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Mission Statement:
The Criminal Justice Program seeks to prepare graduates for service in the criminal justice system in the United States by offering a value based, liberal arts education in conjunction with professional course work in the field of criminal justice.
Theta Pi, a local chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national organization of criminal justice societies, has been established at Bethany College. More>
The goal of the Criminal Justice program is to prepare graduates for service in the criminal justice system in the United States. More specific objectives include the following.
· * To know theories of society, human behavior and criminology for application in the criminal justice field.
· * To understand law enforcement, judicial processes, and correctional procedures and their interactions.
· * To develop knowledge, skill and self awareness in interviewing and interacting with the different actors in the criminal justice system including suspects, defendants, victims, law enforcement officers, agency administrators, attorneys and judges.
· * To develop appreciation for and understanding of human diversity in the United States.
"From an obscure discipline scorned by most academics, with only two small doctoral programs as recently as 1970, criminal justice has exploded to 350,000 undergraduate majors at colleges and universities," said Freda Adler, a professor of criminal justice at Rutgers and a former president of the American Society of Criminology."
(New York Times, December 5, 1998, "A Newcomer in the Liberal Arts: Criminal Justice.")
The Criminal Justice faculty at Bethany College have been a judge, prosecutor and defense attorney, and a court administrator, probation officer, and police officer. This expertise as practicing criminal justice professionals and their academic experience allows them to deliver a theory based yet streetwise curriculum.
This insures the integration of theory and research with practical up-to-date knowledge and skill from the field. A program of this type is unique in the north central Kansas! Building on the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed through the general education program, the Bethany Criminal Justice program, covers law enforcement, the judicial system, corrections, and the interaction of the three.
This system-wide perspective in criminal justice prevents the program from becoming too narrowly focused in any one field and prepares graduates for leadership in multiple areas.
Students gain practical experience through Bethany's EBE program. With the "Experience Based Education" program students earn academic credit for on-the-job observation and work experiences in law enforcement, court services and corrections. Special on-campus programs and field trips are sponsored by "Law and Order" the Criminal Justice student organization. Students secure positions in law enforcement, court services, and corrections shortly after graduation.
The Criminal Justice Department offers a Crime Scene Investigation Camp, June 22-26, 2008.
Contact Roxie Sjogren, (785) 227-3380 ext. 8158
Email: sjogrenr@bethanylb.edu
CSI-Summer Camp Registration
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