WE ARE… Criminal Justice
Those of us who work in America’s criminal justice system have two primary goals: we improve public safety, and we 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: 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. The program offers students the unique opportunity of obtaining either a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree. The student’s choice would depend on whether his/her desire is to achieve a broadly based liberal education focused on the criminal justice system or to prepare for a career in criminal justice. A degree in the Criminal Justice can also provide an excellent foundation for graduate education or the pursuit of a degree in the law. 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 refine your individual skills, and the greater impact you can make on the world.
WE ARE… Informed. Engaged. Challenging.
You will start your journey by learning about the values of Justice, Equity, Humanity, and Mercy. We will also immerse you in the philosophy of restorative justice, along with traditional approaches to criminal justice. You will learn how we 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. As you learn these values, you will actively engage in learning exercises to practice your skills, such as dissecting a case of delinquency, analyzing criminal justice policies, and matching your own interests to various criminal justice careers. To help refine your new skills, you can work with the surrounding communities to interact with real people in the system. You will have multiple opportunities to engage in experiential learning, research, internships, and community service projects where you will see how your skills can help improve people’s lives. When you leave us, your education, practice, and experiences will make you confident in your critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, adaptation, and interpersonal skills. You will be ready to change the world.
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.
WE ARE… PENN STATE.