FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why a B.A. in Criminal Justice?
Criminal Justice is a major if:
- You want to work within the field of criminal justice
- You enjoy observing and analyzing information
- You work with community groups and organizations
- You volunteer in community-based programs
- You like to examine law-related issues
The criminal justice major is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary course of study that includes the study of police, criminal law, the courts, corrections, including community-based programs, and causes of crime and delinquency. Students can complement their classroom experiences with internships, service-learning, court and prison tours, and participation in the Criminal Justice Club. New Jersey’s innovative programs foster numerous challenges for criminal justice majors who want to make a contribution toward justice and public safety.
What skills do students majoring in criminal justice develop?
- Strong knowledge of the law and legal procedures
- Critical thinking
- Research and analytical skills
- Effective written and oral communications skills
- Critical approaches to ensure public safety, crime prevention, and community relations
- Critical approaches to supervise offenders
- Other opportunities: crime analysis, victim services, offender counseling, and support services for criminal justice agencies.
What are the career opportunities for students with a criminal justice degree?
Criminal justice graduates may be employed by local, state, and federal government agencies; non-profit organizations; and private industry. Some examples of possible career opportunities include:
- Correctional officers charged with the safety and security of jails and prisons
- Police officers who ensure public safety, crime prevention and community relations
- Probation and parole officers who supervise offenders
- Other opportunities: crime analysis, victim services, offender counseling, and support services for criminal justice agencies
What do criminal justice majors learn?
The criminal justice major provides students with an overview of the criminal justice system and exposure to its numerous facets including:
- Law and law-related topics
- Corrections
- Probation and parole
- Policing
- Judicial process
- Community-based alternatives to incarceration
- Juvenile justice
- Comparative criminal justice systems, and
- Topical issues in criminal justice that include white-collar crime, drugs, violent crimes, women and crime, victimology, bias crimes, crime analysis and mapping, and capital punishment
The program offers experiential opportunities through service learning, internships, guest lecturers and class trips (police agencies, courts, and correctional facilities). The challenging curriculum provides the student with a solid academic foundation and specialized criminal justice courses