Contents
Catalog Links

Criminal Justice (B.A.)

Program Overview

The criminal justice degree program at Messiah University is a liberal arts degree that appeals to students who wish to pursue a career in criminal justice. You will gain a deep understanding of human behavior, including deviance, and social structures that preserve order and address crime. This will allow you to examine new and innovative practices in criminal and restorative justice, and grasp the concept of responsible service in the criminal justice field.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from Messiah’s Criminal Justice program can:

  1.  Use theory to identify patterns of social behavior.
  2. Recognize issues and significance of diversity -- race, class, culture, gender, religion ethnicity, values, age.
  3. Apply information and technology relevant to the social sciences and the study of criminality.
  4. Demonstrate professional skills in the field of criminal justice.
  5. Apply critical thinking skills in their examination of social institutions and issues of conflict, inequality, prejudice, discrimination, deviance, and crime.
  6. Identify career options in the field of criminal justice and assess one's own skills dn dispositions for the field.
  7. Use faith to augment our service to the community.

Major Requirements

Complete the following for your major:

CRIJ 103Crime, Justice and Society

3
CRIJ 201Law Enforcement

3
CRIJ 259Criminal Law and the Courts

3
CRIJ 362Criminology

3
CRIJ 366Corrections

3
CRIJ 367Victimology

3
CRIJ 369Forensics

3
CRIJ 371Christian Faith and Criminal Justice

3
SOAN 285Research Methods

3
SOAN 356Social Inequality

3
SOAN 442Senior Thesis

3
INTE 391Internship

1-3

SOAN 442: Writing in the major requirement. 

Three credits from the following:

CRIJ 386Topics in Criminal Justice

3
CRIJ 491Independent Study

1-3
CRIJ 497Major Honors I

3
CRIJ 498Major Honors II

1-3
BIBL 291Issues of War, Peace and Social Justice in Biblical Texts

3
PACS 201Basic Conflict Mediation

3
PSYC 365Drugs and Human Behavior

3

NOTE: At least eighteen (18) credits of the major requirements must be 300- or 400- level courses.

QuEST Requirements

Experiential Learning requirement 0
QuEST requirements Credits
First Year Seminar 3
Oral Communication 3
Created and Called for Community (W) 3
Mathematical Sciences 3 or 4
Laboratory Science 3 or 4
Science, Technology & the World 3
Social Science (CRIJ 103) met/major
European History or United States History 3
Literature 3
Philosophy and Religion 3
Arts 3
First Semester of Language 3
Second Semester of Language 3
Third Semester of Language or Cross Cultural 3
Non-Western Studies 2 or 3
Bible 3
Christian Beliefs 3
Wellness course 1
Ethics, World Views or Pluralism (SOAN 356) met/major
QuEST requirements 48-51
Major requirements 39
Free electives 36-33
Total  123