Criminal Justice
An 18-credit minor across criminology, criminal law, ethics, and your choice of two upper-division electives — from forensics to intelligence to cybersecurity.
About the Minor
ACU’s Criminal Justice Minor is built for students interested in the people, institutions, and questions that make up the justice system — and for those whose careers will touch the justice system even if they don’t work directly inside it. The 18-credit minor combines a four-course required foundation with two upper-division electives you choose from a deep elective shelf.
The required core covers Introduction to Criminal Justice (CRJ 210), Criminology (CRJ 280), Criminal Law and Procedures (CRJ 310), and Criminal Justice Ethics (CRJ 420). Together they give you working command of how the criminal justice system works, why crime happens, what the law says, and how to think ethically about justice. From there, six credits of upper-division CRJ electives let you specialize: forensic investigations, American intelligence operations, cybersecurity and electronic forensics, religious crimes and terrorism, corrections, public policy, and more.
Pairs especially naturally with Political Science, Psychology, Behavioral Health, Communication, and any pre-law pathway.
What You'll Learn
Understand the Justice System
Trace how police, courts, and corrections work together as the three branches of criminal justice.
Engage Criminology
Examine why crime happens — the theoretical frameworks scholars use to understand criminal behavior.
Apply Criminal Law
Work through the substantive and procedural law that shapes every criminal case — from probable cause to sentencing.
Think Ethically About Justice
Engage the ethical questions criminal justice careers actually face — discretion, force, fairness, mercy.
Specialize Through Electives
Shape the back half of the minor toward forensics, intelligence, cybersecurity, corrections, terrorism, public policy, or another CRJ focus area.
Justice Shaped by a Biblical Worldview
A Biblical Worldview takes justice seriously as God's concern — and takes everyone involved in justice systems seriously as image-bearers, including victims, defendants, officers, and prisoners.
Justice as Biblical Concern
Scripture treats justice as central — both as something God cares about and as something His people are called to pursue. The minor's ethics course (CRJ 420) and the broader framing of every course take that conviction seriously rather than treating justice as merely a policy matter.
Equips you to engage justice questions with both rigor and conviction.Dignity Throughout the System
Every person who passes through the criminal justice system — the crime victim, the defendant, the witness, the corrections officer, the prisoner — is an image-bearer of God. That conviction reframes how we think about due process, sentencing, rehabilitation, and the work of justice itself.
Grounds your professional posture in respect for the humanity of everyone the system touches.Faith Engaging Real Brokenness
Crime and the response to it are some of the places where human brokenness shows up most starkly. A Biblical Worldview doesn't minimize that brokenness or romanticize the response — it equips you to engage real evil and real suffering with steadiness, care, and the conviction that restoration is possible.
Prepares you to work in justice professions without burning out or becoming cynical.Where This Minor Takes You
Criminal Justice opens doors across law enforcement, the courts, corrections, federal agencies, and any career that engages public safety or legal questions.
Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement
Step into local police, state troopers, sheriff's deputies, or federal agency roles (FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, DHS).
Pre-Law and Paralegal Pathways
Build the foundation for law school applications or paralegal work — particularly when paired with Political Science.
Corrections and Probation
Serve as a corrections officer, probation officer, or in case-management roles within the corrections system.
Homeland Security and Intelligence
Pursue federal homeland security, intelligence community, or analyst roles — strengthened by ACU's CRJ 330 and CRJ 442 electives.
Cybersecurity and Electronic Forensics
Move into cybersecurity, digital forensics, and electronic-evidence work via CRJ 435 and related electives.
Victim Advocacy and Justice Ministry
Serve crime victims, formerly incarcerated populations, or at-risk communities through nonprofit, church-based, or government roles.
Why Students Choose This Minor
The Criminal Justice Minor at ACU stands out for the depth of its elective shelf and the integration of ethics directly into the required core.
Ethics in the Required Core
CRJ 420 Criminal Justice Ethics is mandatory. Most CRJ minors leave ethics as a floating elective or skip it entirely.
Thirteen Elective Options
Choose your two upper-division electives from a deep shelf — forensics, intelligence, cybersecurity, terrorism, corrections, public policy, and more.
Distinctive ACU Electives
Cybersecurity and Electronic Forensics, American Intelligence Operations, Religious Crimes/Violence/Terrorism — courses few other Christian universities offer.
Same Faculty as the BA
Criminal Justice Minor students sit in the same courses with the same professors as the Political Science majors pursuing the Criminal Justice concentration.
Pre-Law Friendly
The required core (introduction, criminology, criminal law, ethics) is exactly what pre-law students benefit from before applying to law school.
Getting Started
Adding the Criminal Justice Minor is straightforward, with one prerequisite chain to plan around: CRJ 420 Ethics requires 9 CRJ credits already completed.
Talk With Your Academic Advisor
Map the 18 credits into your degree plan and start narrowing your two elective choices early — they shape where the minor takes you.
Begin With CRJ 210
CRJ 210 Introduction to Criminal Justice is the entry point. Schedule it freshman or sophomore year.
View CRJ 210 →Build the Required Core
Add CRJ 280 Criminology and CRJ 310 Criminal Law in your sophomore or junior year, then plan for CRJ 420 Ethics after you've completed 9 CRJ credits.
Choose Your Two Upper-Division Electives
Pick electives that match where you're heading — Forensics (CRJ 365) and Crime/Public Policy (CRJ 403) for pre-law, Intelligence (CRJ 442) and Cybersecurity (CRJ 435) for federal-agency work, Corrections (CRJ 350) for justice ministry.
Explore More Options
Ready to Engage Justice Seriously?
The Criminal Justice Minor gives you the legal literacy, ethical clarity, and specialized elective work that real justice careers demand. Apply or reach out today.
