The Criminal Justice program at JSC is offered as a concentration in both the B.A. in Anthropology & Sociology and the B.A. in Political Science. This timely program goes far beyond the study of law and crime to explore complex issues of social justice as they relate to crime, punishment and victimization, including race, class, gender, and sexuality. You’ll dig into these and related topics, explore current trends and controversies in law enforcement and criminal justice, and gain cross-cultural competency in order to work successfully with people from different backgrounds and diverse life experiences.
A distinguishing feature of this program is its emphasis on the growing field of restorative justice, a technique that involves working with victims as well as offenders — typically bringing them together so that offenders can understand the harm they have caused and a program of mutually agreed upon restitution can be put into place.
This multidisciplinary program brings a range of fields to bear on the topic of criminal justice, including anthropology, communication, political science, psychology and sociology. Consistent with JSC’s focus on experiential education — “learning by doing” — the program requires an internship and senior seminar in restorative justice, victim advocacy or another branch of criminal justice or law enforcement.
The program prepares graduates for a wide range of careers related to crime, justice and law as well as law school and other higher education. Opportunities include careers in law enforcement and criminal investigation, crime analysis, border patrol, probation, parole, corrections, security, juvenile justice, victim advocacy, restorative justice and community development, social justice reform and advocacy, and public policy.
A bachelor’s degree with a background in criminal justice also prepares you to pursue a variety of careers in law, from working as paralegals and legal assistants to attending law school. In addition, thanks to a special agreement between JSC and Vermont Law School, graduates may be eligible to pursue a master’s or law degree at Vermont Law with the support of a $15,000 annual scholarship.
Finish in Four!
Completing your college education in four years saves you time and money and gets you into the job market faster. With our “Finish in Four” Degree Maps, you can view just one sample degree path to follow - identifying which classes to take and how to achieve an on-time graduation - from among a number of others that are also possible for this major/concentration. View a sample Political Science: Criminal Justice Concentration Degree Map.
You’ll gain strong communication and cross-cultural skills, an understanding of social and historical power dynamics, critical analysis and writing skills, and the practical experience to prepare for success in a variety of careers or further study in law and criminal justice.
You’ll examine the political process from every angle, from the government in the U.S. and Canada to the politics of terrorism -- all while developing communication and cross-cultural skills, an understanding of social and historical power dynamics, and practical experience in criminal justice.
