Social Sciences
Criminal Justice
Our Criminal Justice program is offered through our Sociology program and includes various disciplines - Psychology, Political Science, Geography (GIS), and Communications - so students receive the broad range of skills and knowledge that employers seek for various criminal justice careers.
TLU's classes explore the laws, procedures, and institutions designed to uphold social order and deter criminal behavior. In addition to learning the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the criminal justice system, our students also gain real-world insight from courses taught by a Texas district judge and a forensics supervisor with the Seguin Police Department.
Many of our graduates go into careers in law enforcement, juvenile probation, and social services. Career opportunities for criminal justice graduates include:
- Law enforcement officer, corrections officer, and probation officer
- Paralegal
- Court clerk
- Victim advocate
- Private investigator
- Forensic scientist
- Security specialist and Homeland security specialist
As part of the curriculum, students hold an internship before they graduate. The following are examples of where our students have held internships:
- Juvenile probation with Guadalupe County and Comal County
- Community supervision (adult probation) with Guadalupe County
- Seguin Police Department
- Department of Public Safety
- Private attorneys in Seguin, San Antonio, and students' hometowns
- Travis County District Attorney's office
- Children's Advocacy Center
- Child Protective Services
- ARCIL (A Resource for Independent Living)
- Various church and park summer camps/programs
Curriculum Overview
General Education (42 hours)
- 18 hours in Basic Quantitative Literacy, Critical Reading, Engaging Faith Traditions, Modern Language, and Written Communication
- 24 hours in Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences & Math, and Social Sciences
Criminal Justice (30 hours)
- SOCI 130 - Introduction to Sociology
- SOCI 433 - Data Analysis in Social Science
- SOCI 435 - Senior Capstone
- CRCJ 231 - The American Justice System
- CRCJ 331 or 332 - Criminal Law and Procedures or Principles
- CRCJ 375 or SOCI 374 Juvenile Justice / Crime in America
- CRCJ 430 or 439 - Independent Study or Internship
- 9 additional hours of CRCJ or SOCI electives
Supporting Coursework (24 hours)
- PSYC 236 - Drugs & Behavior
- PSYC 271 - Quantitative Methods I
- PSYC 332 or 374 - Abnormal or Personality
- GEOG Elective
- GEOG Elective
- POLS 232 or 336 American Politics II/ Public Administration
- 6 hours of electives to be determined by advisor
Electives or minor to total 124 hours