Criminal Justice
Carthage’s interdisciplinary program gives students a complete understanding of criminal justice, from law-making to law-breaking.
Students take political science and sociology courses in addition to traditional criminal justice courses like Criminal Law and Constitutional Criminal Procedure. Criminal justice personnel need to fully appreciate the legal issues involved in their work, the nature of the social problems they encounter, and the psychology of people’s attitudes toward law enforcement. Without this understanding, criminal justice personnel are not well-equipped for their jobs.
Students considering law school are advised to complete the pre-law track within the criminal justice major.
“Students leave here and they’re not just trained to be police officers. They can do all kinds of things in their careers, and our graduates reflect that flexibility.” — Rick Matthews, Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Experienced, Expert Faculty
The criminal justice faculty includes professors with Ph. D.s in sociology, professional law enforcement officers, and attorneys. The department regularly invites alumni to speak to current students, which allows criminal justice majors to hear directly from graduates who have worked in various positions and fields.
beyond the classroom
Students interested in law, criminal justice, or politics can take the four-credit Mock Trial course and represent Carthage in regional or national competitions. Additionally, Carthage has an award-winning chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, the world’s largest law fraternity. Students often secure internships with one of the many agencies in the area.
Opportunities for criminal justice students
Special academic options: Pre-Law Advising
A Carthage education thoroughly prepares students for the rigors of law school. Faculty advisors provide specialized guidance for those interested in legal careers, regardless of their major.
Where Carthage criminal justice graduates go
The criminal justice major at Carthage is designed for students planning a career in criminal justice, such as law and judiciary fields, law enforcement and administration, probation and parole, criminology, adult and juvenile corrections, and urban planning and affairs. There is a wide range of local, state, and national criminal justice careers. Students who graduate with a degree in criminal justice also leave Carthage with a solid foundation in the liberal arts. They have learned to read critically, think independently, and communicate effectively.
Recent alumni have taken positions as dispatchers, probation officers, and law enforcement officers at the local, county, and state levels of government, as well as federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Others have been accepted to graduate programs in law and social work.