Criminal Justice Systems

Protect Your Community and Propel Your Career with a Criminal Justice Degree

If you’ve dedicated your professional life to keeping your community safe and are now considering a new role in law enforcement or advancing in the ranks, a Criminal Justice degree from Keuka College can help you reach your goal.

Designed for working professionals, the curriculum covers all aspects of the criminal justice system, from contemporary issues in juvenile crime to theories surrounding punishment and corrections, giving you a firm foundation in analysis and research to support investigations.

The flexible schedule allows working professionals like you to balance work/life responsibilities and studies. Face-to-face classes meet one night a week at convenient satellite campuses. They’re augmented by independent readings, assignments, case studies, online discussions, and group work. 

A police officer stands next to his car. Studies show that police officers with a Criminal Justice degree are happier in their positions.

Why a Criminal Justice Degree?

From building skills in communication, critical thinking, leadership, and technology to expanding your professional network, a Criminal Justice degree has benefits cited from chiefs of police to New York State Supreme Court justices.

Read More

More About the Criminal Justice Degree

Why consider Keuka College's Criminal Justice degree program? Here are just a few of the program's many highlights:

Experienced Instructors

Instructors in the Criminal Justice degree program are current or former public safety pros. They don’t just recite lesson plans, they share life lessons, won through feet-on-the-street experience. Their first-person perspectives enrich instruction, providing valuable context and authoritative insight.

Extensive Skill Building 

Comprehensive instruction from knowledgeable educators covers key areas applicable to all levels of law enforcement: effective communication skills; keen critical-thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities; respectful community interactions; and strong ethics.

Educational Efficiency

The Criminal Justice degree program is geared toward professionals with little time and a lot of responsibility. The evening & online format means degrees can be obtained in as little as 23 months.

Financial Aid

Many adult learners are eligible for generous scholarships.

Throughout your program, you’ll complete an action research project (ARP) as the real-world capstone to your studies. You’ll receive the tools to identify a workplace issue and then develop a solution to put into practice. Our students tell us that the results of their ARP are often implemented in their workplace, which builds value for their employers as well as themselves.
 

Keuka College’s program provides working professionals like you the opportunity to earn your Criminal Justice degree without sacrificing time at work or with your family.

If you have prior college credit, you can earn your bachelor’s degree in just about two years. Best of all, our evening and online format means you'll get the benefits of face-to-face instruction combined with the flexibility of online.

How Does Evening & Online Work?

  • Attend face-to-face class just one night each week for 4 hours at a location close to home.
  • Complete assignments and readings online when it fits your schedule.
  • Earn your degree in about two years.

We make it as convenient as possible for working adults like you to earn their Keuka College degrees. 

Admissions Requirements

  • Completion of approximately 60 transferable credit hours from an accredited college, university, or post-secondary institution(s). 
  • Cumulative minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

How to Apply

  • Complete your Application for Admission online.
  • Submit all official transcripts from each college or university you've attended.
  • Keuka College offers rolling admissions meaning we will review applications as they come in until the program is full. We strongly encourage applicants to submit all required materials as early as possible. We recommend applying by December 1 for programs starting in the spring semester and July 1 for programs starting in the fall.

Worried About Something?

We realize one size never fits all. If there's something on your mind, reach out to us and let us know! Give us a call at (315) 279-5254 or 1-800-335-3852 or by email at [email protected].

Your Criminal Justice degree program includes a number of courses that will provide you will a well-rounded, robust education. Areas you'll explore include:

  • Applied Criminology
  • Criminal Law and Procedure
  • Ethics in Criminal Justice
  • Action Research Project

The list below is a sample of the courses you'll take as part of your program. Please know that this list is subject to change as the program is reviewed and enhanced to provide you the best Criminal Justice degree possible.

CJS-405 : CJ Action Research Project 3

Designing and reporting of an original criminal justice research project. Application of research and communication skills to prepare, present and defend relevant findings to a critical audience. This course requires a high level of research and writing by the student.

CJS-303 : Applied Criminology 3

Critical examination of theories and research findings in criminology; methods of control and treatment of crime; evaluation of theories and methods as they apply to selected types of crimes, with emphasis on needs and directions for future efforts.

CJS-305 : Criminal Law and Procedure 3

Comparative study of the criminal law with emphasis in the United States Constitution, highlighting first, fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments; prosecution and defense in crimes against persons, property, and public order; application of the New York State penal law and definitions.

CJS-307 : Current Issues in Law Enforcement 3

Scrutiny of current issues in law enforcement at local, state, and federal levels. Analysis of current styles of policing, interactions among police,citizens, and the media. Identification and analysis of problem areas such as police corruption, use of excessive force and violation of citizen privacy rights.

CJS-309 : Current Issues in the U.S. Judiciary 3

Examination of the issues currently facing the judiciary at the local, state, and federal levels in the U.S. criminal justice system. This course explores what, if any, effects that a changing democratic society has on the judiciary. Such issues as mandatory sentencing, term limits for appointed judges, and specialized courts (i.e. drug and veteran courts) may be areas of focus.

CJS-313 : Issues Corrections/Community Corrections 3

Detailed analysis of philosophies, theories, and practices surrounding punishment and corrections. Critical examination of incarceration, community corrections, and the issue of capital punishment.

CJS-315 : Deviance and Social Control 3

Advanced study of what constitutes deviant behavior and the interaction between deviants and the agents of social control. Emphasis on relevant theories in contemporary criminological research.

CJS-317 : Juvenile Delinquency:Development/Trends 3

This course approaches juvenile delinquency as a unique kind of crime, different from ordinary adult crime in etiology, motive, prevention, justice system, and treatment. Emphasis on research findings and synthesis of theoretical perspectives in analysis and explanation of delinquency.

CJS-335 : Emerging Threats / Crim Justice Trends 3

Criminal Justice is a constantly evolving and changing field as each of the three components (law enforcement, courts, corrections) tries to meet the needs of a democratic society as technology continues to advance and society changes. This course will explore those changes in law enforcement, courts, and corrections, how they have evolved from a historical perspective and what emerging changes may be on the horizon.

CJS-340 : Home Sec: Terror/Nat Dis & Democracy 3

This course examines the concepts of homeland security as it has evolved in the post-9/11 era. Includes the exploration of both foreign and domestic terrorism including motivations. Additionally, the course will explore the threats from natural disasters as seen after Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and how each brings unique challenges to balancing the security of the U.S. with the freedoms of its citizenry in a democratic society.

CJS-403 : White Collar Crime 3

Offenses committed by the more privileged members of society in the course of their occupation, including crimes such as embezzlement committed by individuals for personal gain, and crimes for corporate gain that violate business law committed as part of regular business practice.

ENG-300 : College Writing for Transfer Students 4

A grade of C or higher is required to pass this course. College Writing for Transfer Students prepares students from varied writing backgrounds for the upper-level academic writing required at Keuka College. In this course, students develop the skills necessary to write effective and coherent papers that likewise meet the standards of strong academic writing. Attention to grammatical competence and effective writing strategies.

ENG-302 : Action Research Project I 3

Designed for adult learners making the transition back to the demand of college-level thinking, research, and writing at upper-division level, ENG 302 will expand and refine the composition, analytical thinking, and information literacy skills that adult learners have acquired through prior college composition courses and direct work experience.

EXP-300 : Foundations for Adult & Exp Learning

Foundations for Adult and Experiential Learning will introduce students to the scholarly demands of Keuka College and provide an understanding of the liberal arts for adult students in higher education. Students will critically evaluate their educational journey and professional goals through the exploration of adult learning theory, philosophies of education, and learning styles. This course will utilize critical reading, active discussion, and reflective writing to help adult students become a contributing member of an academic community of learners.

KC-301I : Ingtr St: Crime and Justice 3

A writing-intensive capstone course for the General Education curriculum that provides students with guidance in their application of interdisciplinary knowledge to problem solving. Students are challenged to practice critical and creative thinking skills, and they are expected to demonstrate competence in oral, written, and other creative modes of expression. This course is open to all majors. Students will examine the multi-faceted problems facing criminal justice in today's complex society through various theoretical lenses, with an eye toward problem solving and current policy issues. Among key topics of exploration are justice as a theoretical and practical concept, its application in laws and criminal code, and the role that legal and other actors from the criminal justice system play in democracy.

PHL-302 : Ethics in Criminal Justice 3

Foundations, presuppositions, and meaning of morality; major ethical theories and standards of conduct; applications of ethical theories and principles to the behavior of criminal justice practitioners, and identification and analysis of current ethical problems related to criminal justice. Intended for adult learners, utilizing the adult learning theory.

PSY-336 : Abnormal Psychology & Psychopathology 3

Disordered behavior, major syndromes, theories of etiology, and approaches to treatment.

SOC-302 : Ethnic Diversity 3

Interrelations of ethnic and racial groups to dominant groups or other minority groups; prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination; influence of group cultures and multiculturalism on intra-group cohesion and inter-group tensions, conflicts, and accommodations.

To review a full list of program requirements and course descriptions, please see the Keuka College Record's information on the Criminal Justice Systems program.

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