CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: Ronald Becker, J.D.
Program Advisors: Joseph Allen, Ph.D., Kelly Treece, Ph.D., Collin Lau, J.D.

Degrees offered are Associate of Science (A.S.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.).

The associate and baccalaureate degrees are designed to prepare the undergraduate student academically for careers in administration, criminal justice, criminology, law enforcement, probation and parole, and public safety. The Criminology and Criminal Justice major emphasizes the development of knowledge, critical thinking, as well as oral and written communication skills. Students are encouraged to examine the American justice system pertaining to its function, equality, and effectiveness from social, ethical, and political perspectives.

Mission

The Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice is designed to educate, within the context of Marianist educational values, students in both theoretical and applied aspects of criminology and criminal justice for the purpose of assisting them in adapting in various, interrelated environments and to educate for service, justice and peace.

Assessment

The skills and competencies for the program student learning outcomes are developed and assessed in the courses and are known as Student Learning Outcomes. These are part of all syllabi. The specific program learning outcomes are cumulative in nature and assessed at the end of the program in CCJ 490.   This is a capstone course that collaboratively explores the relationship between the core and elective Criminology and Criminal Justice courses for students majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice. This course guides students toward developing an understanding of the interrelationship of course material and professional expectations. Students complete a Likert survey that examines the relationship between the field of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the five Marianist values. At the end of the course students sit for a Criminology and Criminal Justice program Comprehensive Exam that covers all CCJ course content.

Advising

All students who declare Criminology and Criminal Justice as their major are encouraged to meet with their assigned Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty advisor. A course work plan will be designed for the student and this plan will be updated and revised as the student progresses within the program.

Federal Law Enforcement Recommended Courses:

Federal law enforcement agencies are more specialized than other law enforcement agencies in their recruitment requirements. Hence, students interested in pursuing a career in federal law enforcement should consider elective courses in business, including the following courses: AC 201, AC 202, AC 306, FIN 301, and BU 362.

Recommended Minor for Law Enforcement: Forensic Science:

Forensic science has become an integral part of all law enforcement activities within Federal, State, County and City agencies. Therefore, students considering law enforcement as career perspectives should consider a minor in Forensic Science. 

Internship criteria for Criminology and Criminal Justice students

The following minimum standards have been established for acceptance into the Internship Program:

1. The student must have completed a minimum of 24 resident credit hours at Chaminade

2. The student must have completed a minimum total of 90 credit hours

3. The student must be a major or minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice

4. The student must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 for all Criminology and Criminal Justice course work

5. The student is subject to an interview with the Internship Coordinator and a participating agency representative to determine acceptance and placement by both

6. The student may not be currently employed by the agency with which the student proposes to do the internship, subject to the approval of the Internship Coordinator

7. The student must meet any specific qualifications as determined by the participating agency

8. Student must successfully complete the following Criminology and Criminal Justice courses or their equivalents prior to being considered for an internship opportunity: CJ 151, CJ 270, CJ 375, CJ 423, CJ 424, and PSY 315. Equivalent substitutions must be approved by the Program Director and/or Internship Coordinator

9. The student must successfully complete the following general education courses or their equivalents prior to being admitted to the internship program: EN 101, EN 102, COM 101, three credits of a 100 or 200- level history course, and three credits of a natural science course.

Police Academy Credit

Students enrolling who are actively employed in law enforcement may receive up to 18 credit hours for their academy instruction based on an examination of the academy curriculum.

The curriculum of the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) academy is approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), based on national standards and in consultation with Chaminade faculty. This is not a “life experience” substitution but rather recognition that HPD has courses in their academy curriculum comparable to the following in content and hours of study. There is a time factor of 10 years. Any academy training prior to that time would be dated and unacceptable.

Those students who are Honolulu Police Department, Maui Police Department, and Hawaii Police officers will receive credit for the following courses:

Four lower level courses

Two upper level courses

Pre-Law Curriculum

Pre-law studies are designed to provide a broad liberal arts background which will expand the student’s knowledge base and develop the analytical skills necessary for success in law school. The recommended curriculum consists of courses in criminal justice, communication, English, history, philosophy, and political science. A student in this program will be challenged to develop his or her critical thinking, research, and oral and written communications skills.

The pre-law student will select a major field of study in any of the majors offered University wide. All majors require electives and those electives can be chosen in areas other than the student’s major field of study. Students who choose a pre-law path would select courses with the assistance of their pre-law advisor from the following list:

Pre-law Courses

Freshmen courses

Sophomore courses

Junior courses

Senior courses

Note: Courses that are strongly recommended: CJ 223, PH 103, COM 320, CJ 435, EN 302, EN 362, PH 325, POL 374, CJ 426, CJ 430, HI 401, HI 402