Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Science
About this Program
Purpose
The purpose of the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice is to prepare students to enter or advance in jobs within the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, corrections, and the courts. Upon completion of the undergraduate program, some students may also consider graduate study in law or criminology (sociology). A certificate program in criminal justice is also available.
Program of Study
Criminal Justice for the 21st Century
The Criminal Justice program is dedicated to providing the theoretical, practical, and professional knowledge needed in today's environment to be successful in the fields of law enforcement, corrections, courts, probation, parole, private security, and the related service careers. Emphasis is placed upon preparing students to enter the professional workplace, grow in their current position, or continue studies in graduate school. The curriculum is designed to provide students with expert instruction on the most current trends, policies, and practices in the field. The goal is to prepare students to become scholarly practitioners in their chosen profession. Further, the General Education Requirements courses, required of all Wilmington University undergraduates, provide a well-rounded academic foundation.
This is not a "one size fits all" major, but one that provides variety in the course selection to encourage each individual student to build a personal program for the future with the assistance of an Academic Advisor.
Students have "out of class" opportunities through membership in the Criminal Justice Association to experience site visits to a variety of criminal justice agencies and meet with practitioners in the field. Internships provide students with an insider's view of the many facets of the criminal justice field under the guidance of a full-time faculty member. The major also offers a summer study abroad program that awards credit for the opportunity to study criminal justice systems of other countries. The program is offered statewide, with day and evening classes in New Castle, and evening classes in Dover and Georgetown, Delaware, and in New Jersey at the Burlington County College and Cumberland County College campuses.
Program Competencies
- Exercise critical thinking strategies, including reasoning, problem solving, analysis, and evaluation in criminal justice settings.
- Exhibit flexible thinking and goal-directed behaviors in criminal justice course projects.
- Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrate skill in the use and the application of technology in criminal justice settings.
- Demonstrate an understanding of basic mathematics and statistics by applying criminal justice research findings to criminal justice practice.
- Incorporate theoretical perspectives into criminal justice practice.
- Demonstrate an awareness of ethical principles, codes, and standards within the criminal justice field and integrate ethical, legal, and economic accountability into professional criminal justice practice.
- Demonstrate a commitment to self-directedness, self-discipline, and lifelong learning through examinations of criminal justice career paths.
- Recognize the principles associated with a pluralistic society in a variety of criminal justice settings as they uniquely apply to practitioners, victims, and offenders and show respect for our multicultural world.
- Recognize an awareness of self in relationship to others in team efforts that demonstrate flexible thinking and goal-directed behavior in the resolution of criminal justice issues.
Minimum Grade Policy
The Criminal Justice program requires a minimum grade of "C-" for program core courses. Students receiving a grade lower than "C-" in any required program core course must retake that course.
Wilmington University Eta Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society
The academic qualifications for membership into the Eta Beta Chapter of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society are as follows:
A minimum 3.40 overall academic grade point average is required along with a corresponding 3.40 grade point average in all criminal justice courses for the undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program. The undergraduate applicants must have achieved junior status and, if they are transferring in from another college, they must have completed at least 15 credits in criminal justice at Wilmington University.
The graduate students must have completed a minimum of 27 credits in the Master of Science in the Administration of Justice graduate program and they must have attained a 3.75 GPA to apply for membership.
It should be noted that the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society standards are 3.20 for undergraduates and 3.60 for graduate students. The Eta Beta Chapter here at Wilmington University has established clearly higher standards than those required by the national office, demonstrating the high caliber of students in the criminal justice programs at Wilmington University. The eight members inducted at this year's Induction Banquet on March 6th brought the number of Wilmington University students and alumni belonging to the Eta Beta Chapter to 86 since its inception in 2005.
The eight members inducted at this year's Induction Banquet on March 6th brought the number of Wilmington University students and alumni belonging to the Eta Beta Chapter to 86 since its inception in 2005.
This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2011-2012 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2011 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.
