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Frequently Asked Questions
How many credit hours do I need to earn a bachelors degree?
How many hours a week should I study?
How do I know when to register for courses and/or if I have any registration holds?
What is the Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum and does it apply to me?
What courses can I take to count as the third English Composition requirement?
What are placement tests and why do I need to take them?
What courses count for the public speaking requirement?
What is the Area of Concentration and do I have to have a Concentration?
If a minor is not the same as an Area of Concentration, then what exactly is a minor?
How do I declare an official minor?
Is a criminal justice internship required to graduate?
What is the Senior Assessment?
How do I change majors to a different college?
How do I get more involved at school and in Criminal Justice?
How accessible are professors?
How many credit hours do I need to earn a bachelors degree?
Students must complete a minimum of 125 credit hours to earn a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. There are minimum credit hours needed in specific categories to earn a bachelors degree. For specific degree requirements please refer to the UNO Undergraduate Catalog and meet with the criminal justice academic advisor. The minimum credit hours needed in each category is:
English Composition – 9
Social Sciences – 12
Humanities – 12
Natural Sciences and Mathematics - 12
Statistics – 3
Criminal Justice – 39
Area of Concentration or Minor – 18
Electives or Second Minor – 20
How many hours a week should I study?
This really depends on the skill level, time management abilities, and other personal factors such as employment and family obligations of the student. For time management purposes, the general guideline is two to three hours of study, homework and test preparation for every one credit hour enrolled. For a student taking an average load of fifteen credit hours this would mean scheduling 30 to 45 hours per week study time outside the classroom. Added to this time would be the original fifteen hours where a student is attending class. In this example, a serious student enrolled in fifteen credit hours and wanting to do well in college should plan on between 45 and 60 total hours per week dedicated to college level academics.
How do I know when to register for courses and/or if I have any registration holds?
Students should log into their E-BRUNO account then access the menu option "Holds & Registration Times". All registration holds and/or flags must be cleared before registration will be permitted. The date and time given to register is the earliest time a student can begin registration. Courses may be added or dropped through the end of the first week of class. Students are encouraged to view the online schedule of classes and prepare a schedule ahead of time, to include call numbers, course numbers, section numbers and meeting days and times prior to their actual registration time. In other words, the registration time should be used to actually register for courses not begin the course search process. It is recommended that you register on the date and time listed on E-BRUNO. Courses fill quickly, so registering early is very important.
Do I have to use the UNO gmav e-mail account if I have a Hotmail, Yahoo, or other personal e-mail account?
Absolutely! All official e-mail as well as myUNO (blackboard) information will only be sent to your UNO gmav e-mail account. Students are encouraged to check their gmav e-mail account regularly for important announcements and communications from faculty, staff and other students. UNO gmav e-mail can be checked anywhere you have access to the World Wide Web. If you are having difficulty with your gmav e-mail account, please contact the ITS help desk at 554-HELP (4357), e-mail them at unohelpdesk@mail.unomaha.edu , or visit the ITS website at http://its.unomaha.edu .
What is the Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum and does it apply to me?
All students admitted to the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS), whether a freshman, on-campus transfer or a transfer from an outside institution, who indicate they want to major in criminal justice are admitted as pre-criminal justice majors.
The Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum must be completed prior to authorization being given for students to register for 3000/4000 level criminal justice courses. In addition to the course work needed to complete the Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum, students also need to attain a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average and no grade lower than "C-" in any criminal justice courses. The Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum consist of:
English 1150 or 1154, Composition I and English 1160 or 1164, Composition II, six credit hours
Math 1320, College Algebra or higher (effective Fall 2007), three credit hours
Criminal Justice 1010, Survey of Criminal Justice, three credit hours
Criminal Justice 2030-Police and Society, Criminal Justice 2110-The Criminal Courts System, Criminal Justice 2210-Survey of Corrections, six credit hours (students must complete two of the three courses)
General Education courses from the Social Sciences, Humanities and Natural Sciences, 24 credit hours
Once I complete the Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum, how do I get admitted to the Upper Division Criminal Justice Program?
Students seeking entrance to the Upper Division Criminal Justice Program MUST APPLY to the Admissions Committee of the School of Criminal Justice. Students are encouraged to apply if they have fewer than 45 credit hours if they are enrolled in the remaining hours needed to complete the Pre-Criminal Justice Curriculum during the semester in which they make application. Students can obtain an application in CPACS 218 or here (link to upper division app).
What courses can I take to count as the third English Composition requirement?
Criminal Justice majors are required to complete a minimum of nine hours of Composition course work. Be careful! There is a difference between Composition (writing based curriculum) and Literature (reading based curriculum).
The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Curriculum Committee has approved the following courses to fulfill the third Composition course required at the 2000 to 4000 level.
ENGL 2400 Advanced Composition [Prereq: ENGL 1160 or permission]
ENGL 3000 Writing For The Workplace [Prereq: ENGL 1160 or permission] (No other ENGL 3000 counts)
ENGL 3980 Technical Writing Across the Disciplines [Prereq: ENGL 1160 or permission]
ENGL 4880 Community Service Writing [Prereq: ENGL 1160 with a grade of A or B]
JOUR 2100 Media Writing [Prereq: ENGL 1160] [Coreq: JOUR 2104]
JOUR 3220 Critical Writing for the Mass Media [Prereq: ENGL 1160, junior]
JOUR 3270 Public Affairs Reporting [Prereq: JOUR 2150 and 2160 or permission of instructor]
JOUR 3400 Magazine Article Writing [Prereq: JOUR 2150, junior, or permission of instructor]
JOUR 4220 Literary Journalism [Prereq: ENGL 1160, junior]
MGMT 3200 Managerial Communications [Prereq: ENGL 1160, SPCH 1110 or 2120, all graded C or higher, 2.3 GPA or higher]
WRWS 2000 Special Studies in Writing [Prereq: ENGL 1150]
WRWS 2050 Fundamentals of Fiction Writing [Prereq: ENGL 1160]
WRWS 2060 Fundamentals of Poetry Writing [Prereq: ENGL 1160]
WRWS 3000 Selected Topics in Writing [Prereq: Varies according to specific topics being offered]
AVN 3060 Writing and Research in Aviation [Prereq: ENGL 1160, AVN 1000, SPCH 1110]
You can download a copy of the English Composition Requirement .
What are placement tests and why do I need to take them?
Students are placed into the appropriate level Mathematics course according to their ACT mathematics score. If a student did not place into a mathematics course or wishes to challenge their ACT mathematics placement score he/she must take the Math Placement Exam (MPE). ACT or MPE results are valid for two years. All students are required to take the English Placement Proficiency Exam (EPPE) prior to being authorized to register for any English Composition courses. The placement process is used to place students into the appropriate level course based on their individual skill level. Additional information concerning placement testing can be found on the UNO Testing Center web site .
When I need to register for a Social Science, Humanities, or a Natural Science, how do I know what courses I can choose from to count in those areas?
The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice has created a curriculum that allows students to choose from hundreds of courses in each of these areas. A student can take any course from any of the departments listed below and it will count in that respective area. The departments counting in the Social Sciences, Humanities and Natural Sciences are:
Social Sciences (no more than six credit hours from any one department) (12 hours)
Departments of Anthropology, Black Studies, Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies, Economics, Geography (except Physical Geography), Gerontology, History, Native American Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Social Work, Urban Studies, and Women's Studies.
Humanities (no more than eight credit hours from any one department) (12 hours)
Departments of Art, Communications (Broadcasting, Journalism, Speech), Dramatic Arts, English Literature, Foreign Languages, Music, Philosophy, and Religion. Students must take one speech course, either SPCH1110 or SPCH2120.
Natural Sciences and Mathematics (12 hours)
Students must complete MATH 1320 College Algebra or higher (effective Fall 2007). Each student will be required to complete a minimum of one course with a lab from the following disciplines: Astronomy (PHYS 1350), Biology, Chemistry, Physical Geography, Geology, and Physics. Additional courses may be selected from any of the above disciplines, Food Science 1310, Computer Science 1500 or higher, or a higher level mathematics course.
What courses count for the public speaking requirement?
Either Speech 1110 – Public Speaking or Speech 2120 – Argumentation and Debate will fulfill the public speaking requirement. Either of these courses also counts towards the twelve credit hours needed in the Humanities.
What is the Area of Concentration and do I have to have a Concentration?
The Area of Concentration is required for all criminal justice majors. It consists of eighteen credit hours. Of those 18 credit hours, 12 credit hours, must be taken at the 3000/4000 level. An Area of Concentration can be taken in any area of student interest. An Area of Concentration is not a minor. However, in certain instances, a minor can fulfill the Area of Concentration requirement. Please meet with the criminal justice academic advisor for specific guidelines.
If a minor is not the same as an Area of Concentration, then what exactly is a minor?
A minor is an area of specialization where a student selects courses within a specific department that enhances their major and/or allows him/her to take courses in a curriculum of personal interest. The department offering the minor establishes the specific requirements for their minor. Once these requirements are met, the student earns the minor (upon verification from the department offering the minor) and the minor is then annotated on their transcript. This is the primary difference between a minor and an Area of Concentration. A declared minor must be offered by a department and is annotated on the transcript where an Area of Concentration is not annotated on the transcript. There are no bad minors though some might be better than others depending on the student’s future career interests. Most minors will require a minimum number of hours at the upper division level (3000/4000). For specific minor requirements or to officially declare a minor please refer to the UNO Undergraduate Catalog and visit the criminal justice academic advisor. A list of available minors can be found here.
How do I declare an official minor?
To declare a minor students should visit with the academic advisor in the minor area of interest (i.e. Speech, Sociology, etc.) to complete an Academic Program Change form. If you need help determining who is the advisor for the minor, contact Ashley Cunningham, Academic Advisor at ajcunningham@unomaha.edu or (402) 554.3718.
Is a criminal justice internship required to graduate?
Criminal Justice 3970 – Internship in Criminal Justice, is not required to graduate but is highly recommended as a criminal justice major elective. Internships allow career exploration while simultaneously allowing students to compare classroom theory to real world applications. It also allows students to personally see how criminal justice agencies operate and the opportunity to meet criminal justice professionals in the work environment. Internships can be repeated for a total of six credit hours. For more information, contact Dr. Bob Meier at rmeier@unomaha.edu or 554-2610.
What is the Senior Assessment?
The UNO Chancellor has mandated all academic units perform some type of assessment. The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice complies with this by requiring students to register for and complete CJUS 4999 – Senior Assessment during their last semester prior to graduation. The Senior Assessment is designed to assess student learning, monitor department performance and identify possible curriculum changes needed. Once registered for CJUS 4999, a letter will be sent by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice informing students of the dates and times the Senior Assessment will be given.
How do I change majors to a different college?
First, verify eligibility for the program you want to transfer to. Most majors will have a minimum grade point average requirement. If you meet the criteria, make an appointment with the academic advisor in the program you are transferring into and complete the Change of College, Major, or Minor form.
How do I get more involved at school and in Criminal Justice?
The most important step in academic involvement is getting to know your professors! Professors are your most important resource for assistance in your courses and can be helpful with questions concerning careers and continuing your education at graduate school. Also be sure to visit the Student Organizations and Leadership Programs (SOLP) office in the Milo Bail Student. The SOLP office lists dozens of student organizations for involvement opportunities. The SOLP office can be reached by calling 554-2711.
The School of Criminology & Criminal Justice also has a chapter of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Alpha Phi Sigma. Students must have 45 hours total and 12 hours of CJUS courses with at least a 3.2 overall and a 3.2 in CJUS courses. For more information, please contact Dr. Candice Batton at cbatton@unomaha.edu or 554-4452.
How accessible are professors?
All professors have office hours so students can get answers to the questions they may not feel comfortable asking in class. Faculty office locations and phone numbers should be on the course syllabus. If not, please call the department and ask for the contact information for the faculty member you are trying to reach.
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