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CJS Frequently Asked Questions

Criminal Justice Studies FAQ

Criminal Justice happens to be one of those fields where, when the instructors can provide practical experience to the classroom, it enhances or enriches the learning experience for students. Many students are going to leave Spalding with a criminal justice degree and go right into the work field and have a professional career. The experiences of our professors as practitioners can enhance your learning and better prepare you for a career right out of school.

Our degree is unique primarily because of our mission of peace, justice, and compassion. This program has coursework and a focus that centers on restorative justice initiatives. We have an introduction to criminal justice reform and an introduction to restorative justice course that all students will take. It’s part of the required curriculum. Additionally, as a component of graduation, you will complete a capstone project with a restorative justice focus. Those things are something that’s unique to our program that may not be really available elsewhere.

By simply being exposed to Spalding’s mission and the course content you’ll walk away with a unique perspective on criminal justice. Criminal justice programs that do not have a focus on or do not provide any type of instruction on restorative justice initiatives, may not provide the same exposure. As a Spalding student, you will have been exposed to restorative justice and criminal justice reform initiatives. We hope that you will graduate with a mindset that allows you to go out and see the criminal justice system clearly and, when necessary, take action to create reform or changes in the system to improve lives for everyone.

There are a large number of careers that are available in criminal justice. Currently, there are more sworn personnel positions in corrections and law enforcement than there are suitable applicants to fill those positions. So a career opportunity should be ample.

Preparation for an Immediate Career

Our program provides career training in a few areas. Our program provides four areas of focus–law enforcement, corrections, juvenile justice, and forensics and electronic crimes–in addition to a generalist program of study. With a degree from Spalding, you can pursue a career in law enforcement as a special agent police officer, Sheriff’s deputy or any number of public and private investigator positions. In corrections, you can become a correctional officer or work as a probation or parole officer. Additionally, there’ll are similar roles to be had in the juvenile justice system.

Preparation for Advanced or Graduate Study

Your criminal justice studies degree can also be used as a jumping-off point in your education. You can use your degree to apply to law school, earn your juris doctorate and pursue a career as a defense attorney, prosecutor or even judge. Or you may decide to use your criminal justice degree in combination with a paralegal certificate or degree, opening up positions as a paralegal or clerk in the court system. By pairing your bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies with a master’s degree or doctorate, you may also pursue teaching positions in higher education.

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