Pre - Law in Criminal Justice

 

Department of Criminal Justice/ 214

College of Human and Community Sciences

University of Nevada, Reno

Reno, Nevada 89557

 

Coordinator:       Susan A. Lentz  J.D., Ph.D.

                             Associate Professor of Criminal Justice

                             Room 108 Leifson Physics

                             Phone - (775) 784-4701; Fax - (775) 784-6201

                             Email - lentz@unr.edu

 http://www.unr.edu/hcs/cjweb/Facpages/LENTZ.htm

 

 

The Criminal Justice Major

 

                Criminal justice is an academic field which examines the actions of the formal social mechanism we call the criminal justice system.  The system is composed of three subsystems: policing /law enforcement agencies, the courts/judiciary, and correctional agencies.  The study of criminal justice requires an examination of the structure and functioning of each of these subsystems, as well as knowledge about the role behavior of the participants. The study of the criminal justice process involves a critical evaluation of how the administration of justice actually operates in American society, raising fundamental questions and examining the perspectives from which solutions to problems might be drawn.

                The content of criminal justice is interdisciplinary, drawing on theory developed in sociology, law, psychology, political science, and related fields. From sociology and psychology are derived theories regarding the causes of crime and delinquency.  Law, political science, and history provide information about the development of law and the applications of sanctions within the legal process. Also, there is a rapidly growing body of knowledge derived from research efforts of practitioners in policing, the courts, and corrections.

                The University of Nevada, Reno has developed a general, broad based career-oriented course of study appropriate to criminal justice as a system, problem area, and configuration of professional occupations. The program, while practical in nature, provides the theoretical, conceptual, and analytic background need for the criminal justice practitioner to effectively approach the dilemmas crime presents to contemporary American society.

 

About the Pre-Law Option

 

                The Pre-Law Program within Criminal Justice is not a replication of law school or a program emphasizing substantive and procedural law courses.  Rather, after years of research, it has been specifically designed for undergraduates with the intention of facilitating their understanding of the context of law in American society. In line with the Mission Statement of the Department, the overall goal of the program is to produce practitioner/philosophers, individuals with the perception to understand issues and problems – and the skills to resolve them.

                Structurally, the program requires course work in three distinct areas: Philosophy of Law, Social Science and Law, and skills/problem solving.  The program is interdisciplinary and flexible in nature with required and elective courses available in several departments and colleges.  In addition, several one credit courses will allow students to build sets of skills and perspectives which will greatly enhance the probability of acceptance to the best law schools in the United States.  At the same time, the program builds a foundation of critical thinking and writing skills which will assist students in understanding the myths and legends of legal education and practice in America. This understanding will be of substantial value to students as they address the whys and wherefores of their own future in the law.

                A key aspect of the program is the advisement and mentoring that is available. Law faculty in the program have substantial experience in the practice of law in both the public and private sectors as well as in a variety of criminal and civil law areas. Overall, the law faculty emphasize an individualized balance of practice and theory in each student’s progression through the program.

 

 

 

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

Pre-Law Option

 

Students who complete the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Degree in the pre-law option will acquire a contextual foundation of law in our heterogenous society and have the opportunity to develop critical thinking and analytical skills. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for post-graduate studies in law and related fields.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                            Credits

I. UNIVERSITY CORE CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS                                                                                          33-38 

 

                (See UNR Catalog Listing)                                                                                                                

 

II. ADDITIONAL COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS                                                                                                        

 

                (Covered by course work in Major Requirements)                                      

 

III. MAJOR REQUIREMENTS                                                                                                                                        55-69