Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice program uses a social science perspective to study the nature and causes of crime and provides a comprehensive understanding of the United States criminal justice system.

You will benefit from a unique, holistic learning environment. The program will challenge you to view crime, law, and social problems from the perspectives of psychology and sociology, as well as those of the specialized criminal justice discipline. A required internship gives you hands-on experience and a chance to develop professional relationships. The Senior Research Seminar is a capstone experience where you work collaboratively with faculty to research a topic of his or her interest, present results and get involved with community service.

Fast facts

• Graduates find positions in top law enforcement agencies such as FBI, SBI, DEA and DHS.
• The growth rate in criminal justice related fields is projected to be more than 10% through 2020.

What You'll Study

You will have the opportunity to study many interesting topics in criminal justice including serial killers, criminal gangs, criminological theory, criminal investigation and interrogation, prison culture and custody, white collar crime, careers in criminal justice and more!

Beyond the Classroom

Mock interviews are completed in our Careers in Criminal Justice course. Volunteers look over cover letters and resumes that you'll spend all semester perfecting and will offer feedback and suggestions.

In addition to mock interviews, a mock crime scene is also conducted in our Criminal Investigation and Interrogation course. Students are assigned roles to play as if it were an actual crime scene. During this experience, you'll question witnesses, collect and process evidence, take crime scene photos and more.

You'll also likely have the opportunity to visit a jail, prison and/or court during your time in the program.

After Graduation

Graduates of the program work in law enforcement and investigative agencies at the local, state and federal levels. Opportunities include correctional institutions, adult and juvenile probation and parole, victim's services, homeland security, private security and other human services-related fields. Additional careers include:

• Border Patrol
• Investigators
• Judge
• Lawyer
• Police Officer
• Private Security
• Probation Officer
• Public Administration

Recent internships include:

• Avery Correctional Facility
• Maryland Bureau of Investigation
• Homeland Security
• Domestic Abuse Shelters
• Law Firms
• U.S. Marshals
• AFT

Alumni Success

• Resource Coordinator/Case Manager Developmental Disabilities program in Maryland
• Graduate Student Harvard Graduate School of Education

We have one mission: Lees-McRae educates and inspires students to approach life and work from a creative, collaborative, and critical perspective in preparation for diverse careers and environments. Through common ambition, we maintain our focus on the needs of all learners—residential on the main campus and degree completion through our online programs. Some are athletes, some are in the honors program, and some are working while returning to school. Regardless of where you are and where you want to go, our expert faculty and committed staff will help you get there.