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Introduction to the Department
of Criminal Justice
Criminal justice is
the study of the causes, consequences and control
of crime. Like other new and developing fields, criminal
justice is difficult to define as it draws from a
number of different disciplines, including psychology,
public administration, philosophy, political science,
sociology and law.
The program leading to the Bachelor
of Arts in Criminal Justice is designed to acquaint
pre-service and in-service students with the principles
and practices of criminal justice in America. Although
the department’s curriculum allows for the
development of depth in one of the subject’s
substantive subsystems (i.e., law enforcement, courts
or corrections), the overriding objective is to familiarize
students with activities in all the above areas.
The department is both academic and
professional in that it is an interdisciplinary attempt
to relate intellectual issues and practitioner perspectives
to the challenge of crime in a free society. In this
regard, the department provides preparation for employment
with a related agency and/or further study (e.g.,
law school).
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