More specifically, the major focuses on criminal law and behavior, criminal procedure, law enforcement, court administration, corrections, and probation and parole. Core courses provide a conceptual understanding of criminal justice institutions and processes, theories of crime and punishment, professional standards of conduct within the criminal justice professions, and legal and social science research methods. The program offers a major and minor designed to prepare students for graduate studies and for careers in criminal justice and allied fields. Rather than training individuals for a particular occupation through instruction in specific vocational skills, the program offers a broad, liberal education focused on the cultivation of analytical and creative thought and on the ability to read, write, and speak effectively. Students majoring in justice studies must earn at least a C in each course counted as part of the major.
Students select six courses, including one course from each of the following tracks.
JUS 499 may be repeated as topics vary. The associate degree in law enforcement promotes student understanding of criminal law and behavior, criminal procedure, and law enforcement theories and techniques within a diverse society. Rather than training individuals for a particular occupation through instruction in specific vocational skills, the program offers a broad, liberal education focused on the acquisition of substantive knowledge, the cultivation of analytical and creative thought, and the ability to read, write, and speak effectively. Students considering law careers may choose a legal studies minor or may simply wish to fulfill their requirement for an Area of Concentration by taking four upper division political science law courses. Such courses may well be helpful, however, in providing an understanding of the place of the law in society and a better basis for students to estimate their potential interest in law school.