This concentration focuses on the nature, causes and solutions for crime, primarily but not exclusively in the United States.  It explores questions of justice in the context of what has been labelled as criminal behavior.  While understanding the nature of various forms of criminal endeavor is significant in this concentration there is also a strong focus on understanding the political, social, and cultural roots of the problem, and the theoretical traditions in the social sciences and beyond which have sought to explain this type of behavior.  In addition, there is an emphasis on thoughtful examination of the responses to crime, with a concentration on effective policy initiatives and social change. 

Remember that all students take a common core of Justice Studies courses which taked broad, varied, and holistic approaches to the question "what is justice?"  This concentration is deeply engaged and intertwined with other approaches to and understandings of justice.

All Students in Track A must take:
JUST 210 Crime and Criminal Justice
JUST 212 Theories of Crime and Criminal Justice.

and one of the following:

JUST 221 Social Justice Theories, JUST 223 Social Justice Interventions, JUST 235 Justice in the Global Community, or JUST 237 Dilemmas in Global Justice

Students select six additional upper-level elective courses from the approved list in the catalog for their catalog requirement year..  At least four of the six elective courses must have a JUST identifier.

PLEASE NOTE ALSO: JUST 301 Special Topic courses and JUST 401 Internships must be relevant to your concentration.

Please refer to the current JMU catalog for the catalog course descriptions. Please note that not all JUST courses are offered every semester.  For requirements, students should refer to the catalog that aligns with their catalog requirement year.