CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE

 

Mission Statement

 

The Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice seeks to provide its students the theoretical, practical and ethical foundations necessary for understanding crime and the criminal justice system in its social context while developing new knowledge through faculty scholarship. Through study of the legal, social, and political processes of social control, students examine law making, crime and deviance, issues of social and racial justice, societal responses to law violation, and the effectiveness of various crime prevention and punishment strategies. Participation in research and internships further prepares students to apply their knowledge directly in the field, to develop critical thinking necessary for democratic citizenship, and to undertake policy development and implementation. Students at the graduate level receive advanced instruction in methodology and theory, work directly with faculty on research and writing projects, and are encouraged to pursue doctoral studies. Crime and punishment are complex social processes involving sometimes controversial issues. Rigorous training in social science research methods and theory form the backbone of the Department's academic process. The faculty is also committed to serving the diverse communities in which they live and work

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

 

UNF Criminology & Criminal Justice graduates will be able to:

 

Content/Disciplinary Knowledge & Skills

• Acquire knowledge of social theory and research methods, and social processes.
  
  
• To appreciate the social context of crime and operational limitations of the criminal justice system.
  
  
• To understand the major theoretical developments and frameworks relevant to the contemporary study of crime and punishment.
  
  
• To demonstrate comprehension of criminological and policy-oriented criminal justice research and to perform basic methodological tasks.
  
  
• To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the legal, social, and political contexts of crime and punishment. To gain practical experience in the organizational operation of criminal justice agencies through completion of a required internship experience.
  
  
• To improve interpersonal skills through small group assignments and class projects.
  
  
• To increase awareness of community issues through interaction with guest speakers and local officials.

 

 

Critical Thinking

• To develop writing and critical thinking skills at a level appropriate for graduate-level education in the social sciences.
  
  
• To conduct research using the appropriate qualitative and quantitative research designs on researchable topics.
  
  
• To develop awareness of the ways in which prevailing social arrangements may bias the criminal justice system against some groups and not others.
  
  
• Recognize the importance of social processes and social change.
  
  
• To develop critical thinking skills as applied to the study of crime and crime control.

 

Communication

• To articulate specific applications of theoretical knowledge derived from core coursework in applied practical settings through internship placements and assigned papers.
  
  
• To gain experience in public speaking, particularly in the Junior Seminar course.
  
  
• To consider the importance of networking and self-introduction in professional contexts.
  
  
• To synthesize large amounts of textual information in essay format.
  
  
  
  

 

Curriculum Map
Click on the image below to see in which Criminal Justice courses these Student Learning Outcomes are addressed:

Click Here to See the Criminal Justice Curriculum Map

 

Assessment Approaches

 

Numerous direct and indirect measures of student learning will be employed to assess mastery of the intended student learning outcomes. Course embedded assessments using a defined scoring rubric (criterion-based rating scale) will be one of the principle assessment approaches within the Criminology and Criminal Justice program. Other direct measures of learning outcomes may include capstone projects, pass rates on subject-area tests, student publications/conference presentations, and/or intern supervisor ratings of students' performance. Indirect measures may include employer or alumni surveys, student perception surveys, and graduate school placement rates.

 

Career Opportunities

 

For information on the many career options available to Accounting majors, go to What Can You Do with an Criminal Justice Major at: http://www.unf.edu/dept/cdc/majors/criminaljustice.html

 

For More Information

 

To learn more about the UNF Criminology & Criminal Justice Department and majoring in Criminology & Criminal Justice, go to http://www.unf.edu/coas/ccj/

 

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