This program offers a curriculum designed specifically to meet the needs of future criminal justice professionals. The curriculum combines theory, research, and data analysis related to crime and criminal justice. Students majoring in criminal justice will be prepared generally for careers in law enforcement, the court system, and corrections. The major consists of 42 credit hours of coursework. Students are encouraged to complement the major with a minor in sociology, social work, psychology, or cybersecurity.
Mission Statement
The Department of Social Work is called to ‘serve the dear neighbor without distinction,” according to the mission and heritage of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. We prepare students to become ethical professionals who are committed to social justice as they serve and empower individuals, families, and communities.
The Criminal Justice (CJ) major holds those values dear as we educate students to be informed and knowledgeable practitioners. Our mission is to provide a broad-based curriculum built on behavioral science and grounded in theory, research, and data analysis with an emphasis on diversity and human relations. Amidst the challenges of modern society, students completing the CJ major will espouse the Catholic Social Teaching principle that “the dignity of each human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.” Within this framework, graduates of the program will develop mindfulness of the inequities that exist within the criminal justice system and develop skills necessary to be agents of change.
