Criminal Justice
Major Requirements

The purpose of the Criminal Justice program is to: 

1. Provide students with a thorough understanding of the social organization and administration of thecriminal justice system.  
2. Instruct students inqualitative and quantitative social science research, including basic introductory statistical concepts. 
3. Expose students tothe constitutional concepts of due process, equal protection, and fundamental fairness in policing, courts, and corrections. 
4. Guide students in comprehendinghow the role of ethics and moral reasoning throughout the criminal justice system 
5. Lead students thoughthe issues of diversity, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnic, cultural, and class issues, in the administration of criminal justice.
6. Demonstrateto students thewriting, research, communication, and computer literacy skills sufficient to enter into criminal justice and allied professional fields, or alternatively to pursue graduate studies in such fields and disciplines. 
7. Assist students in developingcritical reasoning skills to solve problems in selected areas of criminal justice. 
8. Have studentscompare and contrast traditional and contemporary theories of crime causation, and their implications for public policy. 
9. Develop in students the awareness of theimportance of the history, development, fundamental concepts, and current operation of our principal criminal justice institutions, their relationships to each other, and their relationships to the larger political and societal context. 

Learning Outcomes 

Students completing the criminal justice program will be able to: 

1. Identify the functions of the components and agents of the criminal justice system at the local, state, and national levels, and the legal statutes, court cases, and procedures that guide their operation.
2. Understand the theories of criminology that provide the foundation of the justice system.
3. Evaluate the positive and negative consequences of the exercise of discretionary power by each component and/or agent of the criminal justice system in an individualized system of justice.
4. Assess the effectiveness of the various criminal justice policies intended to prevent and control crime.
5. Distinguish disparities from discrimination regarding the application of criminal justice policies and the administration of justice in a multiracial and multiethnic global society.
6. Develop basic skills for quantitative and qualitative research design and data analysis.
7. Apply an ethical framework to reach judgments and sound decisions in recognizing injustices.
8. Understand the interplay between society and the criminal justice system, with emphasis on the social institutions, cultural norms and values, and the responses to other social problems that impact the criminal justice system.
9. Gain practical experience through an internship at a criminal justice or related agency.