Criminal & Social Justice

The Criminal & Social Justice major at the University of St. Francis offers students an exciting alternative to a traditional criminal justice program offering a broad scope of academic preparation, thus greater career mobility. In addition to a solid core of criminal justice courses, students will have an opportunity to build a concentration in one of several specializations.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

The Criminal & Social Justice major will educate students in the structure and process of the criminal justice system with a holistic Catholic Franciscan social justice perspective. This program seeks to:

  • Provide students with a broad liberal arts foundation challenged by Franciscan values and charism, engaged in a continuous pursuit of knowledge, faith, wisdom, and justice, and ever mindful of a tradition that emphasizes reverence for creation, compassion, and peacemaking.
  • Provide a social justice perspective on criminal justice through the exploration and understanding of societal issues that lead to criminal behavior.
  • Teach students theoretical and practical knowledge of the structures, processes, and functions of the criminal justice institutions and their relationship to other social systems.
  • Provide students the opportunity to explore an area of Criminal & Social Justice in depth through concentration options.
  • Incorporate the following skills and attitudes into the curriculum as identified by law enforcement professionals:
    • Ethics and integrity
    • Cultural diversity and tolerance
    • Public service and community leadership
    • Interpersonal communication and conflict resolution
    • Strong writing skills
    • Provide students with the opportunity for experiential learning including service learning, internships, and research.
    • Prepare students to contribute to society through service and leadership as criminal and social justice professionals.
    • Graduate students who have an awareness and appreciation of diversity including differences and similarities of culture, race, ethics, norms and values.