Criminal Justice and Security Studies
We offer a broadly structured interdisciplinary curriculum.
Existing within a Catholic University founded upon the Marianist tradition, our interdisciplinary program encourages students to become ‘improvement agents’ in their service to the community. They are expected to demonstrate the behavior necessary for effective personal and group relationships while incorporation the rights and responsibilities of individuals, accepting and utilizing criticisms and respecting human difference.
The Criminal Justice and Security Studies (CJSS) Department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. It is a broadly structured, interdisciplinary and criminological curriculum comprised of faculty who are criminal justicians, criminologists, community activists, psychologists, political scientists, social workers, law and justice scholars and sociologists.
As a broadly structured interdisciplinary curriculum, the mission of the department is to provide students with knowledge of the historical, philosophical, social, political and legal theories, concepts, practices and events which shape the criminal justice system, its agencies and components in society. The department demonstrates an understanding and appreciation of diverse ideas and experiences.
Welcome
CJSS is dedicated to educating students who seek to serve the common good as law enforcement officers, lawyers, social service and nonprofit providers, security professionals and the like.
About Criminal Justice and Security Studies
The University of Dayton has offered a Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) major for more than 50 years. The vision for the Department of Criminal Justice and Security Studies embraces the Catholic Marianist tradition of ethics, social justice, individual and community engaged inquiry and civic engagement by educating students on the root causes of injustice and providing opportunities for vocational discernment.
CJSS is dedicated to educating students who seek to serve the common good as law enforcement officers, lawyers, social service and nonprofit providers, security professionals, and the like. We extend the University’s Marianist mission by placing curricular emphasis on educating the whole person through a vocational discernment process that emphasizes ethics, integrity, critical thinking, stewardship, service and connection to others.
Students graduating with a CJS degree are expected to (Department SLOs):
- Understand how historical, theoretical, ethical, legal and social justice concerns impact the justice system;
- Critically analyze and develop ethical responses to justice challenges;
- Use social science research methods to investigate and respond to justice problems;
- Develop professional skills in real-world settings through experiential learning;
- Effectively communicate their perspectives on complex justice issues to diverse audiences; and
- Navigate collaborative efforts to solve practitioner and/or scholarly issues.
Scott Belshaw, a criminologist with expertise in digital forensics and cyber security, joined UD as chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Security Studies.
University of Dayton senior Arabella Loera topped more than 7,300 mock trial students at the American Mock Trial Association’s regional and national tournaments.