The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and School of Journalism offer a combined major in criminal justice and journalism. Criminology and criminal justice courses provide a foundation for understanding crime and our criminal justice system. Journalism courses provide students with the skills and experience needed to succeed as a journalist. Together, the combined major is designed to prepare students to report important stories about crime and justice.
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.
Criminal Justice Requirements
| 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 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 | ||
| Political Crime and Terrorism | ||
| Corporate and White-Collar Crime | ||
| Addiction and Recovery | ||
| 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 study harnessing 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 |
| Solutions and Reform | ||
How do we reinvent criminal justice institutions and their practice? The capstone experience is project-based and solution-oriented, drawing on knowledge gained in the classroom and through co-op and other experiences. | ||
| 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 | |
Journalism Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Journalism Course | ||
| JRNL 1150 | Understanding Today’s News | 4 |
| Journalism Foundation Courses | ||
| A grade of C or better is required. | ||
| JRNL 1101 and JRNL 1102 | Journalism 1: Fundamentals of Reporting and Journalist’s Toolbox | 5 |
| JRNL 2201 | Journalism 2: Intermediate Reporting | 4 |
| JRNL 2301 | Visual Storytelling in Journalism | 4 |
| JRNL 3610 | Digital Storytelling and Social Media | 4 |
| Ethics | ||
| JRNL 4650 | Ethics and Issues in Journalism | 4 |
Journalism Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete three additional journalism courses. | 12 | |
Supporting Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | ||
| CRIM 1000 | Criminal Justice at Northeastern | 1 |
| or JRNL 1000 | Journalism at Northeastern | |
| Computer or Data Science | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Computer Science and Its Applications | ||
| Programming with Data and Data Science Programming Practicum | ||
| Data Storytelling | ||
| Co-op Integration Requirements | ||
| Complete before the first co-op: | ||
| Professional Development for Co-op | ||
or EEAM 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op | |
| Complete after a criminal justice co-op: | ||
| Co-op Integration Seminar 2 | ||
Integrative Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| JRNL 3550 | The First Amendment and the Media | 4 |
| CRIM 1700 | Crime, Media, and Politics | 4 |
Program Requirement
129 total semester hours required
Four Years, Two Co-ops
Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CRIM 1000 or JRNL 1000 | 1 | JRNL 1101 and JRNL 1102 | 5 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| CRIM 1100 | 4 | Criminology thematic elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | Computer or data requirement | 4 | ||||
| JRNL 1150 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CRIM 1110 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Criminology survey elective | 4 | ||
| CRIM 1120 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EESH 2000 or EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| JRNL 2201 | 4 | ||||||
| Journalism elective 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| CRIM 1700 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Elective | 4 | ||
| CRIM 3000 | 1 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| CRIM 3600 | 4 | ||||||
| JRNL 2301 | 4 | ||||||
| Journalism elective 2 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| CRIM 3700 | 4 | CRIM 4949 | 4 | ||||
| JRNL 3550 | 4 | JRNL 4650 | 4 | ||||
| JRNL 3610 | 4 | Criminology elective | 4 | ||||
| Criminology systemwide elective | 4 | Journalism elective 3 | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 132 | |||||||