John Brown University announced the addition of an undergraduate criminal justice degree, beginning in the fall of 2020. The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice will provide students with an academic and experiential program in the various fields that comprise the discipline of criminal justice.

The program will prepare students to work in local, state or federal law enforcement, public safety and law, including administrative positions in those fields. The major is intentionally structured to give students access to experts in criminal justice as well as the related fields of political science, psychology and more. 

“In recent years, criminal justice has become one of the most sought-after courses of study in the nation. We’re excited to leverage the expertise of our faculty with the resources of an innovative partner institution to train and equip future leaders in this field,” said Daniel Bennett, associate professor of political science. “JBU’s criminal justice graduates will stand out not only for their professional preparation but also for their integrity and character.”

The new degree offering features a partnership between JBU and Bluefield College, a fellow member of the Coalition of Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) in Bluefield, Virginia. JBU students will take 12 of the required 42 credit hours of criminal justice courses through Bluefield’s online classes.

“Partnering with a CCCU sister institution like Bluefield College provides JBU students with our holistic residential experience combined with even broader content knowledge in criminal justice,” said Ed Ericson, JBU vice president of academic affairs. “This partnership will provide our students with new opportunities that we are tremendously excited about.”

The major will help students articulate a Christian worldview in recognizing, understanding and applying ethical reasoning skills in the domain of criminal justice. Students will also learn data and methods of social science research to respond to contemporary issues in criminal justice. 

For more information about the program, visit jbu.edu/majors/criminal-justice/ or email Daniel Bennett at DBennett@jbu.edu.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. As Arkansas’ top-ranked university (Wall Street Journal, 2020), JBU enrolls more than 2,100 students from 36 states and 59 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 majors, with top programs including engineering, nursing, family and human services, biology, graphic design and construction management.