Criminal Justice Major and Learning Outcomes

Criminal Justice Major Mission Statement

The mission of the criminal justice major is to educate students about the criminal justice system and its impact on society; prepare students to contribute to society; encourage and nurture intellectual curiosity, communication skills, and scholarship; and prepare students for employment opportunities, graduate school, or law school. Grounded in the social sciences, the criminal justice program follows the philosophy of Christian humanism as developed by Saint Francis de Sales and respects liberal values, encourages open-mindedness, and pursues both demographic and curricular diversity.

Criminal Justice Major Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate from DeSales University with a major in criminal justice will be able to:

1. understand key concepts related to the criminal justice system;
2. demonstrate competency in identifying and defining the elements of a criminal offense;
3. understand, research, and write about findings concerning significant issues in the criminal justice field;
4. demonstrate competency in criminological theory and its applicability to society; and
5. understand issues related to diversity and ethics in criminal justice practices.

The criminal justice program offers courses designed to inform the student about the criminal justice system and its impact on society; to prepare students to be contributors in society; to encourage and promote intellectual curiosity, scholarship, and communication skills; and to prepare the student for employment opportunities, for graduate school, or for law school.