B.A. in Criminal Justice

Crime is not simple. The Criminal Justice program at Elmira College aspires to cultivate creative and original thinking about one of our time's most challenging social problems. Students are challenged from day one to understand and investigate criminological theory, learn criminal law and procedure, study the behaviors of victims and offenders, and even how to process a homicide scene. Criminal justice is a discipline that explores both theory and practical application of the many sub-disciplines it encompasses. Core classes provide a mastery of the major works and theories of criminology, policing, corrections, judicial studies, quantitative analysis, and behavioral analysis. Students are then able to select from numerous electives to make their experience unique to their career goals. Students majoring in criminal justice have gone on to federal, state, and local law enforcement, graduate school, law school, social work, and many other related professions. Students often double major in criminal justice and another in the social sciences (i.e., psychology, social work, etc.). Recently, some students interested in law school have triple majored in criminal justice, legal studies, and political science – while graduating early.

Demonstrate a knowledge of the four major areas of the criminal justice system: policing, courts, corrections, and the juvenile justice system, and the history of those components

Discuss the importance of federal and state statutory law, case law, and constitutional law as it relates to the criminal justice field, and evaluate the constraints imposed by those laws

Be able to critically analyze scholarly research, governmental crime statistics, and public policy

Discuss the relationship between the criminal justice complex and the socioeconomic elements of the American society

Explain the various types of crime and criminals, the numerous theories of crime causation, and the relationship between crime and its various correlates

Trace the various social movements over the years, and how they have impacted the criminal justice system

Articulate the special concerns of minorities, juveniles, and females in the criminal justice system