Welcome to the Criminal Justice Program
at
Penn State University, Altoona College
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L. Edward Day, Ph.D., Program Coordinator
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Michael Arter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Vidisha Barua, LLM, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Scott Kelly, Ph.D. Student, Lead Advisor
Robert Worley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
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Overview
Students receiving a baccalaureate degree in
criminal justice, either B.S. or B.A., should develop
an understanding of each of the three main
components of the criminal justice system and
their interrelationships, be able to evaluate
critically both current and future crime control
policy proposals and criminal justice research, and
understand the complexity of the phenomena of
crime an criminal behavior and its relationship to
the individual, social, and cultural factors.
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This program includes the study of law
enforcement, courts, and corrections. These
courses will include study as individual courses
and as components of a system, plus work in
theories of crime causation, and crime control
policy. Reading, writing, and critical thinking skills
are absolutely essential to successful completion
of this degree, as well as successful careers in
criminal justice. Students should enter wellequipped in these skills, and should expect them
to be rigorously applied and developed throughout
the degree program.
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The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice
provides a broadly based liberal arts background
for the study of crime, justice, and the criminal
justice system. The Bachelor of Science offers
and opportunity for educational enrichment in
fields not traditionally considered part of the
liberal arts. Either degree is excellent preparation
for a career in criminal justice, graduate or
professional study, or informed citizenship. Both
degrees require a minimum of 128 credits.
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What Do Criminal Justice Majors
Do?
A degree in criminal justice is solid preparation for
many careers. While many criminal justice majors
indicate a preference for law enforcement, others
find careers in prisons, community corrections, or
court administration. Government positions in
criminal justice are available at the local, county,
state and federal levels, and private security is a
growing and important source of jobs for criminal
justice students.
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The criminal justice major at Penn State Altoona
focuses on one of the most important public policy
areas in our county today, and is good preparation
for graduate study in law, criminology, and other
fields. Also, like students in other majors, criminal
justice students often find employment and build
careers in fields not directly related to their major,
such and insurance, journalism, human services,
and the military. It is an excellent major both for a
career and for life.
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Why Major in Criminal Justice?
Nationwide, criminal justice is a labor intensive,
growth industry; careers in criminal justice,
especially corrections, continue to show strong
growth. According to Pennsylvania Workforce
2005, two of the major employment areas for
criminal justice majors, legal services and
protective services, will provide many more
opportunities in the future.
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Workforce 2005 projected that legal services
occupations would grow by 11,100 positions,
with paralegal employment increasing by over
40%. Protective services occupations were
expected to expand by 6.1%, for a total of
3,175 job openings. Positions for corrections
officers and jailers (16.7%), detectives and
investigators (20.8%), and guards (11.8%),
shows the strongest growth trends within
protective services occupations.
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The criminal justice program at Penn State
Altoona offers various options:
 Bachelor of Arts
 Bachelor of Science
 Associate of Science
 Minor in Criminal Justice (18 credits)
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As important part of the Bachelor of Science Degree is a
sequence of four courses chosen by students based on
their own interests and career goals.
All baccalaureate students are required to complete a
minimum three-credit internship with a criminal justice
agency.
The criminal justice major at Penn State Altoona is based
on the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences standards for
criminal justice education.
In addition to studying police, courts, and corrections,
students learn about computer, statistics, ethics, social
research and multi-cultural issues, as well as other key
issues in modern criminal justice.
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The Criminal Justice
Organization
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The Criminal Justice Organization (CJO) was
created by, and designed for, students with an
interest in criminal justice. The organization was
designed with four factors in mind: a social
element, and educational element, a service
component, and a support component.
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CJO: Social Element
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The CJO was developed to provide a forum for
those students with common interests in criminal
justice. This could include such things as : Pizza
parties, movies, casual “get together’s,” etc.
There is also a CJO phone & e-mail directory with
the names of members and officers.
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CJO: Educational Element
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Educationally, the CJO is a key instrument in
helping with career decisions and academics. The
CJO works towards bringing speakers to the
campus who are working as a professional in
some area of criminal justice. The criminal justice
program also has an active Mock Trail Team and
this coming fall, a new Mediation Team will be
initiated (please see your advisor for
information). Anyone interested is encourage to
join.
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CJO: Service Component
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The CJO was designed with a service component in
mind. This is intended to allow students to work
within the community and represent, not only
themselves and the CJO, but, Penn State Altoona
as well. This is done by coordinated volunteer
work in the nearby communities.
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CJO: Support Component
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Members of the CJO are willing to lend a helping
hand to fellow students who are having problems
with their academics. This comes about in the
forms of mentoring and tutoring.
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Alpha Phi Sigma (ΑΦΣ)
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Alpha Phi Sigma (APS) is the nationally recognized honor
society for students in criminal justice.
The society recognizes academic excellence by
undergraduate, as well as graduate students of criminal
justice and criminology.
Our local APS chapter can be a fulfilling experience, as its
members decide it to be. The chapter can be a forum for
guest speakers, organized trips, tour facilities, and become
involved in community service projects.
Some examples are recent tours to state prisons, K-9
training facilities, crime labs, and our ever present need
for fund raising.
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APS: Membership
Requirements:
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Students must have a declared major, minor or
equivalent in criminal justice field.
Have completed three full time semesters or
equivalent.
Must maintain at least a 3.2 overall GPA on a scale
of 4.0.
3.2 GPA in their criminal justice courses.
The student must also have completed a minimum
of 4 courses within the criminal justice field.
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Internships
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A key element for the Criminal Justice Degree student is
the Internship Program. The Internship Program, CJ495,
allows students to gain valuable experience using the
application process (what is learned in the classroom and
applying it “hands on” in the field).
Some internships are paid internships, which means, the
student gets paid while applying practical solutions learned
in the classroom to their job. Most internships are not a
“paid” position, but either paid or unpaid you will be
earning credits for graduation and, you will earn valuable
experience by applying what you have learned in the
classroom to the “real world.”
Prior interns, act as student guides by discussing their
experiences. There are booklets and pamphlets on
internships available in your advisor’s office for review. The
opportunity for research is also provided.
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Advising
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Students entering the Criminal Justice Degree
Program are strongly encouraged NOT to
engage in “Self Advising” (this happens when
students do not meet with their advisors on a
regular basis and take it upon themselves to
make course and career decisions and end up
still having classes to take when they should be
graduating and moving on to Graduate School
or their careers). Please visit your academic
advisor on a regular basis.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES
(CJ)
CJ 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
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Overview of the criminal justice system, including
legal foundations, processing and correction of
offenders, extent and types of crime, and victims.
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There are five parts: The Foundations of Crime
and Justice, The Police, The Courts, Corrections,
and Juvenile Justice. This course gives and in-site
into other criminal justice courses that you will
encounter as part of the CJ curriculum.
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CJ 210: The Law Enforcement Function (3)
Purpose and function of police in society, recruitment,
training, duties, socialization; organization of police agencies.
Review police discretion, and important key element in
policing.
CJ 220: Courts and the Prosecution Process (3)
Purpose and function of criminal courts in society,
organization, jurisdiction and staffing; prosecution,
adjudication and sentencing of offenders.
Review Landmark Supreme Court Cases, two models or value
systems that compete for priority in the operation of the
criminal process which are the Crime Control Model and the
Due Process Model, Substantive versus Procedural Justice,
Equal versus Individualized Justice, these are just to name a
few topics that will be covered over the course of the class
semester.
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CJ 230: Correction is America (3)
Punishment and treatment of sentenced offenders,
correctional institution organization, staffing, inmates and
subcultures.
The history of corrections is reviewed for an understanding
of the modern day and future trends of correctional
institutions.
CJ 297: Special Topics (1-9)
CJ 420: Criminal Law and Procedure (3)
Common law and statutory crimes, Constitutional rights of
accused persons, liability of criminal justice professionals.
Prerequisite: CJ 220
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CJ 430: Community Corrections (3)
Control and treatment of offenders in the community,
probation and parole organizations, diversion programs,
innovative sentences, supervision techniques.
Prerequisite: CJ 230
CJ 450W: Criminal Justice Policy (3)
Two major criminal justice paradigms of the late 20th century;
historical, political and social contexts; policy initiatives and
outcomes.
Prerequisite: Senior standing; CJ 100, 210, 220, 230,
and SOC 012; or permission of instructor.
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CJ 460: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (3)
Identification and processing of young offenders, delinquency
correlates, juvenile courts and corrections.
Prerequisite: SOC 012.
CJ494: Research Project (1-12)
Prerequisite: SOC 007.
CJ 495: Criminal Justice Internship (3-12)
Field experience in a criminal justice agency.
Students will given a binder with step-by-step instructions on
how to complete a successful internship and how to choose
the right internship for their career interests.
Prerequisite: 12 credits in CJ courses; prior approval
of proposed assignment by instructor.
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CJ 496: Independent Studies (1-18)
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Prerequisite: 12 credits in CJ.
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CJ 497 Special Topics (1-9)
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Prerequisite: CJ 100.
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