What is crime? What causes it? What should we do about it?

Lakeland’s criminal justice program addresses these questions from both practical and theoretical perspectives and combines the analytical and research skills of sociology with a clear vocational emphasis. In criminal justice classes, students learn the details of the correctional and law enforcement systems, from police procedures to community relations. Students are asked to think about the nature of criminal behavior and the ways we have chosen as a society to address it.

Courses focus on the measurement of crime, the analysis and prevention of criminal behavior, and the function of the rule of law in society. Students gain the knowledge and problem-solving abilities they need to pursue graduate study or begin a career in probation/parole, law enforcement, corrections, and related areas of our country’s expanding criminal justice system.

Students who have successfully completed a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Lakeland University should be able to:

• Explain each foundation of the criminal justice system, including criminal law, policing, and corrections.
• Exhibit effective research skills in the evaluation of current research and the responsible use of data.
• Evaluate the limits of the criminal justice system.
• Demonstrate independent problem solving skills which are generalizable to a future vocation.
• Present ideas clearly and professionally in both written and oral contexts.
• Analyze ethical issues using multiple frameworks and articulate a personal code of ethics.
• Assess the limits of the criminal justice system.