Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Criminal Justice Administration

Students must take 6 credits of communications choice courses. Students can choose the remaining six credits from any level communications choice course.

Students must take 18 additional credits and should look for classes labeled ACC, BUS, COM, LGS, MTH, or TEC. Any course not fulfilling another degree requirement may be used. Alternatively, a non-communications minor may be declared to meet this requirement.

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Criminal Justice Administration will prepare students to meet the growing demand for college educated criminal justice practitioners in the public or private sector. This academically rigorous program is designed to provide graduates with a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system, relevant bodies of law, and specialty subject matter consistent with each student’s unique career ambitions. With due appreciation for the individual interests of program graduates, this degree program allows students to select choice classes most consistently aligned with their personal interests and professional goals. This eclectic approach enables students to design a customized educational experience. Empowered with ability to either focus or diversify choice classes, students enjoy the opportunity to either generalize or specialize their studies.

A personal and professional background investigation is a required component of virtually all federal, state, and local agencies offering internships or employment to graduates of Criminal Justice degree programs.

Only those persons who are capable of passing a governmental background investigation and would otherwise be eligible for a governmental security clearance should consider enrolling in a Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Administration, or Homeland Security Management degree program.

Individuals who enter these degree programs with a disqualifying personal or professional history or for those who engage in a disqualifying activity while attending Central Penn may be precluded from obtaining an internship or employment in the career field after graduation.

• Analyze and apply key management concepts, appropriate professional manner, and ethical conduct to all aspects of the federal, state, local, or tribal agencies within the criminal justice system. • Demonstrate written, interpersonal communication, organizational, and technological skills that apply to problem-solving ability in the work environment.

• Demonstrate the appropriate human resource and employment practices and correlate these concepts with the learned criminal justice techniques applicable to diversified work environments. • Develop, organize, and manage various projects concentrating on crime prevention, asset protection, loss avoidance, investigative strategies, offender rehabilitation, and crisis management. • Demonstrate competence in devising policies and procedures for the director of a criminal justice organization or the director of security in a large organization. • Exhibit knowledge of relevant bodies of criminal and civil law, crime prevention strategies, critical incident response protocols, police-community relations, and professional ethics.

Students are required to take 42 credit hours of general education coursework within a bachelor’s degree program. These 42 credit hours come from 27 credits of Foundation courses, 12 credits within a declared intersection, and 3 credits of experiential learning. The following are directed general education courses required for the bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice administration.

Scientific Reasoning (must take the following) PSY100 Psychology

Global Citizenship (must take the following) GEO105 Global Geology

In addition to the 42 credits of general education coursework, students are required to take a core group of courses and open electives associated with their major to total 120 credits.

CRI100 Criminal Justice CRI135 Introduction to Corrections CRI225 Juvenile Justice: Alternatives to Incarceration CRI236 Ethics in Criminal Justice System CRI245 Criminal Investigation CRI285 Societal Changes in Victimology CRI310 Criminal Profiling: Policy and Practice CRI312 Investigative Report Writing CRI321 Police Operations CRI365 Cyber Investigations CRI375 Terrorism CRI380 Psychology of the Criminal CRI395 Essential Criminal Justice Research CRI436 Security Management CRI445 Probation and Parole Casework LGL260/LGS170 Criminal Procedure LGL250/LGS210 Evidence LGL130/LGS265 Criminal Law MTH200 Statistics INT499 Bachelor Degree Internship or IDS490 Bachelor Degree Capstone