For students interested in criminal justice in an increasingly digital world, the computer science and criminal justice combined degree offers a strong programming foundation coupled with academic and experiential knowledge of the criminal justice system. Successful students will learn the principles, practices, and responsibilities of criminal justice professionals alongside the computer science skills necessary for practical applications in the field.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Computer Science Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science Overview | ||
| CS 1200 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| or CRIM 1000 | Criminal Justice at Northeastern | |
| CS 1210 | Professional Development for Khoury Co-op | 1 |
| or EESH 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op | |
| Computer Science Fundamental Courses | ||
| CS 1800 and CS 1802 | Discrete Structures and Seminar for CS 1800 | 5 |
| CS 2500 and CS 2501 | Fundamentals of Computer Science 1 and Lab for CS 2500 | 5 |
| CS 2510 and CS 2511 | Fundamentals of Computer Science 2 and Lab for CS 2510 | 5 |
| Computer Science Required Courses | ||
| CS 3000 | Algorithms and Data | 4 |
| CS 3200 | Database Design | 4 |
| CS 3500 and CS 3501 | Object-Oriented Design and Lab for CS 3500 | 5 |
| IS 2000 | Principles of Information Science | 4 |
| Khoury Elective Courses | ||
| With advisor approval, directed study, research, project study, and appropriate graduate-level courses may also be taken as upper-division electives. | ||
| Complete 16 credits of upper-division CS, CY, DS, or IS courses that are not already required. Choose courses within the following ranges: | 16 | |
CY 2000 or higher, except CY 4930 | ||
DS 2500 or higher, except DS 4900 | ||
Criminal Justice Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Crime, Law, and the Justice System | ||
What do we know about crime and justice? In these three courses, students have an opportunity to develop a foundational understanding of three related phenomena: why crime exists, how our criminal justice system responds to crime, and the constitutional and legal oversight of this process. | ||
| CRIM 1100 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 4 |
| CRIM 1110 | Criminal Due Process | 4 |
| CRIM 1120 | Criminology | 4 |
| Current Crime and Justice Issues | ||
These courses introduce students to topical issues related to crime and justice. | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| The Death Penalty | ||
| Human Trafficking | ||
| Corruption, Integrity, and Accountability | ||
| Crime, Media, and Politics | ||
| Crime Problems and Criminal Justice Institutions | ||
The 2000-level courses in this list ask how does justice work and for whom? These courses introduce students to the systems and institutions tasked with providing justice. Each includes experiential learning components in cooperation with local criminal justice institutions. The 3000-level courses in this list provide students with a deeper look at a range of crime problems. | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Courts: The Third Branch of Government | ||
| Youth Crime and Justice | ||
| Punishment in the Age of Mass Incarceration | ||
| Corporate Security: Securing the Private Sector | ||
| Policing a Democratic Society | ||
| Criminal Violence | ||
| Global Criminology | ||
| Psychology of Crime | ||
| Organized Crime | ||
| Corporate and White-Collar Crime | ||
| Systemic Issues | ||
These courses consider systemic issues facing the criminal justice system. | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Gender, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Race, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Creating Knowledge about Crime and Justice | ||
How do we know what we know about crime and justice—and how do we develop new knowledge? These courses cover how to harness data to learn about issues, identify solutions, and advocate for change. | ||
| CRIM 3600 | Criminal Justice Research Methods | 4 |
| CRIM 3700 | Analyzing and Using Data on Crime and Justice | 4 |
| Criminal Justice Capstone | ||
| CRIM 4949 | Senior Capstone Seminar | 4 |
| Criminal Justice Elective | ||
These courses round out our knowledge of crime and justice. | ||
| Complete one additional criminal justice elective from the 3000, 4000, or 5000 level. | 4 | |
Integrative Course Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Political Crime and Terrorism | ||
| Crime Prevention | ||
Supporting Course
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Computing and Social Issues | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Issues in Race, Science, and Technology | ||
| The Law, Ethics, and Policy of Data and Digital Technologies | ||
| Cyberlaw: Privacy, Ethics, and Digital Rights | ||
| Literature and Digital Diversity | ||
| History of Technology | ||
| Bostonography: The City through Data, Texts, Maps, and Networks | ||
| Knowledge in a Digital World | ||
or PHIL 1300 | Knowledge in a Digital World | |
| Technology and Human Values | ||
| The Twenty-First-Century Workplace | ||
| Environment, Technology, and Society | ||
| Computers and Society | ||
Computer Science English Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Writing | ||
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| or ENGW 1102 | First-Year Writing for Multilingual Writers | |
| Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | ||
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions | ||
| Advanced Writing in the Social Sciences | ||
| Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | ||
Required General Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 28 credits of general electives. | 28 | |
Khoury College GPA Requirement
Minimum 2.000 GPA required in all CS, CY, DS, and IS courses
NUpath Requirements Satisfied
- Engaging with the Natural and Designed World
- Conducting Formal and Quantitative Reasoning
- Analyzing and Using Data
- Understanding Societies and Institutions
- Writing in the First Year
- Advanced Writing in the Disciplines
- Writing-Intensive in the Major
- Demonstrating Thought and Action in a Capstone
Integrating Knowledge and Skills Through Experience is satisfied through co-op.
Program Requirement
133 total semester hours required
Sample Plan of Study:
Four Years, 2 Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CS 1200 | 1 | CS 2510 and CS 2511 | 5 | CS 3200 | 4 | Vacation | |
| CS 1800 and CS 1802 | 5 | IS 2000 | 4 | CS 3500 and CS 3501 | 5 | ||
| CS 2500 and CS 2501 | 5 | CRIM 1110 | 4 | ||||
| CRIM 1100 | 4 | CRIM 1120 | 4 | ||||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 17 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CS 1210 or EESH 2000 | 1 | Co-op | Co-op | ENGW 3302, 3308, or 3315 | 4 | ||
| CS 3000 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| CRIM 3600 | 4 | ||||||
| CJ thematic elective | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Khoury elective 1 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Elective | 4 | ||
| CRIM 3700 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| CJ survey elective | 4 | ||||||
| Khoury elective 2 | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | ||
| Khoury elective 3 | 4 | Khoury elective 4 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| CJ systemwide elective | 4 | CRIM 4949 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| CJ elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Computing and social issues | 4 | CJ integrative course | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | 8 | |||||
| Total Hours: 134 | |||||||