Criminal Justice Major
Our program is dedicated to developing new criminal justice professionals, while also impacting the future of the criminal justice profession through the development of The Center for Excellence in Public Safety Leadership. We believe it is our responsibility to help our public safety partners through the development and delivery of innovative leadership programs designed for the benefit of public safety leaders and organizations who seek to serve their communities with respect, caring and compassion.
Program Details
Program Overview
A criminal justice degree provides you with a well-rounded education that positions you competitively for careers and opportunities in law enforcement, corrections and community corrections, probation and parole, court agencies, Homeland Security, nonprofit agencies, offender re-integration services, and graduate-level work in criminology and criminal justice.
Program Concentrations
This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.Concentration Overview
The Criminology concentration is designed for students interested in general studies in crime and law, and for those that might pursue careers in social work, victim advocacy, or advanced legal studies.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentration Overview
The Policing and Justice Systems concentration emphasizes the practice and application of criminal justice concepts, and focuses on the skills needed to succeed as a criminal justice professional. This concentration will prepare students for entry-level positions in the fields of public safety and corrections.
Concentration Overview
Social institutions are necessary structures in human society, but they also shape persistent inequities and inequalities of class, ethnicity, gender, age, race and nationality in people’s lives. This concentration focuses on social structures that serve as mechanisms for the creation and perpetuation of social disparities, while also studying how individual and collective action in turn, affect the impact of societal structures on people’s lives.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentrations on this page are required for this program. Additional courses or concentrations may need to be added to meet program or credit requirements.
Program Coursework
- Applied Statistics
- Justice Planning and Policy Analysis
- Administration of Justice
- Victimology
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Introduction to Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice Report Writing
- Foundations of Policing
- Criminalistics
- Leadership Assessment for Criminal Justice Professionals
- Introduction to Sociology
- Contemporary Social Problems
- Sociological Theory
- Research Methods
- Research Seminar
The specific degree requirements on the website are for illustrative purposes and may change at any time. Please contact the Registrar's Office, Academic Advising or refer to the course catalog for detailed program requirements.
Program Outcomes
- Understand foundational theory and concepts underlying criminal justice systems.
- Recognize the rights and responsibilities of criminal justice professionals.
- Analyze and evaluate the role of individuals and institutions in the criminal justice system.
- Analyze data and draw conclusions, defending evidence-based practices within the field
Liberal Arts Core
LEADERSHIP: 4 credits
- Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
- Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)
- Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
- Writing for the 21st Century (3 cr.)*
- Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
- Language & Culture (3 cr.)
CORE LITERACIES: 15 credits – Choose one (1) course from each broad theme. Course options can be found in the course catalog or on the academic advising page. Broad themes are:
- Narratives of Identity (3 cr.)
- Science, Environment & Culture (3 cr.)
- Social Tensions (3 cr.)
- The American Experience (3 cr.)
- Approving the Better Things (3 cr.)
Professional Core
Culminating Experience
- Pre-Internship
- Internship
- Capstone
Jobs with a criminal justice degree
Are you wondering what jobs can you get with a criminal justice degree?
- Detectives
- Investigators
- Crime Scene Investigators
- Police Officers
- Correctional Officers
Other programs to consider...
Amparo Cortez, '22
Double major in Criminal Justice and Spanish
I have been privileged to have professors Amber Tucker and Marilyn Jones who not only cared about my academic well being but were very supportive when I needed someone to just simply care about my own well being.
Siobhan Dittmer, '23
Criminal Justice & Community Organization
We have had some of the best class discussions and conversations. We talk about real, relevant, and difficult topics that need to be talked about.
Alicia Gutierrez, '18
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Internship Opportunities
As a criminal justice major, you will gain direct experience through internship experiences.
Internship sites may include:
- Milwaukee Justice Center
- Victim Witness Advocates
- Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department
- Waukesha Police Department
- Wisconsin Department of Justice
- Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility
Contact admissions or the program faculty with questions about this program.
Barry A. Reynolds
Faculty - Criminal Justice
