Undergraduate Program

Criminal Justice is an interdisciplinary field that draws on the social sciences, legal studies, and the humanities.  Teaching and research are carried out by a diverse group of scholars trained in criminal justice and criminology, law, history, political science, anthropology, sociology, geography, and psychology.

The Department of Criminal Justice provides students with a liberal arts education to assist them in understanding problems of crime, law, and social control systems.  The Department focuses on social norms, rules, and laws; the causes of their violations; and the social and legal response to these violations.  Systems of regulation, including the criminal justice system and dispute resolution processes, are studied and evaluated as organizational, social and cultural processes.    

The undergraduate program allows students pursuing a major, minor or certificated to establish a solid foundation in the discipline of criminal justice through exposure to theories of crime and deviance, broad perspectives on the criminal justice system, and alternative social control systems.  The undergraduate program also provides an excellent opportunity for students to pursue personal interests in criminal justice through a wide variety of elective courses.  The degree is designed for students interested in studying justice-related issues, including law.  A background in criminal justice provides an excellent foundation for careers and graduate work in law, social work, journalism, government, research, or community service as well as many other areas that seek experience in liberal arts.