UT Tyler Criminal Justice Division
Program Coordinator: Dr. Barbara Hart
Overview
Welcome to the program of criminal justice at The University of Texas at Tyler. The University offers the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in criminal justice. The criminal justice program at UT Tyler is highly respected among local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies. With four full-time faculty, the program is large enough to offer a full range of courses, yet small enough to have an average class size of twenty, and allow for individual attention.
Each student has a faculty advisor and is provided with an individualized degree plan to guide him or her through the requirements for the degree.
Mission Statement
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) offers students a focused exposure to the complex aspects of crime and criminal justice from the sociological, psychological, public policy, legal, and practitioner perspectives. Courses in the program deal with crime and delinquency; the police, courts, corrections, and cognate agencies; criminal law; relevant contemporary research; and ethical issues across the system. Students are introduced to a variety of theoretical perspectives and competing viewpoints throughout the curriculum and are equipped with the analytical and research tools for understanding and exploring issues in criminal justice. The program is based on curriculum recommendations of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and is designed to provide its majors with superior preparation for careers in criminal justice and/or further study in graduate or professional school.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the criminal justice core curriculum, students will be able to:
- Describe accurately the historical, philosophical, political, ethical, and legal foundations of the three major components of the criminal justice system (CJS): police, courts, and corrections.
- Operationalize contemporary crime theory in given behavioral scenarios.
- Correctly interpret research data involving the three major components of the criminal justice system as named in Outcome 1.
- Demonstrate increasing skill in written and oral communication through one or more modes: essay examinations, term papers, classroom recital, and oral presentations.
UT Tyler Department of Social Sciences
Division of Criminal Justice
Dr. Barbara Hart
903-566-7426