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Admissions Requirements and Eligibility
The University of Justice maintains stringent admissions standards to ensure candidates possess the academic readiness to handle the program’s rigor.
Eligibility Requirements:
GPA Standards: A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Grade Thresholds: All lower-division prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
Application Materials: Official transcripts, a completed USJ application and two formal letters of reference (preferably from science instructors or employers).
Interview: A personal interview with program faculty is required to assess professional alignment and communication skills.
PRE-REQUISITES
COLLEGE ALGEBRA I ----------------------------------MATH 1301
ENGLISH COMPOSITION I------------------------------------ENGL 1301
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I/LAB ---------------------------AMPH 2401
US HISTORY ONE--------------------------------------------HIST 1303
U.S GOVERNMENT---------------------------------------GOVT 2301
Total Credit hours---------------------------------------12HOURS Required Prerequisites
* BIOL 1306: Biology for Science Majors I & BIOL 1106: Biology for Science Majors Lab I
* BIOL 1307: Biology for Science Majors II & BIOL 1107: Biology for Science Majors Lab II
* ENGL 1301: First Year Writing I
* ENGL 1302: First Year Writing II
*CHEM 1311: Chemistry I & CHEM 1111: Chemistry I Lab
* CHEM 1312: Chemistry II & CHEM 1112: Chemistry II Lab
CHEM 2323: Organic Chemistry I & CHEM 2123: Organic Chemistry I Lab
* PHYS 1301: General Physics I & PHYS 1101: General Physics I Lab
* PHYS 1302: General Physics II & PHYS 1102: General Physics II Lab
* Core: HIST 1377-US History to 1877
BCHS 3304: Biochemistry*
CHEM 2325: Organic Chemistry II & CHEM 2125: Organic Chemistry II Lab
MATH 1342 or MATH 3339 or other Statistics*
Degree Plan
I. Introduction
The Mission: Define Thanatology as an interdisciplinary field (biology, psychology, sociology, and chemistry).
The Structure: Overview of the 42-class, 8-semester "Fast-Track" degree model.
Why This Path? How the heavy science prerequisite load prepares students for medical school, mortuary science, or forensic pathology careers.
II. The Foundation Years (Semesters 1-2)
Focus: Establishing the scientific rigor required for Thanatology.
Semester 1:
BIOL 1306/1106 (Biology I)
ENGL 1301 (Writing I)
AS 1301: Introduction to Thanatology
HIST 1377: US History to 1877
MATH 1342: Statistics
Semester 2:
BIOL 1307/1107 (Biology II)
ENGL 1302 (Writing II)
AS 1302: History of Death Rituals
CHEM 1311/1111 (Chemistry I)
AS 1401: Anatomy of Loss
III. The Intermediate Science & Theory Years (Semesters 3-4)
Focus: Organic chemistry and the sociological study of death.
Semester 3:
CHEM 1312/1112 (Chemistry II)
PHYS 1301/1101 (Physics I)
AS 2301: Grief Counseling Foundations
AS 2302: Death in Literature & Media
AS 2401: Ethics in Thanatology
Semester 4:
CHEM 2323/2123 (Organic Chemistry I)
PHYS 1302/1102 (Physics II)
AS 2305: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Mortality
AS 2306: Psychosocial Aspects of Hospice
AS 2402: Crisis Intervention
IV. The Specialized Advanced Years (Semesters 5-6)
Focus: High-level chemistry and clinical application.
Semester 5:
CHEM 2325/2125 (Organic Chemistry II)
BCHS 3304: Biochemistry
AS 3301: Forensic Thanatology
AS 3401: Pathology of the Human Body
AS 3302: Thanatological Research Methods
Semester 6:
AS 3303: Pediatric Grief and Loss
AS 3304: Suicide Prevention & Intervention
AS 3305: Legal Aspects of Death & Dying
AS 3402: Advanced Anatomy for Thanatologists
AS 3306: Religion and End-of-Life
V. Mastery and Capstone (Semesters 7-8)
Focus: Professional integration and senior field experience.
Semester 7:
AS 4301: Advanced Forensic Science
AS 4401: Seminar in Bereavement Support
AS 4302: Public Health and Mortality
AS 4303: Trauma-Informed Care
AS 4304: Death and Technology
Semester 8:
AS 4601: Thanatology Capstone/Thesis
AS 4402: Clinical Internship/Field Work
AS 4305: Palliative Care Leadership
AS 4306: Final Issues in Global Thanatology
AS 4307: Professional Development & Careers
VI. Tips for Success
Managing the Lab Load: Advice on balancing heavy lab courses (Chemistry/Physics) with social science reading loads.
The "AS" Advantage: Why this specific course numbering makes your transcript competitive for graduate schools.
Self-Care: The importance of mental health support for students studying death and trauma.
VII. Conclusion
The Outcome: Reflecting on the completed 42-class journey.
Call to Action: Encouragement to meet with academic advisors to verify transfer credits and lab sequences.
Quick Reference: Course ID Legend
AS Courses: Specific to the BS in Thanatology.
Prerequisites: Integrated into the plan to ensure all Science/Math/History core requirements are met by the end of Year 2.