Criminal Justice
Program Overview
In keeping with the mission and values of the College of Saint Elizabeth, the Criminal Justice Program provides students with the scholarship and skill proficiency necessary to be successful working in key aspects of the legal and criminal justice systems including victim advocacy, or to pursue graduate study in these areas.
The Criminal Justice major is a multidisciplinary program that draws on the strong liberal arts tradition of the College. The program aims to provide students with a broad but intensive understanding and appreciation of the important social, ethical, political, and cultural issues pertinent to criminal justice and the law. The program is carefully designed to meet the needs and expectations of both full-time and part-time students, as well as professionals working in the criminal justice field who want to continue and/or update their studies.
Outcomes
Undergraduate
- Students will demonstrate a proficiency in critical reading, thinking, and listening skills.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of, and be able to apply, fundamental United States Constitutional principles of law.
- Students will be able to describe the complex nature of law and the criminal justice system.
- Students will be able to describe and evaluate the relationship between philosophy, theory, policy, and practice in the criminal justice system.
- Students will be able to collect and interpret information on relevant topics concerning the justice system, as well as applying recognized techniques of analysis to research questions.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the roles, functions, and limitations of corrections in the criminal justice system.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ethical concerns in the field of Criminal Justice.
- Students will be able to evaluate the validity of theories of victimization and recognize the impact of crime.
- Student will demonstrate an understanding of theories of leadership and supervision in the criminal justice profession.
Graduate
A graduate of the Master of Arts Program in Justice Studies will be able to:
- Design research projects pertaining to moral, ethical, and social justice issues related to public safety and security.
- Apply acquired knowledge of crime and public-safety problems by devising detailed, appropriate team-developed responses and resolutions.
- Construct model policies and action plans that test, evaluate, and respond to current problems pertinent to community safety and security.
- Successfully complete complex academic assignments, utilizing databases and primary source material, about topics relating to public safety administration and security.
Graduates
Students graduating with a degree in Justice Studies are furnished with the ability and the capacity to succeed in the Criminal Justice and related fields. Students are prepared for advanced educational pursuits in graduate and professional institutions. The graduates of CSE's Justice Studies Program work in a variety of fields. These include:
- Business security
- Corrections
- Law enforcement
- Parole
- Practice of law
- Probation
- Victim and child advocacy