Penn State Wilkes-Barre is not currently enrolling new students. Current students can get assistance through academic advising, degree planning, and career advising.
A bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) in Criminal Justice prepares you for a career in criminal justice. Those who work in America’s criminal justice system have two primary goals: to improve public safety and to reduce crime. The rewards for doing our jobs are priceless. We stop murderers, terrorists, domestic abusers, and corporate fraudsters. We help rehabilitate people suffering from addictions and traumas. We help transform offenders into productive citizens. We build positive relationships with community members, employers, schools, and youth. We save lives.
The people who work in the criminal justice system—police, courts, corrections, and citizen roles—also face many challenges, such as corruption, fear, angry citizens, social inequalities, discrimination, danger, and more. To some, these challenges might seem impossible to overcome. But for those with the proper skill set, these challenges are transformational.
Our goal in the Criminal Justice program is to teach you that skill set, let you refine it through practice, and give you the opportunity to change the world. Whether you join us for a class, a minor, or a major, you will have immediate access to all the resources and benefits of a world-class university to help you gain that expertise. The longer you are with us, the more opportunities you will have to develop and hone your individual skills, and the greater impact you can make on the world.
You will start your journey by learning about the values of Justice, Equity, Humanity, and Mercy. Along with traditional approaches to criminal justice, we will also immerse you in the philosophy of restorative justice. You will learn how you can apply these values and the restorative philosophy to interactions with offenders, victims, witnesses, co-workers, families, community members, and anyone else you come into contact with as you fulfill your duties as a criminal justice professional.
The bachelor of arts degree in Criminal Justice provides a broadly based liberal arts background for the study of crime, justice, and the criminal justice system. The bachelor of science degree in Criminal Justice offers an opportunity for educational enrichment in fields not traditionally considered part of the liberal arts. Either degree is excellent preparation for a career in criminal justice, graduate or professional study, or informed citizenship.
Join us for a class and explore our Criminal Justice program at Penn State Wilkes‑Barre. You will see the difference. You will feel the difference. You will make the difference.
The friendly faculty and staff were incredibly welcoming as I made the transition from active duty military into college life. Penn State Wilkes-Barre was the perfect fit for me.