the student’s interest. Each student is monitored throughout the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisite: Program Chair approval.

This course provides students with a working knowledge of the major structures and basic legal concepts that underlie the criminal courts. In addition, the course explores the rules of criminal procedure, including their underlying assumptions, how they evolved, and the goals they hope to achieve. Students learn how the dynamics of the courtroom and the criminal justice system itself affect the actual application of the law. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or LS101

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

In this part of the Capstone course offered in the spring semester, the student can use the field internship placement as the target for the individual policy analysis paper. The student can acquire data available at the agency or use generally available data from different sources to answer a policy question that can be applied to the agency the student works in or to similar agencies. The student is required to submit a detailed policy analysis and produce a paper and project to be presented at the Connected Learning Symposium. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: CJ 441, SR Standing & CJ331X or SOC331.

This course provides an opportunity for participants to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 120 hours during the spring semester in a professional work setting related to the student’s interest. Each student is monitored throughout the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisites: CJ/LS443, Senior standing and Program Chair approval.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

This example four-year plan is provided as a broad framework that you can follow in order to complete your degree within four years. Be sure to always consult your academic advisor before registering for classes.

4-Year Plan

Learning Outcomes

    • Understand the criminal justice system, its role in society, and how it can be applied morally and ethically
    • Understand how criminal justice and the law relates to one’s own civic and social responsibility
    • Have exposure to various career options within the field of criminal justice and become familiar with working within it in a professional role
    • Use critical and quantitative reasoning skills to be able to interpret the law and how it is used
    • Develop strong writing, speaking, and technology skills to be able to be effective in a professional role

    For a complete list of courses and Learrning outcomes, view the Academic Catalog

    Career Success

    Lasell’s degree in Criminal Justice prepares students for careers in law, law enforcement and public safety, and probation and corrections as well as law and graduate programs.

    Our students have interned with:

    • US Marshall's Office
    • Drug Enforcement Agency
    • Massachusetts State Police, including Fire Marshall's Office and State Police Crime Lab
    • Local police departments
    • REACH Beyond Domestic Violence
    • District Attorney offices, including victim witness advocacy

    Our alumni work for:

    • State and Federal law enforcement
    • District Attorneys’ offices
    • Private Investigators for insurance companies and security firms
    • Probation officers
    • Human service agencies
    • Attend law or graduate school
    Beyond the Classroom
    Lasell's Masters in Criminal Justice Program Recognized

    Learn more about the M.S. in Criminal Justice Program and our Accelerated Master's Programs

    Mock Trial

    lasell students on Boston College campus for mock trial

    Lasell's Mock Trial program prepares students for trial advocacy.

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