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Criminal Justice

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You are interested in the law…

Whether that means becoming a lawyer, getting involved in law enforcement as a detective or in forensics, even social work, you want to use your career to understand and uphold the law.

 

The Criminal Justice degree at Tennessee Wesleyan prepares students with an understanding of the law. Students learn the process, from crime to trial, through courses with integrated curriculum. We have two undergrad programs formatted specific to your needs.

Our in-person program is a traditional undergraduate program offered on our Athens, TN campus. Newly launched, our online program is specific to adult learners looking to complete their degree.

Students can also choose the Forensics emphasis to include focused courses like Drugs and Crime, Forensics, and Trial Practice.

Students with a Criminal Justice degree from TWU are able to utilize their majors by following several different career paths. Graduates have gone on to law school, many find themselves in jobs in the field, such as police detective, probation officer, or correctional supervisor. Students attend graduate school, enter the social work field, and more.

Criminal Justice majors have multiple opportunities for involvement within the program, including the Criminal Justice Club, the biennial trip to Washington D.C., the annual event hosting world renowned forensic anthropologist, Dr. Bill Bass, and more.

One popular feature of the Criminal Justice major is the processing of a crime scene in Crime Scene Forensics class each fall, immediately proceeded by the trying of the case in Trial Practice and Evidence class each spring.

Is our online program right for you?

Find out if the Professional Leadership in Criminal Justice program fits your needs. 

Explore PLCJ

Criminal Justice Club

Each year, the Criminal Justice Club hosts an event on the TWU campus with a notable figure in criminal justice and criminal justice education. This past year, the club welcomed Tennessee Inspector General Kim Harmon to a packed house for her presentation on the journey to become Inspector General.

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Drugs and Crime

This class is designed to introduce students to the several illicit substances available, as well as the legal, yet often abused, ones. The course will also specifically focus on the extent of the drug abuse problem and examine the relationship between drug use and crime. Ultimately, the course is intended to provide students with a proper grounding in the pharmacological, sociological, and criminal dimensions of the drug problem, including the history of drug legislation in the United States.

Criminology

 An analysis of the concepts of crime, law, and criminology; theories of crime causation to include types of crime and offenders; a study of ethical issues in criminology.

Crime Scene Forensics

This course will introduce the student to the basics of practical crime scene investigation procedures and techniques. Covering the history of forensic investigation from the ancient Chinese culture to the phenomena known today as the "CSI-Effect" on the general population, this course explains the methods and protocol involved in the crime scene investigator's two prime directives: protect and preserve the evidence. This course will also introduce the student to the basics of the relationship of forensics and the law. historical as well as practical applications of forensic science will be discussed, as well as the various applications of forensic evidence within the legal system.