2015-2016 Catalog

Justice Studies Learning Goals


  • To provide a foundation for professional development of pre-service and inservice personnel.
  • To orient students toward a systematic perspective of the criminal justice system.
  • To develop a citizenry educated in the problems of crime and in the administration of justice.
  • To develop understanding of the causes of crime and societal responses to it.
  • To emphasize the ethical and moral standards involved in decision-making and criminal justice activities.
  • To prepare future leaders both in the academic and applied setting.
  • To study criminal justice in the context of larger justice issues and with attention to the total environment in which the system operates.
  • To advance knowledge about the design, evolution, operation, and maintenance of justice system.
  • To induce students to think about issues in criminal justice and to develop professional attitudes and patterns of behavior.
  • To establish academic credentials to be emphasized more in the future than experience.
  • To provide an up-to-date understanding of law, human behavior, and social institutions.
  • To develop awareness of the field as a recognized academic discipline.
  • To upgrade the quality of service provided by personnel and criminal justice agencies.
  • To sensitize students to national differences in criminal justice systems. To introduce students to comparative perspectives on justice systems.
  • To emphasize the relevance of literature and research to practice in the field.