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Advising
On this page:
- About Advising
- Appointments
- Faculty Advisors
- Pre-Graduation Advising
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips for Successful Completion of the Crime and Justice Studies Major
About Advising
Social Sciences and International Studies majors have two advisors.
- Your college academic advisor can answer questions about CORE and college requirements (such as foreign language and methods of inquiry).
- Your faculty advisor offers guidance and mentorship within the major.
Appointments
To schedule an advising appointment, email cola-advisors@wright.edu, call 937-775-2601 or stop in 106 Allyn Hall.
To schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor, contact your program directly.
Faculty Advisors
Undergraduate Programs
If you have not yet received an assigned faculty advisor, please email SoSSIS@wright.edu.
Graduate Programs
- International and Comparative Politics: Vaughn Shannon, Ph.D., program director, vaughn.shannon@wright.edu
- Public Administration (MPA): Daniel Warshawsky, Ph.D., program director, daniel.warshawsky@wright.edu
Pre-Graduation Advising
You are required to complete the College of Liberal Arts pre-graduation checklist. You should begin this process after you are registered for your final term.
To schedule an appointment to verify major requirements needed for graduation, please contact your faculty advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Communication Studies and Media Studies Majors
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May I become a Mass Communication or a Communication Studies major with a 2.0 GPA?
A minimum GPA of 2.25 is required to become either a mass communication or a communication studies major.
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May I major only in broadcast media? May I major in public relations?
No because the mass communication degree requires you to master the creation of media content across media platforms. The old days where students would major in one specific media channel (i.e., print, broadcasting, audio) are past. The curriculum requires you to take courses using print, web, broadcast, audio and public relations. This is a national trend.
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Should I take COM 4320 Race, Class and Gender and COM 4570 as a Communication Studies major?
No, because you are required to take either class; not both. This is an option you need to determine.
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Are students finding jobs in the areas where they are earning their communication degrees?
Yes, and we encourage you to see the business cards our graduates are mailing to us to demonstrate how their degrees are being used.
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May I transfer my credit in communication from another university?
The Ohio-approved TAGs courses will transfer from other Ohio public universities. You may request your academic advisor to have any communication course completed at a public or private university to be reviewed. During an academic appointment, ask that a communication class be reviewed and they will start the process.
Crime and Justice Studies Majors
Admission
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Is this the right major for me?
Visit our Choosing a Major or Minor page to read about the Crime and Justice Studies program.
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What are the requirements for acceptance in to the CJS major?
You must first fulfill the College of Liberal Arts requirements listed on our admission page.
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Which courses will transfer?
Articulation agreements are listed on the transfer admissions website. Call a program faculty advisor at (937) 775-2582 to find out which courses apply to the major.
For equivalencies to the Wright State Core and College of Liberal Arts requirements, you can visit Transferology at transferology.com and run a Crime and Justice degree audit with equivalencies from another Ohio institution. You can also consult an advisor in the Transfer Student Resource Center or COLA advising office.
As a general rule within the major (this does not include WSU Core and/or CoLA classes), you will be able to transfer in up to half of our 45-hours of requirements (for a 22.5 hour maximum in the major). Additional major-related classes will count as general credits for graduation (students need a total of 120 hours to graduate).
Advising
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Who is my advisor?
Your College of Liberal Arts Advisor helps you to choose courses to meet CORE and CoLA requirements, as well as determine a sequence for the courses that will help you adhere to graduation requirements. Your faculty advisor is assigned through the program and will advise you on courses specific to your major as well as determine course substitutions and/or changes to your program of study. Visit the advising section of our site to learn more and to find out who your advisor is this term.
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How do I declare a minor?
Go to your Wings Express Student Tab and click the Major/Minor Change Request.
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How do I change my major?
Go to your Wings Express Student Tab and click the Major/Minor Change Request.
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How do I read my degree audit report?
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What is a degree audit report?
The degree audit report shows how your Wright State courses, transfer courses, and courses in progress apply toward your degree requirements. It can also show you how your credits apply to a different degree program by using the "what if" selection. The report is an unofficial summary of your academic record and is a handy tool to assist you in planning your future coursework. Your degree audit report can help you keep track of your uncompleted requirements and guide you toward graduating at your desired time. Your degree audit report is available to you via Wings Express and should default to your current degree program when you log in. Students should discuss this tool with their advisor.
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Is a foreign language required?
All students within the College of Liberal Arts pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language or American Sign Language at the 2020 level, either by satisfactorily completing course work or by taking an examination.
Crime and Justice Studies majors interested in completing this requirement through Spanish can complete SPN 2010 and 2020 or SPN 2110 and SPN 2120, Spanish for Law Enforcement Personnel. Once students have completed the prerequisite of SPN 1020 Beginning Spanish II with a grade of C, they can register for this sequence: SPN 2110 in fall and SPN 2120 in spring semester.
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What are the requirements to be named to the Dean’s List?
Students who attain high GPAs during a term are placed on the Dean's List each semester. To be named, you must have:
- At least a 3.5 GPA for the term
- Completed at least 12 hours of credit for graded courses in which a letter grade was recieved
- NOT received a grade of F, X, D, I, U, T, M or N
Categories are:
- Honors: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.5
- High Honors: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.7
- Highest Honor: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.9
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Is there a Crime and Justice Studies graduation plan?
Yes, the undergraduate catalog entry lists these details. This will be helpful to military students needing to complete their planning forms, such as 104R. You will find at the bottom of the page the Graduation Planning Strategy.
Careers
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Who can I talk to about planning for law school?
Wright State University has a pre-law advisor. Visit the pre-law advising website to learn more about advising, application timetable, recommended courses, and other resources. The current advisor is Dr. Wilson, sean.wilson@wright.edu.
Curriculum
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What are the requirements for the CJS major?
View Crime and Justice Studies major program information and degree requirements in the University Catalog.
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What are the requirements for the CJS minor?
View Crime and Justice Studies minor program information and degree requirements in the University Catalog.
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What are the requirements for the Policing and Investigative Studies minor?
To complete the minor in Policing and Investigative Studies, 21 semester hours are required:12 hours from four core areas (Police and Society, Policing and Investigative Practices, Law, and Diversity and Ethics) and 9 hours from the electives.
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What are the requirements for the Forensic Studies minor?
To complete the Forensic Studies minor, 18 semester hours are required: two core, one science and three electives. All majors, including Crime and Justice Studies, are eligible to apply for this minor.
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What are requirements for a dual Crime and Justice Studies and Sociology degree?
Graduation
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How do I apply for graduation?
The online Wright State Graduation Application self-service is available to you through WINGS. You must be registered for all classes for the semester they intend to graduate.
- You must first meet with the Crime and Justice program director to confirm major requirements. After the requirements are confirmed, the director will notify the college advisor to release the electronic hold so you can complete the online graduation application.
- Go into WINGS Express
- Select Student and Financial Aid tab
- Select Registration & Records menu
- Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and select “Apply for Graduation” link.
Visit the Graduation page in the RaiderConnect website for application and deadline information.
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What is a grad check and exit interview?
You need to schedule an appointment with the Crime and Justice Studies director to confirm major graduation requirements are met before applying to graduate.
For an internal assessment, you will be asked to bring (or email) copies of three of your papers from any of the CJS classes. An exit interview will be conducted during this meeting to gather feedback.
Once the requirements are reviewed by the College of Liberal Arts advisor, the "hold" will be released so the student can complete the online graduation application.
- Crime and Justice Studies Grad Check Advisor: Dr. Lahm, karen.lahm@wright.edu
- COLA Advisor: 120 Millett Hall, (937) 775-2601
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How do I find out about the commencement ceremony?
Wright State Events Services, (937) 775-5512, will provide you with all the details for walking in the spring or fall commencement ceremony.
Internships
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Is an internship required?
Yes. Crime and Justice Studies students are required to complete one 3-credit hour internship. Students should meet with an internship director one or more semesters before registering. Internships can be taken through the political science, sociology or urbanaffairs/geography departments.
NOTE: Background checks and drug/alcohol screening will typically be required for Internship placement. Previous convictions could hinder this process and/or future employment within this career field. If you have a concern, be sure to notify your advisor so it can be discussed. Given how strictly agencies screen applicants, if you have a drug/alcohol dependency or previous record you should likely reconsider a career path in criminal justice.
- Convictions of any crimes of violence, or sex offenses - including misdemeanors
- Serious felony charges that became misdemeanor convictions through plea deals
- Marijuana use within two years; Marijuana sale within 8 years
- Sale or use of illicit drug of any other type, including steroids, within 8 years
- Prescription drug abuse within 8 years
- Convictions for flee/elude, resisting arrest or any other crimes which show a contempt or lack of respect for the law or law enforcement officers
- Defendant on a protection order
- Active warrant or capias
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Will I have to do an internship? it is really inconvenient for my schedule.
The simple answer is yes. You should complete the required internship if at all possible because it’s the best path to an actual job in today’s market for college graduates. Research has shown that, controlling for other factors, a good internship makes one more employable than a high GPA.
However, there are a few rare exceptions to this internship requirement for some students (e.g. if you can document that you have worked in a related field for more than a year we can make a class substitution). See FAQs about prior job experience. Contact your advisor or the program director if you have questions about this.
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How do I find out about the internship program?
Internships can be completed through the political science, sociology or urban affairs/geography departments. Visit our Internships page or call the program’s administrative support coordinator at (937) 775-2582 for more information.
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When should I start the internship registration process?
Signing up for an internship is not like signing up for a typical course. A lot of preparation has to be conducted so that your internship coordinator can work with you and our internship partners to find an appropriate placement and allow you to begin your internship at the beginning of the term. For that reason we recommend that you begin the process at least one term prior to the term you want to take the class (e.g. begin in the fall for a spring internship). If you are pursuing the internship through sociology, we recommend you begin the process two terms prior.
Visit our internships page for information on how to begin that process.
Alumni
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How do I let the program director know about my activities since graduation?
Send your “news” any time through our email address: crime-justice@wright.edu or complete the Alumni Update Form. This information may be used in the annual newsletter.
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How can I donate to the Crime and Justice Studies scholarship program or foundation?
Thank you for your interest in supporting Crime and Justice Studies. Visit our giving page to learn more.
French and Spanish Majors
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How often should I meet with my advisor?
At least once every semester.
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How do I set up an initial appointment with a language advisor?
Please email or call them directly. ML advisor information can be found under the Advising tab.
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Who is my advisor?
You can find your advisor through WINGS under the Academics tab or you can request your advisor’s information in 225 Millett.
Sociology and Anthropology Majors
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How do I get a faculty advisor assigned to me?
You first have to have declared either anthropology or sociology to be your major. When the department receives word you have done so, and that you meet or exceed the required 2.0 GPA qualification, the department’s administrative specialist will assign you a faculty member from the relevant discipline as your advisor. You may also request that a certain faculty member be assigned to you.
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What courses should I take as Related Electives?
The sociology major requires that you take three upper division courses in a single social science discipline; these are NOT additional sociology courses. You can select from anthropology, social work, geography, urban affairs, political science, psychology, and economics.
The anthropology major requires that you take two upper division courses in subjects considered to be related to the three subfields of anthropology. You should check with your faculty advisor about whether a particular course will satisfy the requirement.
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I am a sociology major; does taking SOC 3400 or 3410 to satisfy the College Quantitative Thinking requirement mean that, to complete the major, I need to replace those credit hours with another course in sociology?
No, when you take either (or both) of those courses, they count as courses in the major AND automatically satisfy the Quantitative Thinking requirement of the College of Liberal Arts.
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What foreign language is best for either anthropology or sociology?
No particular language can be specified as being the best for you to take. You should consider what courses in a language you had in high school, and whether you might wish to build on that to complete the language requirement at Wright State. You should also consider what kind of career you envision, and whether any particular language might help your advancement. Ultimately, the decision is up to you.
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I had a good background in a foreign language in high school. Do I need to start at the 1010 level and take four courses in it at Wright State?
No, you only need to complete, or test out of, the fourth course (2020 level) in the language at Wright State. You should check with the Department of Modern Languages for information about testing out of a language.
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I am an anthropology major. I see that the three introductory courses to the subfields of anthropology are all required courses for the major but are taken as part of the Wright State Core. Before I decided to major in anthropology, I had already taken two courses in Element 3. Do I still need to take CST 2410 (Comparative Nonwestern Cultures)?
Yes. CST 2410 is the introductory course in cultural anthropology, and is a required course for anthropology majors. Similarly, ATH 2200 (Introduction to Archaeology) is required and satisfies one of the Core Element 5 courses you need to take, and ATH 2100 (Introduction to Biological Anthropology) is required and satisfies one of the Core Element 6 courses you need to take. One exception should be noted: if you were in nursing before switching your major to anthropology you may have taken ATH 2500, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology for Health Care Professionals. That course would satisfy the CST 2410 requirement.
Tips for Successful Completion of the Crime and Justice Studies (CJS) Major
- Meet with your CJS faculty advisor regularly. Advisors help prevent you from taking unnecessary courses and make sure the courses you take are counted in ways that best facilitate your progress towards graduation. They will also direct you to important university resources. They are here to help make sure you make the most of your Wright State experience. Call 937-775-2582 for information about scheduling an appointment.
- Our curriculum offers you a strong foundation of core CJS courses while at the same time allowing you the opportunity for great flexibility and specialization within the program. Therefore, you will typically have two or more course choices that can be used to fulfill each of our program requirements. For example, you can take the required discipline overview course in the CJS core through political science (PLS 4420) or sociology (SOC 3710) or urban affairs and geography (URS 4280).
- Not all courses are offered every semester, so it is a good idea to get critical courses (e.g. your CJS core courses) completed before your senior year.
- Do not wait too long to take your COLA language requirement. The courses are sequenced and the sequence begins in the fall. So, if you get off track, it can be difficult to complete. For those interested in Spanish, Spanish 2110 and 2120 Spanish for Law Enforcement Personnel, are targeted for CJS majors and will substitute for the final two courses in the Spanish sequence (SPN 2010 and 2020). SPN 2110 will be offered fall semester only; SPN 2120 will be offered spring semester.
- An internship in a criminal-justice related occupation is part of our core requirements. We generally recommend that you have completed a minimum of 15 hours in the major before taking the internship. Internships must be secured through one of our three core courses (PLS 4821, SOC 3000, or URS 4950) and you must begin the scheduling process at least two terms in advance. Federal internship planning should begin a year in advance. Detailed information about this process can be found on our Internship webpage. CJS minors are not required to complete an internship.
NOTE: Background checks and drug/alcohol screenings will typically be required for placement. Given how strictly agencies screen applicants, if you have a previous record or dependency, discuss this with your advisor so that alternate arrangements can be made. (See details on our web page.)
- In the semester prior to your graduation date (e.g. fall semester for spring graduation), you need to make an appointment to meet with the program director, Dr. Lahm (karen.lahm@wright.edu) to conduct a graduation check and exit interview. Once approved, the College of Liberal Arts advisor will enable you to electronically apply for graduation.
- Portfolio requirement: As part of our internal program assessment, we ask that you turn in copies of your term papers from three of your five CJS classes to the department before you graduate (SOC 3410 should be one of these three). CJS minors not applicable.
- Email listing: This is the central communication tool that uses your Wright State email address. The program director, through the administrative support coordinator, sends emails about course listings, class availability, internship information, and job postings. As a new student, you will receive several Wright State emails, so be sure to check your Wright State email regularly so you do not miss any important information. These will be sent to you by crime-justice@wright.edu.
