Criminal Justice

Major Map: B.A. Criminal Justice

The focus of the criminal justice major is an evolving study of crime, law, and justice that draws upon the knowledge bases of sociology, psychology, law, public policy, statistics, and research methods – all relying on a strong liberal arts foundation. Students will have the opportunity to share real world experiences and participate in internships. The criminal justice program will offer undergraduate students the opportunity to acquire knowledge and capabilities that blend the theory and practice of criminal justice through a critical analysis of structural inequalities and injustices. The criminal justice major will reflect the unique perspective and history of Fisk University. Issues of racial disparity, racial profiling, the shootings of African American youths by police, the disproportionate incarceration of persons of color, the exoneration of persons sentenced to death, and the denial of civil rights to convicted felons call into question the administration of “justice” by the American criminal justice system. Fisk University, through its Race Relations Institute, was once a leading force in uniting scholars, policy makers, and practitioners in the battle against racial injustice. The criminal justice program at Fisk will be guided by critical analyses of the problems and successes of criminal justice systems throughout the world with the goal of producing scholars, policy makers, and practitioners in the criminal justice field who recognize injustice and seek to improve and/or change the existing system to benefit all societies. The program will provide a multiracial and multiethnic view of crime and justice issues.

The purpose of the Criminal Justice program is to:

1. Provide students with a thorough understanding of the social organization and administration of the criminal justice system.
2. Instruct students in qualitative and quantitative social science research, including basic introductory statistical concepts.
3. Expose students to the constitutional concepts of due process, equal protection, and fundamental fairness in policing, courts, and corrections.
4. Guide students in comprehending how the role of ethics and moral reasoning throughout the criminal justice system.
5. Lead students though the issues of diversity, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnic, cultural, and class issues, in the administration of criminal justice.
6. Demonstrate to students the writing, research, communication, and computer literacy skills sufficient to enter into criminal justice and allied professional fields, or alternatively to pursue graduate studies in such fields and disciplines.
7. Assist students in developing critical reasoning skills to solve problems in selected areas of criminal justice.
8. Have students compare and contrast traditional and contemporary theories of crime causation, and their implications for public policy.
9. Develop in students the awareness of the importance of the history, development, fundamental concepts, and current operation of our principal criminal justice institutions, their relationships to each other, and their relationships to the larger political and societal context.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing the criminal justice program will be able to:

1. Identify the functions of the components and agents of the criminal justice system at the local, state, and national levels, and the legal statutes, court cases, and procedures that guide their operation.
2. Understand the theories of criminology that provide the foundation of the justice system.
3. Evaluate the positive and negative consequences of the exercise of discretionary power by each component and/or agent of the criminal justice system in an individualized system of justice.
4. Assess the effectiveness of the various criminal justice policies intended to prevent and control crime.
5. Distinguish disparities from discrimination regarding the application of criminal justice policies and the administration of justice in a multiracial and multiethnic global society.
6. Develop basic skills for quantitative and qualitative research design and data analysis.
7. Apply an ethical framework to reach judgments and sound decisions in recognizing injustices.
8. Understand the interplay between society and the criminal justice system, with emphasis on the social institutions, cultural norms and values, and the responses to other social problems that impact the criminal justice system.
9. Gain practical experience through an internship at a criminal justice or related agency.