Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Online

This online degree program is designed to help law enforcement professionals complete their degrees quickly by offering accelerated courses and Police Training Academy credit (known as TCOLE credit) for academic credit. As a graduate of this program, your future career paths include law enforcement administration, national security, forensics and law.

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Start Date:

12/29/20
1/19/21
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Program Overview

$273**
Per Credit Hour
as few as 48 months
Program Duration
120*
Credit Hours

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online is designed to help law enforcement professionals complete their degrees quickly by offering accelerated courses and providing opportunities to transfer work experience and training as academic credit. As a graduate of this program, your future career paths include law enforcement administration, national security, forensics and law.

You will gain real-life, hands-on experience, as multiple internship opportunities, throughout the online criminal justice bachelor's degree program. We also strive to provide you with individualized academic support throughout the entire degree program to ensure your successful degree completion and to fully prepare you for the law enforcement career you choose.

"Top Ten Reasons to Enroll in Online Undergraduate Programs"

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Program Advantages:

  • Multiple start dates
  • Accelerated 8- and 15-week course formats
  • Flexibility to balance professional and personal goals

Program Advantages:

  • Multiple start dates
  • Accelerated 8- and 15-week course formats
  • Flexibility to balance professional and personal goals
Have questions or need more information about Lamar University’s online programs?
Request Info

Tuition

The following is the tuition breakdown for students pursuing Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Our tuition is affordable, and can be paid by the course.

$273 Per Credit Hour. Price includes distance learning fee.

Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice due to action by the Board of Regents or the Texas State Legislature.

Total program cost depends upon transfer hours and program advisement relevant to program requirements. For more information, contact a Lamar University enrollment specialist .

Financial Aid

Ready to get started on your degree program online but need help finding ways to fund your education? We can help you discover student financing sources that include grants, loans and other payment options. Learn more about financial aid here.

  • Exemption for Peace Officers Enrolled in Law Enforcement or Criminal Justice Courses. The Peace Officer Tuition Exemption Program covers tuition and lab fees for eligible courses. Note that courses not directly related to law enforcement or criminal justice are not eligible for reimbursement, although they may be required for degree completion. Proof of employment as a paid officer must be provided to the Office of Student Financial Aid. For more information, see Criminal Justice Program FAQs.

"My teaching career began in 2013 as a result of a last minute phone call from a friend at the University. I thought I would do it for one semester, but I fell in love with teaching and the interaction with all of the students."

Melissa Baldo, J.D. — Instructor

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Calendar

Our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online program features multiple start dates to accommodate your busy schedule. Find the start date that works best for you and apply before the application deadline associated with it.

Upcoming Start Dates:

Apply by:12/29/20
Start Class:1/19/21
View full calendar

8 week coursesProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Fall 108/18/202007/28/202008/04/202008/11/202010/12/2020
Fall 210/13/202009/22/202009/29/202010/06/202012/07/2020
Spring I01/19/202112/29/202001/11/202105/11/2021
Spring II03/23/202103/02/202103/16/202105/11/2021

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online?
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Admissions

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online program has specific requirements that applicants must meet to enroll. Please read the admission guidelines to ensure you qualify.

Online Application

Submit your application and one-time $25 application fee online.

Official Transcripts*

Submit transcripts from all colleges/universities you have attended.

View Admission Requirements
  • Complete online application and pay a one-time application fee of $25
  • Official transcripts from all schools attended. Official transcripts are sent from a regionally or nationally accredited institution.
  • Verify specific requirements associated with chosen degree program

High school graduates who have not attended college before are considered entering freshmen—even if they received college credit while in high school through dual credit, AP or IB programs. Transfer students with fewer than 18 hours of college credit also must meet admission requirements for entering freshmen.

Incoming freshmen must do three things to qualify for unconditional admission to Lamar University:

  • Receive a diploma from an accredited high school
  • Complete at least 14 high school credits in college preparatory courses: 4 credits in English, 3 credits in mathematics, 2 credits in laboratory sciences, 2.5 credits in social sciences (U.S. history, U.S. government, and world history or world geography) and 2.5 credits in college preparatory electives (preferably including 2 credits of foreign language)
  • Graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class or achieve a minimum composite score on the SAT or ACT

Applicants for the BSCJ program must meet the university's standard requirements for admission.

Send all required documents to:

Lamar University Online Admissions
Office of Admissions
LUAP-Attention (BCJ)
PO Box 10009
Beaumont, TX 77710

OR

Submit electronically to [email protected]

Courses

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online program provides certified peace officers the opportunity to transfer up to nine academic credits gained during their officer training toward their degree. Additionally Texas municipal, county or state peace officers may be eligible for the Peace Officer Tuition Exemption. Call an enrollment specialist for details.

Expand All
8-week and 15-week formats
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Concepts of financial accounting. Emphasis is on the conceptual framework of accounting and the preparation and uses of financial statements. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing strongly recommended.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introductory course emphasizing the understanding and appreciation of visual arts (painting, sculpture, and architecture).
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Survey course emphasizing interaction of business with its external and internal environments. Introduction to public policy process and issues with focus on ethical and moral considerations.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Mathematics-based review of chemical laws and theory for science, engineering and preprofessional majors.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 4
A continuation of CHEM 1411. Properties of the elements. Elementary qualitative analysis and theories of solutions and equilibrium.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses upon the nature of electronic information processes and their impact upon the emerging global culture, introduces the concept of psychological/mythic meaning in media and facilitates the reading of film and television images on both semiotic and symbolic levels. Majors should complete this course during their freshman year. (Fall 2, Spring 2)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Principles and practices of public speaking.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Principles and practices of interpersonal communication in various settings. Majors should complete this course during their freshman year. (Fall 1, Summer)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introductory survey of the field. Includes major methodologies and theories as well as a historical perspective. Career options also are explored. Majors should complete this course during their freshman year. (Spring 1)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Covers all styles of writing for A/V, audio, television, film documentary, advertising, news, etc. Majors should enroll in this course in the semester immediately following successful completion of ENGL 1301. Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 with 'C' or better. (Fall 2, Summer)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An overview of the field of advertising, examines the economic, social, legal, ethical and creative nature of advertising. Prerequisite: COMM 1373 or approval of instructor (Fall 2)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces the fundamental concepts of structured programming. Topics include software development methodology, data types, control structures, functions, arrays, and the mechanics of running, testing and debugging. This course assumes computer literacy.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
History and philosophy of criminal justice and ethical considerations; crime defined; its nature and impact; overview of criminal justice system; law enforcement; court system; prosecution and defense; trial process; corrections.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The judiciary in the criminal justice system; structure of the American court system; prosecution; right to counsel; pre-trial release; grand juries; adjudication process; types and rules of evidence; sentencing.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Corrections in the criminal justice system; organization of correctional systems; correctional role; institutional operations; alternatives to institutionalization; treatment and rehabilitation; current and future issues.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Investigative theory; collection and preservation of evidence; sources of information; interview and interrogation; sues of forensic sciences, case and trail preparation.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The police profession; organization of law enforcement systems; the police role; police discretion; ethics; police-community interaction; current and future issues.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Comprehensive introduction to economic principles and problems for non-business students. Resource utilization; price determination; distribution of income; fiscal and monetary problems; economic growth.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Emphasizes monetary theory; national income analysis; fluctuation and growth; public finance; international trade; and current economic problems.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Basic forms of expository writing. Frequent themes. Collateral reading in articles and essays of a factual and informative type.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Forms of expository and analytical writing. Topics from composition suggested from wide reading in at least two of the three genres: prose fiction, poetry, and drama. Research paper required.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The study of six to ten works of British literature dating from its Anglo-Saxon origins to the present.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Six to ten major works of American literature, including both the 19th and 20th centuries.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to nutrition including functions, sources, characteristics and recommended intake of nutrients; digestion; absorption and metabolism; special needs during various phases of the life cycle; diet therapy and patient assessment, education, and counseling.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Regional, national, and continental units considered from the viewpoint of economic resources, resource development, organization, politics, economy, and physical landscape.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
United States history from the revolutionary period through reconstruction.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
United States history from the post-reconstruction period to the present.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Texas history from the beginning to the present time.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, determinants, matrices, systems of equations, binomial theorem, exponential and logarithmic functions, theory of equations.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to calculus. The derivative, the applications of the derivative, techniques of differentiation, exponential and natural logarithmic functions, an introduction to integral calculus.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Non-calculus based introduction to statistics, statistical measures of data, statistical description of data, elementary probability, random variables, binomial and normal distributions, estimation, testing hypotheses.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Intensive review of algebra, trigonometry and analytic geometry.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Computers are an integral part of all business activities and careers. This course is designed to introduce potential business majors to the understanding of the roles of computers in business information systems and to learn the basic skills of business software which are essential to support business activities. Students will obtain valuable information, technology knowledge and skills needed in all areas of business. Students will be introduced to the history of computing; components of a personal computer; word processing application software, spreadsheets, databases, presentation graphics, email Internet tools. In addition, students will be introduced to basic business transactions using SAP enterprise resource planning software.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Survey of music for non-music students. Covers the major style periods from the Renaissance to the present with emphasis on the development of basic listening skills and critical thinking. Requires attendance at instructor-specified recitals or concerts.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A survey of major knowledge systems with an emphasis on the scientific and humanistic methods of inquiry.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The national and Texas constitutions; federalism; political socialization and participation; public opinion and interest groups; parties, voting, and elections.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The legislative, executive, and judicial branches and the bureaucracy; policy formulation and implementation including civil rights and civil liberties, domestic and foreign policies.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introductory survey of the major areas of psychology such as learning, personality, social, testing, developmental and physiological. Emphasis is on psychology as the scientific study of behavior and includes both human and animal behavior.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Emphasizes major aspects of psychological development through the life span. Aspects of development examined in the course will include cognitive, physical, social, moral, linguistic, and emotional change through childhood, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood. Areas of focus include psychosocial, biological, and physical influences on psychological development. Normal processes of child and adult psychological development will be emphasized.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An overview of major subjects in sociology, including sociological perspective, culture, social interaction, social stratification, gender, race and ethnicity, social groups, organizations, family, religion, population, urbanization and social changes.
8-week format
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 1
Students are guided in the development of an outcome-based learning narrative which allows them the opportunity to translate knowledge and skills obtained through life and work experiences into academic credit.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Required of all students who pursue completion of the BAAS degree program. This course lays the foundation for the program of study by investigating current issues in the philosophy of higher education, namely: establishing academic, personal, and professional goals for degree completion; introducing students to the portfolio process; and helping students to improve their abilities to think critically and to communicate more effectively.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course completes the assessment of the personal, educational, and professional goals and outcomes set forth in AASC 3301.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to the quantitative methods of analysis as applied to business problems. Topics of study include collection of data, statistical description, probability theory, probability distribution, sampling theory, estimation, and introduction to test of hypothesis.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A survey of the legal environment and its impact upon business. Nature and sources of law, administrative and enforcement agencies, and governmental regulations. Students become aware of the legal framework of common business transactions.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Focuses on the use of computer technology to set type, designs pages, and create camera-ready copy for newsletters, brochure, advertisements, and other publications. Prerequisite: COMM 1373 or approval of instructor. (Spring 2)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Study of the theories and concepts of the use of communication, including all available media in the American political system. Emphasis will be given to analysis of campaigns, movements, and political personalities. (Fall 1)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Selected topics in major areas of media production (journalism, radio, television, film). May be repeated for credit when topic varies. (Fall 1, Spring 2 and Summer)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An exploration of Web 2.0 technologies such as social networks, blogs, wikis, and podcasts. Basic video, audio, and photo editing are also included in the course. Activities consist of quizzes, discussions, and a portfolio project.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The objective of the course is to guide the student through the game design process. This course instills within the student the knowledge and creative perspective to create a game or other interactive software on a computer. The students will understand the ease of which games can be created. The student will also explore popular game development software and the game design process.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course provides both an overview of cyber crime and security and guidelines for protecting systems from attack. Students will learn how to safeguarded information, how to find the vulnerabilities within a system, and how to take the appropriate steps to ensure that these systems and data are safe.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students will learn and apply the most important topics within HTML, XHTML, and Cascading Style Sheets for creating professional looking web sites. First, students will learn to apply XHTML to generate web pages and how to create hyperlinks in order to navigate documents on the web. Next, they will learn to use CSS in order to apply formatting across multiples pages. Lastly, the will explore using formatting and layouts, including such components and tables and forms.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The objective of this course is to teach students to solve advanced problems using the most readily available off-the-shelf general applications software: word processing, spreadsheet, database system, e-mail applications, presentation applications, and web site builders. The course instills within the student the knowledge and creative perspective to solve real-world problems with office applications.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is a course for students from all disciplines interested in learning the foundational concepts and basic techniques in digital media production. Topic areas: capturing and editing digital images, capturing and editing digital audio, capturing and editing digital video and interactive multimedia. The course will consist of project based assignments, quizzes and a portfolio project to showcase student work. Web cam and microphone required.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Ethical considerations for computer educators and computer scientists, and computer related security and privacy issues. Copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret issues, venture capitalists, tax issues, computer torts, deceptive trade practices, computer crime, contrast issues, constitutional issues and international trade considerations.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Description: This course will build on the fundamentals of HTML and CSS to help students create dynamic and engaging websites. The course will cover the standards associated with web technologies including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, including how to implement these technologies in applicable "real-world" situations. Since this is a project-based course, it will require several hours of focused work each week. A firm understanding of HTML and CSS basics is preferred.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
American crime problems in historical perspective; social and public policy factors affecting crime, impact, and crime trends; liberal and conservative views of the crime problem and policy implications; crime prevention.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An examination of selected ethical issues and problems confronting criminal justice professionals.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An examination of the typologies of criminal behavior. Psychological issues related to criminality and deviance will be presented. Topics include offender motivation, psychopathy, serial murder, sex offenders and career criminals.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An in-depth view of the social structure and organizational factors leading to the development of organized criminal activities in the United Sates and other selected countries.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In-depth overview of current and comprehensive perspectives that investigate major topics, theories, and controversies within the field of criminal violence and victimization. Types of violence from a historical and empirical perspective are introduced and used to identify and delineate patterns, causes, and prevention of violent behavior. Social structure and culture are linked to violence and examined in the context of individuals, groups and societies. Emphasis is placed on the social control of violence.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice: Current topics in criminal justice. May be repeated for credit when topic is varied.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An examination of crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system using critical analysis of recently published materials as sources for research, discussion, and student seminar.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A focal study of jails and prisons. Topics include inmate management, jail administration, prison gangs, emergency procedures, correctional design, and special populations. Low, medium, high, and supermax prisons will be examined.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Advanced analysis of major contemporary police problems from various perspectives. Examination of current issues in policing.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Supervised preparation of technical and scientific reports according to standard usage recommended by professional scientific and engineering societies.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Literature about or for children and adolescents and the special features and concerns of the genre.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A workshop approach to the writing of poetry, fiction, and drama. May be taken for credit more than once when the genre focus varies.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The technique of the short story; its historical development; study and analysis of great short stories.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Exploring literary form through the study of selected African-American writers in order to understand the African-American search for identity.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Dramatic trends and representative plays dating from early to late modernism, including critically acclaimed masterpieces by Georg Büchner, Anton Chekhov, Federico Garcia Lorca, Tennessee Williams, Tom Stoppard, and August Wilson.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Exploring definitions of science fiction (SF), allowing students an opportunity to learn about the development of SF from its beginnings to the present day. Students will read, analyze, and discuss classic SF short stories, and each student will present to the professor and the class a literary analysis of an SF novel chosen from a list of outstanding works.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Consumer principles and rational decision-making skills for coping with consumer issues affecting families and individuals.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the essentials of what individuals need to survive and to elevate their quality of life. Students apply theories through case studies and self-evaluations that analyze symbiotic relationships with people groups spanning the continuum from the immediate family to the global community. Students gain an understanding of developmental, ethical, cultural, economic, environmental and political factors that enhance and inhibit satisfaction of human needs.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Geographical Terrorism examines how geography plays a significant role in the development of terrorism, as well as its success and failures. The course also explores definitions, root causes, current counterterrorist policies, and weapons of mass destruction.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Geography of the Middle East and North Africa is a comprehensive study of the region, as it pertains to physical and cultural geography, history, economics, and geopolitical issues. Through the course, students will: understand the geography, climates, and peoples of the Middle East and North Africa; recognize the importance of Islam as a way of life and explore its relationship with Judaism and Christianity; appreciate the impact of petroleum on the region; and recognize the major political and economic conflicts in this area in regard to the root causes of terrorism.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In-depth study of the dynamic earth processes that affect people throughout their lives. Designed for non-science majors, the course will particularly benefit those who choose to go into engineering, emergency management, or government policymaking and are challenged to make educated choices about where to build houses, businesses, offices or engineering projects to prevent future loss of life and property.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Description forthcoming.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Includes the study of organization behavior concepts such as leadership, motivation, individual behavior, group behavior and communication. Their use in U.S. and multinational organizations in management practice is examined in the context of today’s legal, social, and ethical environment.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A description and analysis of business activities designed to plan price, promote and distribute products and services to customers. Topics studies include: the marketing environment, consumer buying habits and motive, types of middlemen, marketing institutions and channels, governmental regulations, advertising and current marketing practices.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The theory and structure of the American court system; its personal and decision making-processes; the judicial process in the setting of the American criminal justice system.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The concepts underlying the Western State system; nationalism and imperialism; the techniques and instruments of power politics and the foreign policies of selected states.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Political institutions, political processes, and the public policies of western democracies.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Investigation of psychological basis of interpersonal behavior. Emphasis is on the study of individual experience and behavior in relation to the social environment, and how individual behavior both affects and is affected by social interaction.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This class critically examines traditional and contemporary families including controversies regarding single-parent families, alternative lifestyles, "working women," reproductive rights, "father's rights," and their public policy implications.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The objective of this course is to enable the student to examine deviance with a broader perspective and understanding. Theories of deviance, types of deviance, and the inequality inherent in the imposition of the deviant label.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An overview of the criminological theories regarding juvenile offending and the juvenile justice system. Attention is given to the history, development, and roles of theoretical positions and practices in the areas of juvenile delinquency.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Focuses on a selected topic of contemporary concern and significance in sociology. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course explores various sociological perspectives to integrate material on race-ethnicity, gender, class and sexual orientation on contemporary diverse families. This course will focus on the family issue from comparitive point of view. Historical and cross-cultural study will be explored to understand the impact on family across culture and time.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Philosophy and methods of social research, including research design, methods of data collection, data analysis and uses other sources of social data. Qualitative and quantitative techniques of inference, analysis and research writing. Prerequisites: SOCI 1301, PSYC 2471 or MATH 1342.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Development of social theory from the perspectives of early thinkers, such as Comte, Spencer, Durkheim, Weber and Marx to contemporary schools of functionalism, conflict, interactionalism, feminism, exchange and postmodern theory. Prerequisite: SOCI 1301 and 6 credit hours of sociology advanced course.

*120 credit hours: 42 core curriculum, 27 lower level electives, 45 advanced electives.

**Price includes distance learning fee.

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