Students graduating with a BA degree in Criminal Justice will be able to:
1. Explain the difference between the criminal justice system and process.
2. Identify the agencies that make up the criminal justice system, describe the functions of each, and explain the roles/responsibilities of the criminal justice personnel who work in those agencies.
3. Identify the specific stages of the criminal justice process, from arrest to appeal, describe the amount of proof required at each stage, who must offer that proof, and explain what happens at each particular stage of the process.
4. Identify and explain the various sources of law in American society, distinguish between criminal and civil law, and identify U.S. Constitutional Amendments most relevant to the criminal justice process. Students will also identify and explain how certain landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions have shaped and influenced the American criminal justice process.
5. Explain the theories/justifications for criminal punishment and articulate the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. Students will examine how our government imposes punishment on convicted offenders, learn the differences between institutional and community correctional practices and programs, and demonstrate an understanding of the pros and cons of each approach.
6. Explain the difference between organization and management, understand how various criminal justice agencies are organized and managed, and identify who serves as the chief managers of specific criminal justice agencies. Additionally, students will understand and explain how a criminal justice organization influences the behavior of its personnel, as well as how it influences and is influenced by the environment in which it operates.
7. Distinguish between and explain the various theories of ethics, explain why a commitment to ethics is important in the criminal justice field, and be given opportunities to apply their knowledge of ethics to resolve dilemmas and controversies they may face as future criminal justice professionals.
8. Identify and explain the source and purpose of various government methods of gathering data about crime, and evaluate the strengths and shortcomings of each data source. Students will also explain how government agencies use date to identify patterns of crime and victimization, and discuss various theories of crime causation, and link them to a variety of programs/strategies developed to prevent or reduce crime.