Department of Criminal Justice

The Department of Criminal Justice offers degrees which prepare students to enter careers at the local, state, and federal levels in the fields of criminal justice and forensic science. Careers may include police officers, criminal investigators, corrections officers, victim advocates, crime scene analysts, and forensic scientists.

Students who have successfully completed a Mississippi Certified Basic Law Enforcement Academy may receive credit for CRJ 2200 , CRJ 3400 , and CRJ 4970 for a total of 12 credit hours. Students who have graduated from the National FBI Academy or from the Southern Police Institute may have coursework from those institutions transferred to William Carey University to apply toward their degree.

Both the Criminal Justice and Forensic Science programs prepare students for advanced graduate studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program of study, graduates will be able to:

Criminal Justice, B.S.*

identify components of the criminal justice system and explain how they work together to achieve common goals;
discuss various theories of criminality and remedies implemented to address each;
explain the criminal justice process as it relates to felonies and misdemeanors;
examine current events relevant to criminal justice;
identify the influence of Judeo-Christian Law on the development of punishment;
explain the factors affecting sentencing;
differentiate between the federal, state, and local correctional systems;
identify material elements of crimes against persons, crimes against property, and crimes against public decency & morality;
identify the steps taken in a criminal investigation from the crime scene to presentation in court;
identify Constitutional protections afforded individuals during the criminal investigative process including search and seizure;
discuss constraints of the Bill of Rights on law enforcement actions;
describe the most common research designs in the field of criminal justice;
explain the difference between dependent variables and independent variables;
discuss the importance of validity and reliability in research methods; and
apply theoretical information garnered from coursework to practical application scenarios.

Forensic Science, B.S.

identify, document, and recover physical evidence found at crime scenes;
explain the process of DNA typing and its application to the criminal investigation process;
identify the fundamental principles of locating, developing, and classifying latent fingerprints;
identify and discuss the ethical issues faced in the field of forensic science;
explain the proper procedure for processing crime scenes;
identify methods to secure a crime scene and protect physical evidence;
identify techniques to recognize, collect, package, and preserve physical evidence;
identify common field tests for the presumptive identification and enhancement of different types of physical evidence;
demonstrate how to control light in photography of crime scenes and how to control motion in digital photography;
identify the proper perspectives and composure necessary for crime scene documentation;
locate clandestine graves and surface skeletons;
collect and transport skeletal remains and related evidence;
describe duties of a firearms examiner;
demonstrate the operation of firearms as well as identify shell casings and bullets; and
identify the components of a Standard Operating Manual and the importance of developing policies for performing ethical forensic analysis.

* The criminal justice degree is also available as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Students interested in pursuing a B.A. should discuss this option and degree requirements with the program director.

Programs

Major

Minor