At the undergraduate level, students interested in criminal justice typically acquire a background in psychology, legal studies, sociology and criminal studies accented with course work in crisis management and urban geography. Internships are recommended to supplement and extend in-class learning. Students who graduate with an Individualized Study BA or BS with a concentration in Criminal Justice may pursue careers in the law, public policy, private security firms and law enforcement agencies on the local, state and national level.
You can also consider these majors offered at UMBC:
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Examples of students with INDS degrees in Criminal Justice:
Rafid Chowdhury, class of 2022 *currently a Police Cadet with Montgomery County
Sara Stewart, class of 2024
Shanika Freeman, class of 2024 *currently studying in Norway as a Fulbright scholar
Schedule an appointment with an Advisor today!
All students are required to take the INDS core curriculum as part of their self designed degree.
INDS 330 Ways of Knowing
INDS 335 Degree Plan Writing Seminar
INDS 430 Special Topics or INDS 410 Internship
INDS 480 Capstone Project Seminar
INDS 490 Capstone Project
Research Methods Course
Other course work in your self designed degree may be drawn from the following. You are not limited to these courses. Your INDS degree theme could include courses from other disciplines. Be sure to check the prerequisites for any course you want to take. It is recommended that you work with your INDS advisor as you develop your own list and timeline which will be formalized in INDS 335. Use the INDS Course Idea and Timeline worksheets to help you create a list of courses and tentative timeline.
Other courses to consider
PSYC 285 Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 304 Adolescent Psychology
PSYC 324 Introduction to Interviewing Techniques
PSYC 342 The Psychology of Aggression and Antisocial Behavior
PSYC 350 Psychology of the Law
SOCY 201 Social Problems in American Society
SOCY 300 Methodology of Social Research
SOCY 321 Race and Ethnic Relations
SOCY 330 Deviance in Contemporary Society
SOCY 369 Causes of Crime and Delinquency
SOCY 370 Sociology of Law
SOCY 371 Criminology and Penology
SOCY 372 Juvenile Delinquency
SOCY 374 Drugs and Alcohol in Society
POLI 230 Introduction to Constitutional Law
POLI 334 Judicial Process
POLI/GWST 338 Women, Gender, and Law
POLI 339 Legal Advocacy
POLI 385 International Security
POLI 388 International Conflict and Cooperation
POLI 395 National Security Policy of the United States
ANTH 211 Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 322 Forensic Anthropology
SOWK 370 Social Work and the Criminal Justice System
SOWK/GWST 376 Intimate Partner Violence
SOWK 388 Human Behavior and the Social Environment
HIST 208 Global Terrorism
HIST 313 US Foreign Relations in the 20th Century
HIST 349 American Intelligence: The Revolution to 9/11
AFST/GWST 371 The Female Offender
AFST 392 Race, Crime, and Public Policy
PHIL 356 Philosophy of Law
MLL 305 Introduction to Intercultural Communication
Updated 02/25/25