B.S. Criminal Justice

The B.S. in Criminal Justice program helps you develop skills of critical thinking and creative problem solving, encourages you to make ethical decisions, and promotes support for our constitutional protections. Courses in criminal law, law enforcement, corrections, world criminal justice systems, criminology and juvenile delinquency provide you with a broad base of knowledge about the criminal justice system. This will prepare you for a wide variety of careers or for entrance into graduate school. Your faculty advisor, a criminal justice professor, will help you tailor your courses to meet your academic and professional goals.

The program also gives you the opportunity to develop a minor which will enhance your marketability after graduation.

Internships

A unique hallmark of the Criminal Justice program is the opportunity to do an internship which provides you with invaluable hands-on experience in real-life situations. This will enhance your marketability when seeking a job or entrance into graduate school. Typical

internships include probation, parole, police departments, correctional facilities, detention centers, juvenile treatment programs, and public and private social service agencies. You will work closely with a faculty member to set up your internship during the regular school year or in the summer, either in the surrounding area or in your home town. Some internships have included Lycoming County Probation, Wal-Mart Loss Prevention, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and Interpol.

In addition, there are numerous field trips to prisons, therapeutic facilities, and other criminal justice settings. Mock crime scenes on campus allow you to put into practice what you learn in the classroom.

Guest Lecturers

Professionals in the field of criminal justice regularly visit classes to share their experience. Some examples have included the Pennsylvania State Police, Liquor Control Enforcement, local probation and parole officers, Secret Service, Department of Defense, Border Patrol, local and federal correctional officers, and juvenile treatment facilities.

Clubs

The Criminal Justice Club, run by the students under faculty supervision, is open to all students. Each year, the club schedules activities such as tours of local correctional facilities, visits to the Pentagon, and attendance at job fairs in Washington, D.C. and other locations.

The National Criminal Justice Honor Society, LHU Chapter, requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 overall for membership. An advanced pay step in federal employment after graduation is among the many benefits of the organization. In addition, the group does community service activities to benefit the university and the community.

Professional Development

During your coursework, you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow professionals working in the field, help to solve a mock crime scene, and be involved with outside experts in such exercises as an arson investigation and a controlled “arson” burn, for example.

In addition, the faculty works closely with the LHU Career Planning and Placement Office to help you find employment after graduation. You will also receive guidance in resume writing and the employment application process.

Career Opportunities

Your degree will prepare you for a career in policing, security, law, probation and parole, corrections and therapeutic treatment. You may also choose to continue to graduate or law school. Recent graduates have found jobs in the Ocean City, Md. Police Department, Las Vegas Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Penn State University Police Department, Pittsburgh Police Department, Clinton County Probation and Parole, Bellefonte Juvenile Detention Facility, United States Department of Defense, United States Capitol Police, Cornell Abraxas, Moshannon Correctional Facility, White Deer Treatment Facility, and the United States military (Army and Marine Corps). Other graduates have continued their education at the University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati, and other institutions.

Faculty

All criminal justice faculty hold their doctoral degrees and have experience in diverse specialties in the field. They share a dedication to teaching and helping you achieve your academic and professional goals. They are always available to answer your questions and help you succeed.

Tamson L. Six, Associate Professor, Chair
(570) 484-2119 tsix@lhup.edu
Ph.D. - University of Virginia
Area of Expertise: Forensic Mental Health, Program
Evaluation, Drug Abuse

Ed Bowman, Assistant Professor
Ph.D - Virginia Commonwealth University,
Areas of Expertise: Corrections and Organizational Analysis.

Greg Koehle, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Area of Expertise:  Administration of Justice, Criminal Justice, Criminology

Dwayne Marshall, Associate Professor
Ph.D. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Area of Expertise: Policing, Criminal Investigation

Michael McSkimming, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Area of Expertise: Criminology

Katie Pantaleo, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Area of Expertise:  Criminological Theory, Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, Occupational Crime, Women and Crime