We don’t just teach from behind a podium. We provide learning opportunities related to current issues and events while encouraging an ability to create real-world solutions in real-time. Our classes are taught by professionals who have expertise in their fields, have worked behind the badge, and understand what goes on in today’s jurisdictions. Our graduates are making a difference in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; security functions for both local and national corporations; and national, state and local government agencies. We believe success in the classroom builds success in the field, so we keep an open pipeline with our alumni to help network our interns and graduates for success.
Students who earn their BS in Criminal Justice have a wide range of in-demand career paths to choose from after graduation.
Law Enforcement & Corrections
Legal & Advocacy
Homeland Security & Intelligence
Other Opportunities
Criminal Justice – 42 Credits Offered online and on-ground
The goal of the criminal justice program here at William Woods University is to permit students to maximize their hiring potential by allowing them focus their studies in a particular area, and in some cases, choose to double major in a related field of study; such as political legal studies or cybersecurity. We offer three content areas which address the growing nature of the field of criminal justice. Students can focus their studies in the areas of law enforcement, homeland and industrial security or cybersecurity. We also offer students the opportunity to engage in field experience, internships and law enforcement related trainings.
| This introductory course will examine crime in America with a focus on the role of police, courts, and correctional institutions. Students will consider the balance between freedom and security issues and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the American justice system as it adapts to cultural, political, and societal changes. credits: | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| This introductory course will explore the cause and major theories of criminal behavior. Students will learn the various research techniques that have been used to study criminal behavior and examine connections to social, environmental and ethnographical factors. Students will gain a more complete understanding of crime and how it relates to human social life. Finally students will apply the knowledge gained in their studies to examine current policy trends and the methods used to address crime and proscribed social behavior. credits: | Criminology -Q | 3 |
| This course involves the study of substantive and procedural criminal law including due process, probable cause, statutory and case law authorities governing criminal law and rules of criminal procedure. This course will also provide a foundation for further work in the Criminal Justice field, and host an in-depth examination of the crimes committed by suspects, and actions taken by criminal justice professionals to deal with those crimes. credits: | Criminal Law | 3 |
| This introductory course begins with first contact with the police, all the way through to appeal. We will discuss Search and Seizure; Interrogations, Confessions, and Identification Procedures; The Beginnings of Formal Proceedings; Trial, Conviction, and Beyond. This course presupposes no legal expertise, connects criminal procedure cases to the real world through innovative pedagogy, and encourages students through numerous decision making exercises to be critical thinkers by putting them in the position of judge. credits: | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| This course will examine three major criminal justice related schools of thought (virtue, formalism, and utilitarianism) and emphasizes how ethics impact individual decision-making. We will engage in extensive critical-thinking exercises, explore Police ethics as interpreted in movies, books and television and raise ethical questions to assist students in developing ethical-reasoning skills. credits: | Criminal Justice Ethics -Q | 3 |
credits: | Senior Seminar | 3 |
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