Kent State University Catalog 2010 - 2011

Justice Studies - B.A.

COLLEGE:	College of Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT:	Department of Sociology 215 Merrill Hall Tel: 330-672-2562 Fax: 330-672-4724 Web: http://www.kent.edu/cas/sociology/

Resources:

DESCRIPTION:	The Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime, law and justice. Faculty members view crime, deviance and society’s response from the fields of sociology, political science, psychology, social work and traditional criminal justice viewpoints. The curriculum provides a firm understanding of the basic institutions of the criminal justice system. Students are also exposed to criminological theory and diversity courses, which help them understand the complex relationship between the individual, society and the criminal justice system. The program stresses effective writing and analytical skills. Students are afforded the opportunity to earn credit through internship placements, including Kent State’s fully accredited police academy.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:	Career opportunities related to Justice Studies interests and credentials include positions in criminal and regulatory law enforcement affiliated with a wide variety of municipal/city, county, state, regional and national agencies; correctional positions including guards, counselors, probation and parole officers, and supervisors; homeland security; courthouse security; park/forest rangers; private security services, including for businesses, transportation systems, hospitals and campuses; juvenile detention, counseling and supervision; investigative and criminal history research positions for courts or private businesses; victim services and victim advocacy. In combination with relevant graduate degrees, students may also qualify for professional positions in legal practice; teaching; policy research including applied statistics and crime mapping; social work, clinical psychology, counseling, or therapy; and forensics expert or technician (with cross-training in fields such as psychology, biology, chemistry, physics, anthropology, economics, computer science, linguistics, or others).
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:	General Admissions for Freshman Students: Students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus are those who have graduated with at least 16 units of the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school, who have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 21 or better (980 combined critical reading and math SAT score). For more information on admissions, visit the Admissions website for new freshmen. General Admissions for Transfer Students: Generally, a transfer applicant who has taken 12 or more semester hours with a college cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted. An applicant who has taken fewer than 12 semester hours will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records. For more information on admissions, visit the Admissions website for transfer students.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:	Minimum 121 total credit hours and 42 upper-division hours for graduation. Minimum 2.00 GPA overall and 2.00 GPA in major required for graduation.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT:	Yes
STUDY ABROAD/AWAY OPPORTUNITIES:	There are many study abroad/away opportunities, for more information contact the Office of International Affairs.
PROGRAM FEE:	None
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS:	Alpha Phi Sigma, the Criminal Justice Honor Society; Lambda Alpha Epsilon, the Criminal Justice Club
GRADUATE PROGRAMS:	M.A. in Justice Studies