With more than 250 majors, criminal justice is one of the largest programs on campus. The degree requires 51 credit hours including foundation courses outside of the program, core courses, and electives. Students have an assigned advisor to assist them. The Program is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The criminal justice field is interdisciplinary, drawing knowledge from many areas. The degree prepares students for entry level positions in a wide variety of criminal justice and social service agencies and for graduate study in many fields. For example students may pursue careers with the federal government including: Federal Bureau of Prisons case manager; Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms inspector; customs inspector; deputy U.S. marshal; Drug Enforcement Agency officer; Fish and Wildlife Service agent; Immigration and Naturalization officer; Internal Revenue investigator; Postal Service Inspector; and Secret Service agent. Careers in state and municipal law enforcement include deputy sheriff, state police, and municipal police officer. Careers in the court system include the following: bailiff; court administrator; pretrial services; research analyst; victim services specialist. Criminal Justice graduates interested in corrections might be employed in the following positions: corrections counselor; corrections officer; parole officer; pre-release officer; half-way house manager; probation officer; crisis counselor; and runaway/juvenile services counselor. There also are a variety of jobs in private security including investigators and protective services specialist. Thus, a criminal justice major has a wide variety of careers available in a field where there are many job opportunities.
Specific courses in the current catalog can be found in the University Catalog.
