Criminal Justice, B.A.

Program Coordinator: Thad Hicks, Ph.D., CEM, MEP

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The primary focus of the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program is to prepare students to work in this highly-diversified field, seeking justice for both the victims and perpetrators of delinquent or criminal acts. This emphasis on restorative justice connects the program directly to the mission of service that is at the heart of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. This course of study ultimately sees justice as a pursuit of restoration for offenders, victims, families, and communities, all within an ethical framework that is focused on rehabilitation and redemption.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program, students should be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of the historical, legal, social, cultural, economic, and political frameworks under which justice systems operate, as well as the fundamental causes of crime, methods of prevention, and responsibilities of all individuals involved in the apprehension, prosecution, punishment, correction, and reintegration of offenders;
• evaluate and apply research methods to explore criminal justice questions and hypotheses;
• develop ethical standards informed by the Christian faith to promote restorative justice for offenders, victims, criminal justice professionals, and communities;
• demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills in creating a cogent argument, presenting information, and integrating criminal justice theories and concepts with the Christian faith;
• apply criminal justice content and skills, exhibit meaningful self-reflection, cultivate self-regulation, and build teamwork skills that readies the student for post-baccalaureate education and employment success.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program include the following:

• submission of official transcripts of all previous college or university courses completed to date;
• completion of at least 56 transferable credit hours from a regionally-accredited institution(s) of higher learning with a grade of C- or better for each course;
• an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) for all previous college or university coursework completed to date (an applicant with a GPA less than 2.00 may apply for probationary admittance);
• completion of an online application and Registration Agreement Form.

Applicants from foreign countries and U.S. territories must also provide recent evidence of proficiency in English by: 1) scoring 80 or above on the Internet-based TOEFL with subscores in writing, reading, speaking and listening of at least 20; 2) scoring 550 or above on the written TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with subscores in writing and reading of at least 50; or 3) scoring 6.0 or above on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). All tests of English proficiency must have been taken in the last two years to be considered for acceptance.

College-level courses from regionally-accredited institutions will be evaluated for transfer credit; credit is granted only if applicable grades were obtained. Equivalence of course content and transfer credit is determined by the Program Coordinator.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

The student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours (with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00) including:

1. Successful completion of the GPS General Education Core (39 hours):
   • 15 credit hours in Arts and Humanities (Minimum of 3 credit hours in an English composition course with a research writing component; minimum of 3 credit hours in Bible/Theology)
   • 15 credit hours in Natural and Social Sciences, and Mathematics (Minimum of 3 credit hours in Mathematics; minimum of 3 credit hours in Social Science; and minimum of 3 credit hours in Natural Science with laboratory)
   • 9 credit hours in Liberal Arts electives
2. Completion of at least 39 credit hours of upper division course work (3000 level or higher);
3. Successful completion of either the 43-credit hour Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice curriculum with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. A student who receives a grade below "C-" in any course that is part of the 43-credit hour curriculum will be required to repeat that course until a grade of "C-" or better is earned. All repeated coursework to replace grades of D+, D, F, W, or X is at the student's expense.