While many colleges and universities offer "quick courses" in
select areas of criminal justice, such as basic police courses,
TSU’s program teaches criminal law, psychology, and provides the academic base to go on to a career in criminal justice or even to law school. TSU melds practical knowledge which is taught by current professionals in the field (judges, lawyers, coroners, law enforcement officers and administrators) and theory which should drive all that is done in the field of criminal justice.

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Criminal Justice degree is ideal for the law enforcement professional, as well.  Successfully completed police academy and other law enforcement training are applicable toward this degree as prior learning credits.  This major provides a strong theoretical background with broad-based learning through the general education requirements, electives and degree-related prior learning.

In addition, the CJ major has a strong psychology component. Also offered as a CJ concentration is law enforcement, agency administration, and psychology. All of these things allows the student to be prepared to start in their chosen career path after graduation but also move up quickly in the ranks.

Major course requirements include the Criminal Justice Major as follows:

GOV 33	State and Local Government
GOV 403	American Constitutional Development
LE 153	Juvenile Justice
LE 253	Probation, Parole and Community Corrections
LE 263	Introduction to Criminal Law and Justice
LE 273	Criminal Procedures and Evidence
LE 343	Criminalistics and Crime Scene Investigations I
LE 353	Criminalistics and Crime Scene Investigations II
LE 363	Institutional Corrections and Correctional Law
LE 423	Criminal Justice Agency Administration
LE 453	Topics in criminal Justice
MGT 313	Human Resources Management
PSY 323	Abnormal Psychology
PSY 383	Forensic Psychology