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Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice

Discover your full potential through the challenging and rewarding Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in criminal justice from the University of Mount Union. This interdisciplinary program combines your pursuit of knowledge and determination to improve your community through safety and security.

Our expert faculty will prepare you for a variety of career options while focusing on those best suited to your passion and skillset. Featuring four relevant tracks in law enforcement, community corrections, forensic studies, and criminology, your educational experience is personalized to the dynamic future within your reach.

About the Program

The criminal justice degree program at Mount Union puts knowledge into practice instantly. You will work through impactful test scenarios – including car crashes and crime scenes – alongside local law enforcement officials while utilizing industry equipment like fingerprinting kits and ballistics data in our Crime Office.

Securing relevant internships is often made possible through our dedicated and well-connected faculty, ensuring you get the necessary experience to stand out in competitive fields. No matter your area of interest, our criminal justice major will prepare you to make an immediate difference in the world.

 

Criminal Justice Quick Facts

  • 50 credit hours within the criminal justice degree program
  • 32 credit hours in the well-rounded Integrative Core
  • Experience mock traffic and crime scenes
  • Learn from officials currently in the field
  • Intern with local agencies

 

Learn more about the Degree in Criminal Justice

Influence the world around you with the Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice degree program at Mount Union. Pair your drive to succeed with the important technical knowledge needed to be a thoughtful leader in one of several criminal justice fields.

  • Curriculum

     

    As an interdisciplinary study, criminal justice combines sociology, psychology, forensic science, legal studies, philosophy, political science and urban studies, and tries to identify and explain patterns of criminal behavior. As a criminal justice major, you have the opportunity to pick between one of four tracks:

    • Law Enforcement
    • Community Corrections
    • Forensic Studies
    • Criminology

    The law enforcement concentration is for students who wish to pursue a career in a variety of state and local law enforcement agencies. You will study topics ranging from juvenile delinquency to criminology to family violence. The applied criminal justice concentration is designed for those interested in pursuing a career in corrections, probation, or parole. Those who choose this track will take courses involving drugs and crime, behavior and society, among a variety of others. 

    PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    Students will demonstrate effective. . .

    • Oral communication through the presentation of an academic research project in the major; 
    • Research design based on acceptable standards of the discipline;
    • Analysis which takes into account the interdisciplinary nature of the work in criminal justice;
    • Written communication as demonstrated in the senior culminating project paper;
    • Synthesis of disciplinary theory and perspectives into the research project.

    View our University Catalogue to learn more.

  • Experiential Learning

    Experiential Learning

    Being a criminal justice major at the University of Mount Union, students have an opportunity to study Crime Investigation. This is a course specifically designed to enable students to experience the role they may have as first responders when they enter the professional world.

    The course makes use of a number of practical assessments to examine the student’s knowledge and understanding. These experiences have included: 

    Criminal justice majors also have the chance to participate in internships to gain “real world” experience and allow them to apply their learning beyond the classroom.

  • Careers

     

    What can you do with a criminal justice major? As the criminal justice system continues to grow and become more sophisticated, opportunities for meaningful work, including graduate study, are projected to be abundant in the years to come. Mount Union’s criminal justice program can prepare you to join any number of branches that exist within this interesting and growing field.

    RECENT EMPLOYERS

    Stark County Sheriff's Office
    U.S. Military
    International Association of Chiefs
    of Police

    RECENT GRAD SCHOOLS

    University of Maryland
    Elon University
    University of Akron
    Cleveland State University

     

    COMMON CAREERS

    Government and public safety
    Law enforcement and corrections
    Private security
    Criminology
    Social service administration

Criminal Justice Spotlights

wengerter headshot Avery Wengerter '24 Criminal justice and psychology double major Shawn O'Neil Shawn O'Neill '12 Corrections Officer Kayla Martin '25 Criminal Justice Major koken Gretchen Koken ‘23 Psychology and criminal justice major bethany dudones Bethany Dudones '23 Theatre and criminal justice major Michael Stash headshot Michael Stash Associate Consultant, Optima Partners
wengerter headshot
wengerter headshot

Avery Wengerter '24

Criminal justice and psychology double major

It is hard to achieve that sense of family on campus; Mount Union does just that.

See Spotlight

Shawn O'Neil
Shawn O'Neil

Shawn O'Neill '12

Corrections Officer

I really enjoyed the classwork at Mount Union and I feel like that helped prepare me for my job. Also, the professionalism and the way faculty and staff handled themselves prepared me on how to present myself for future opportunities.

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Kayla Martin '25

Criminal Justice Major

I chose Mount because I grew up in Alliance, so I’ve known about it my entire life. My older sister also attends Mount, so it was only right to also continue my education here. Although, Mount has become a second home because of the many friends I’ve made throughout my involvement while a student here.

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koken
koken

Gretchen Koken ‘23

Psychology and criminal justice major

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. There’s a lot of different things to do on campus and if you get over the mental aspect of being uncomfortable, you’ll have so much more fun!

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bethany dudones
bethany dudones

Bethany Dudones '23

Theatre and criminal justice major

Mount Union feels like a second home because of the friends that have turned into family!

See Spotlight

Michael Stash headshot
Michael Stash headshot

Michael Stash

Associate Consultant, Optima Partners

I chose UMU because from the moment I stepped on campus I felt like I belonged there. The campus was beautiful, the people friendly, and they offered a liberal arts education that I desired.

See Spotlight

wengerter headshot
Shawn O'Neil
koken
bethany dudones
Michael Stash headshot