Academic
Catalog August 2009 - August 2010 Undergraduate
and Graduate
We offer this specialization leading to a bachelor of applied science degree in justice system policy and planning for nontraditional students who have earned the appropriate associate of applied science (A.A.S.) or associate of arts (A.A.) degree.
This high-quality curriculum includes coursework in criminology and criminal justice plus upper-division courses to sharpen your communication, computer, and quantitative skills and add to your knowledge of policy and administration, values, and ethics. In addition, the liberal studies component is designed to broaden your career horizons, promote life-long learning, and enrich your daily life.
NAU offers this degree-completion plan primarily at Extended Campuses throughout Arizona, but not at NAU–Flagstaff. We offer this degree only when a formal agreement to do so exists between NAU and another institution.
To earn this degree, you must complete at least 120 units of coursework, which we describe in the sections that follow:
64 units in an associate degree transfer block
at least 35 units of liberal studies requirements, 16-20 of which will be satisfied by associate degree transfer block
at least 21 units of B.A.S. core requirements
at least 18 units of justice systems specialization requirements
elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units
Be aware that some courses required for your degree may have prerequisites that you must also take. Check the courses in the appropriate subject. (You may be able to count these prerequisites toward your liberal studies or general elective credit.)
Please note that you must complete NAU’s diversity requirements by taking two 3-unit courses, one in U.S. ethnic diversity and one in global diversity awareness. These courses may be used to meet other requirements within your academic plan if you choose them carefully. Click here for a list of the available diversity courses.
Also be aware that all 56 units of the courses you take beyond the associate degree transfer block must be upper-division courses (those numbered 300 and above), at least 30 units must be taken through NAU, and you must meet all residency and other upper-division requirements as specified in this catalog
Finally, please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement; however, you must still meet the total of at least 120 units to graduate. Contact your advisor for details.
To be admitted to the B.A.S. plan with a specialization in justice systems policy and planning, you must have completed the appropriate A.A.S. degree at a regionally accredited institution. We accept a block transfer of 64 units from your A.A.S. program, and you then take the remaining 56 units at NAU to complete 120 units. (Please note that if you complete all required core, specialization, and liberal studies requirements in less than 56 units, you may take the remaining units from any courses offered by NAU.)
Please note that because this block transfer only applies to the justice systems policy and planning specialization, it is not applicable to the B.S. degree in criminal justice.
To qualify for a specialization in justice systems policy and planning, your transferred block must include 9 units for courses deemed equivalent to:
CCJ 101 and 250 (6 units)
one of CCJ 210, 220, 270, and 275 and SOC 240 (3 units)
Please note that only those courses deemed equivalent by either an established articulation agreement approved by NAU’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice or by a memorandum of understanding with the criminal justice department qualify. You cannot use credit assigned for experience or assessed learning (such as CLEP credits) to meet this requirement. If you don’t have credit for these courses, you can take them after entering the B.A.S. plan.
NAU requires that you complete 35 units of liberal studies coursework. For this B.A.S. plan, we assume that you have already completed, as part of your A.A.S. degree, the composition, mathematics, and lab science requirements as well as 3-6 additional units within the liberal studies requirements, totaling 16-20 units.
You select the remaining 15-19 units of upper-division liberal studies courses in consultation with your advisor to help you meet your personal goals and ensure that these courses contribute to a coherent overall curriculum.
Please note that you may use the same course to satisfy both a liberal studies and a B.A.S. core requirement; you may also include courses with the course prefixes used in your justice systems specialization to satisfy liberal studies requirements, although you can’t use the specific courses from your specialization.
You take the following 21 units, which are designed to help you acquire a general knowledge of management, organizational, and policy issues while advancing your professional communication, computer, and quantitative skills:
communication block:
one course from BBA 305W, COM 200, BME 420, CCJ 345W, ENG 302W or 305W, and SC 314, 315, 424, 472, 475, 477 (3 units)
public administration and management block:
one course from BME 480; CCJ 331, 333; HA 345; HS 410; MGT 303; PAS/POS 325, 326, 327, or 421C; PAS 401 or PAS 408C; POS 344, 359 or 428; and SOC 334 or 431 (3 units)
values, ethics, and policy block:
one course from BME 310; SHP 300W; CCJ 315, 325, 380, or 450C; HUM 345W, 371, or 373; PAS 411; PHI 332W; or SOC 301, 333, 339, or 441 (3 units)
technical, quantitative, qualitative and science block:
one course from BBA 340, BIO 301 and 302; CCJ 355; ECI 497C; ESE 380; HS 333; MAT 114; PAS 355; POS 303; SOC 365; or PAS 356 (3 units)
6 units from any of the previously listed courses in the core blocks
a junior writing course, as specified within the requirements for each individual B.A.S. specialization (3 units)
Please note that at least 18 units in the core must be upper-division (300-400 level) courses.
Also note that you may use the same course to satisfy both a B.A.S. core and a liberal studies requirement. Some departments may require specific courses to be taken in the B.A.S. Core or may place other restrictions on the courses that the department requires in the B.A.S. Core. Please see departmental requirements for specific information.
You take at least 18 units from the following:
15-16 units from CCJ 301, 312, 314 (4 units), 315, 325, 331, 333, 340, 341, 350, 360, 380, 410, 415, 421, 422, and 425 plus CCJ 480 (when the topic is deemed relevant by your advisor)
CCJ 450C, which meets NAU’s senior capstone requirement (3 units)
Please note that you can’t use CCJ 408, 466, 485, or 497 to fulfill these specialization requirements.
Also be aware that at least 12 of these units must be earned as resident credit in NAU’s criminal justice plan.
You may not use a specific course from your specialization to satisfy a liberal studies requirement, although you may use other courses with the course prefixes used in your specialization.
Additional coursework is required, if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you. (Please note that you may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren’t used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.)
Click here for more information about Criminology and Criminal Justice undergraduate courses and faculty.