Criminal Justice
Coordinator: Tara Parrello, Ph.D.
Phone: 845-848-4097
Fax: 845-359-8025
Email: tara.parrello@dc.edu
The Major in Criminal Justice 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 the society in the commission, restraint, and the prevention of crime.
- The 120 credit program may be completed in 4 years.
- In addition to the robust selection of elective and related courses, Criminal Justice Majors complete a full semester internship, gaining practical experience in a desired field or area of interest (internships have included the Public Defenders’ Office, the County Probation Office, local law enforcement stations and local women’s shelters).
- Students are also required to complete a Capstone Seminar (details below) in the senior year.
Why major in Criminal Justice?
There is an increasing demand for expertise in all aspects of criminal justice. The fully interdisciplinary Criminal Justice curriculum will prepare students for subsequent training and career choices in local, state, and federal law enforcement. The major also offers a strong foundation for students considering graduate work in law, public administration, and political science.
The Criminal Justice curriculum at Dominican College . . .
- Explores the history and development of law and criminal justice organizations
- Articulates the role of the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections) in the administration of justice in the United States and other countries.
- Recognizes trends in crime, criminal behavior, victimization, and terrorism and homeland security
- Identifies and compares traditional methods of prevention and treatment to current alternatives to incarceration
- Analyzes the wealth of criminological theories to comprehend the social, psychological and structural connections to deviance and criminality and to gauge the efficacy of programs oriented toward behavioral change
- Demonstrates a comprehensive foundation in methods, techniques, and principles related to the study and practice of criminal justice
- Identifies and compares international and cross-cultural approaches to crime and prevention
- Cultivates the skills necessary to access, interpret, assess and apply quantitative and qualitative criminal justice research
The program of study
- Basic Core Courses (21 credits)
Includes courses such as Introduction to Criminal Justice, Law and Society, Juvenile Justice, Internship and the Capstone Seminar
- Elective Courses (12 credits)
Includes courses such as Crime, Justice & Media, Domestic Violence and the Law, Forensic Psychology, Mental Health Law, Race in the Hood: Conflict, Violence & Urban Youth, and Terrorism and Homeland Security
- Related Courses (12 credits)
Includes courses such as Crime in Fiction, Deviance, Ethnic Group Interaction, Supreme Court and Constitution and Women & Politics.
- Capstone Seminar (3 credits)
This course is the culmination of the Bachelor of Arts program in Criminal Justice. Students will be expected to demonstrate significant competence in the field of criminal justice by preparing, presenting and submitting a research project on a self-selected, instructor-approved topic central to the field.
For more information please contact the Office of Admissions at (866)-4DC-INFO or admissions@dc.edu
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