Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Program is specifically designed to provide students with an understanding of the criminal justice system, the nature of crime, and the interactive roles of the individual and society in the commission, restraint, and prevention of crime. The Program offers an appreciation of the complexity of criminal justice and permits students the opportunity to understand fully the social, legal, and technological process in criminal justice agencies.

The major requires a variety of courses pertaining to the essential elements of criminal justice as well as a thorough comprehension of relevant theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches used to explore criminal behavior and its various permutations. It offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding deviant behavior and crime, the nature of law and social control, the organization and management of criminal justice agencies, and the use of research and evaluation for planned change in criminal justice.

The Program is designed for those who have an interest in understanding social issues associated with crime, the work performed by criminal justice professionals, and the impact public policy decisions have on the operation of the criminal justice system. The interdisciplinary nature of the course content enables graduates to pursue diverse career paths and assume positions of leadership in law enforcement, court administration, corrections, and academia.