At Penn State Wilkes-Barre we offer two four-year criminal justice degrees: the bachelor of arts (B.A.) and the bachelor of science (B.S.) Many students wonder what are the main differences between the programs. The B.A. degree provides a broadly based liberal arts background for the study of crime, justice, and the criminal justice system, and requires students to take 12 credits in a world language. The B.S. degree offers an opportunity for students to investigate, in greater depth, specific areas of the criminal justice system such as victimization, restorative justice, and leadership through additional criminal justice electives. A common misunderstanding is that the bachelor of science degree requires more science courses than the bachelor of arts degree; in actuality, both the B.A. and the B.S. in criminal justice require 6 credits in natural sciences. Either bachelor’s degree is excellent preparation for a career in criminal justice or graduate/professional study, such as law school.
Students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program in criminal justice, whether B.A. or B.S., will learn about each of the three main components of the criminal justice system and their interrelationships, be able to evaluate critically both current and future crime control policy proposals and criminal justice research, and understand the complexity of the crime phenomenon and its relationship to individual, social, and cultural factors. This major includes study in law enforcement, courts and corrections individually and as components of a system, plus work in theories of crime causation, and crime control policy. Students should expect reading, writing, and critical thinking skills to be rigorously applied and developed throughout the degree program.
In addition, we will soon offer the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Criminal Justice, which prepares students for entry level positions in the field or for continuing study at the baccalaureate level.