Criminal Justice Program

Franciscan University of Steubenville

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Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree Program

Gain a broad understanding of the justice system and build a solid foundation for a successful career in criminal justice at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.

Franciscan’s bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice is an intense examination of the justice system and its operations, with emphasis on all systematic, procedural, and substantive components common to the justice model. These include law, evidentiary analysis, judicial operations, policing, private sector involvement, alternative and traditional corrections, and forensic law and science.

You’ll also explore diverse topics in justice studies such as civil justice, administrative justice and its corresponding agencies, the private sector and the emerging privatization of justice services, alternative disposition processes, and complementary community-based initiatives.

Curriculum Outline

Grounded in the Catholic faith and tradition

The program curriculum integrates criminal justice with Western tradition, natural law theory and Catholic philosophy, preparing you to lead and operate in virtue and be a beacon for others in a system often troubled by many pressures, scandal and alienation. With a recurring theme of human law and its relationship to higher forms of law, especially justice theory rooted in natural law reasoning, Franciscan’s criminal justice major emphasizes the dignity of the human person and the nature of justice itself for the victims of crime and other harm, as well as the criminal perpetrator.

See the courses and typical program for Criminal Justice.

Criminal Justice - Online Transfer Program

Designed specifically for the Transfer student with an associates degree—or approximately 36 college credits—this wholly online program will help you gain a broad understanding of the justice system and build a solid foundation for a successful career in criminal justice at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. The online program is a perfect fit for those who are currently employed and looking to finish a degree while accommodating their everyday life. Online coursework for the pro- gram is structured in such a way that you can complete your studies during your off hours and still tend to your daily life.

Grounded in the Judeo-Christian and Natural Law Tradition

The program curriculum integrates criminal justice with Western, Judeo-Christian philosophy, preparing you to lead in virtue and be a beacon for those that labor in a challenging world of crime and community dysfunction. With a recurring theme of human law and its relationship to higher forms of law, Franciscan’s criminal justice major emphasizes the dignity of the human person—both the victims of crime and other harm, as well as the criminal perpetrator.

Courses include:

Justice and The Nature of Rights
Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Process
Victim Rights and the Justice System
Cybercrime
Forensic Law
Criminal Process
Evidence, Proof and Adjudication
Corruption in Justice Operations
Police Tactics in the Use of Force
Moral and Ethical Challenges for Law Enforcement

Learn more about transferring to Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Explore More of the Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Program

Here are just a few other ways Franciscan’s criminal justice bachelor’s degree program stands out from the rest:

Financial aid and scholarships: The program provides for student groups and associations that have funding opportunities for continued study including Alpha Phi Sigma – the National Criminal Justice Honor Society and Lambda Phi Epsilon- the CRJ professional association. In addition, many private security companies and military branches offer scholarships for criminal justice majors who qualify. Visit the Franciscan Office of Financial Aid for more information.
Online classes: Fulfill degree program requirements while taking some classes online. Online classes for criminal justice majors offer academic opportunities similar to the classes on campus in Steubenville, Ohio, plus flexibility and accessibility.
Applied learning: Gain practical experience through real-world interaction with justice operations. As a criminal justice major, you’ll have the opportunity to take a critical approach to discerning best practices in the discipline with a first-hand look at what works and what doesn’t.
Service learning: Carry out the good works of Franciscan University while putting Catholic faith into action. Service-learning opportunities include working with children and youth in distress, prisons and prisoners, victims of crime and abuse, and distressed police officers and other justice practitioners laboring under severe pressure. Internships play a key role for most CRJ majors and allow for experiences to test long term career goals.
Undergraduate research: Receive one-on-one mentoring from faculty members who share the Catholic faith. Collaborate with local justice agencies in Steubenville, Ohio, and the surrounding communities in the tri-state area to conduct and analyze research on problems in the criminal justice system. Work directly with faculty who are published authors as research assistants. Become part of the Center for Criminal Justice, Law and Ethics and its many activities- all free to CRJ majors.
Program faculty: Faculty members are scholar-practitioners who blend theory and practice by advancing the most current and cutting-edge knowledge and protocols in justice operations, then test those concepts in a practical, applied setting. Faculty members are actively engaged in meaningful, applied research that benefits the criminal justice system at large, advances the university’s Catholic mission, and adheres to Catholic ideals and teachings. All faculty in CRJ have high academic and professional expectations for our majors.

What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice Degree?

The criminal justice career path can follow the diverse tracks that mirror the systematic structure of the justice model, which operates at the state, federal, and local levels and consists of four main parts, namely policing and law enforcement, law and legal processes, justice agencies relating to corrections and alternative disposition- human services and crime and criminality. Criminal justice majors are highly sought after for a wide array of specialty positions in both the public and private sector, including law, policing and law enforcement, security, intelligence, investigative roles, military careers, forensic support services, counseling and juvenile services, and other emerging fields related to criminal justice, especially environmental and hazard mitigation, cybercrime and cybersecurity, forensic accounting and fraud analysis, zoning and code enforcement, and school and educational security.

Graduate Programs for Criminal Justice Majors

Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Master of Science in Law and Society
Master of Science in Law and Policy
Master of Science in Legal Studies
Master of Science in Security Management
Master of Science in Homeland Security
Master of Science in Emergency Management
Master of Science in Computer Science
Master of Science in Cybersecurity
Master of Science in Forensic Science

Career Opportunities

Accounting Forensics
Airport Security
ATF Agent
ATF Investigator
ATF Technician/Professional
Animal Cruelty Investigator
Bail Enforcement Agent
Bailiff
Border Patrol Agent
CIA Agent
CIA Interrogators and Language Specialists
Compliance Officer
Computer Forensics
Corrections Officer
Corrections Counselor
Counter Terrorism
Court Reporter
Court Clerk
Crime Laboratory Analyst
Crime Prevention Specialist
Crime Scene Investigator
Crime Scene Technician
Criminal Profiler
Criminalist
Criminologist
Customs Agent
DEA Agent
DHS Agents
DHS: TSA
DHS: ICE
DHS: Intelligence
DHS: Coast Guard
DHS: Technology Specialists
DHS: Cybercrime
Department of State: Diplomatic Security
FBI Agent
Federal Air Marshal
Federal Corrections Officer
Federal Probation Officer
Federal Protective Service
Fingerprint Technician
Fish & Game Warden
Forensic Accountant
Forensic Anthropologist
Forensic Engineer
Forensic Science
Forensic Odonatologist
Forensic Pathologist
Forensic Psychology
Fraud Investigator
Immigration Agent
Information Security
INS Agent
IRS Special Agent
Jail Screener
Judge
Juvenile Probation Counselor
Loss Prevention
NSA Police Officer
Paralegal
Park Ranger
Penologist
Police/Homicide Detective
Police Officer
Prison Warden
Private Security: Energy Sector
Private Security: Higher Education
Private Security: Corporate and Industrial
Private Security: Contract
Private Security: Agro-Farming
Private Security: Critical Infrastructure
Private Investigator
Probation/Parole Officer
Psychological Profiler
School Security Officer/Specialist
Secret Service Agent
Security Analyst
Sheriff
State Trooper
Substance Abuse Counselor
Surveillance Officer
TSA Screener
US Capitol Police
US Marshal
US Military: Police
US Military: Corrections
US Military: Intelligence Officers
US Postal Inspectors
Youth Correctional Counselor

Potential Job Titles for Criminal Justice Majors

CIA Agent
Counter Terrorism Officer
Criminal Profiler
FBI Agent
Forensic Psychologist
Judge
Lawyer
Police Officer
Private Investigator
Secret Service Agent

Live Criminal Justice Job Board

The Center for Criminal Justice, Law, and Ethics

The Center for Criminal Justice, Law, and Ethics at Franciscan University seeks to change the landscape of the justice system nationally and internationally by:

forming justice professionals who measure justice by perennial principles of the natural law and Catholic moral tradition,
advancing the integration of natural law principles into justice operations

Founded on the understanding that the most effective justice system be grounded in the natural law, the Center for Criminal Justice, Law, and Ethics achieves its goals through initiatives that reach into the professional practitioner community and university students in order to ethical leaders who act consistently with the principles of the natural law and our Judeo-Christian and Catholic heritage.

Learn More

Academic Catalog

View the Criminal Justice Program on the Undergraduate Catalog.

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Internships and Careers Portal

Corrections, Probation, & Parole

Forensic Sciences & Criminalistics

Law & Legal

Police & Law Enforcement

Private Detectives & Investigators

Professional Associations

In Franciscan Magazine

Beyond the Classroom

Student Activities

Get involved on campus and in the surrounding Ohio community through student clubs and events, such as:
• Alpha Phi Sigma honor society
• Lambda Alpha Epsilon criminal justice professional society
• St. Thomas More Society for Catholic law
• Career Days for jobs in criminal justice
Criminal justice majors and their clubs often sponsor crime awareness events, such as “Take Back the Night”.

Study Abroad

In addition to Franciscan’s study abroad program in Gaming, Austria, you’ll have opportunities for international studies, travel, and experiences through the criminal justice degree program’s relationships with Scotland Yard and the Australian and Canadian police systems, as well as partnerships with justice agencies in countries willing to articulate with Franciscan University.

Program Accreditation

With an intentionally designed curriculum rooted in the Catholic faith, Franciscan University’s degree program in criminal justice has a long-term goal to earn accreditation by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Programs Related to the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice

Still undecided? You might also be interested in these other undergraduate degree programs at Franciscan that are similar to the criminal justice bachelor’s degree.