Program Overview

Program Overview

The Criminal Justice program at Penn State DuBois is an interdisciplinary study of the adult and juvenile justice systems, including law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. It aims to understand crime as a social problem and improve these systems for the good of society.

Program Description

Criminal justice is the study of the adult and juvenile justice systems, including law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. It is interdisciplinary and includes understanding the intersections of law, public policy, and behavioral science.

Career Opportunities

Students completing this course of study are prepared to enter law school and graduate degree programs in more specialized areas. Career opportunities include working in corrections, courts, court administration, law enforcement, and probation and parole.

Program Requirements

Students receiving a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice should understand each of the three main components of the criminal justice system and their interrelationships, be able to evaluate critically both current and future crime control policy proposals and criminal justice research, and understand the complexity of the crime phenomenon and its relationship to individual, social, and cultural factors.

Program Structure

The major includes study in law enforcement, courts and corrections individually and as components of a system, plus work in theories of crime causation, and crime control policy. Students should expect reading, writing, and critical thinking skills to be rigorously applied and developed throughout the degree program.

Internship Opportunities

Every student in this degree will participate in an internship at a host agency located in a local, state or federal agency of their choice.

Available Degrees

• B.S. in Criminal Justice
• B.A. in Criminal Justice

Additional Information

For more information on the program, including suggested academic plans and bulletin information, please refer to the relevant sections.

Other Programs at Penn State DuBois

• Business
• Engineering
• Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
• Information Sciences and Technology
• Multidisciplinary Studies
• A.S. in Occupational Therapy
• Wildlife Technology