The criminal justice program is an applied interdisciplinary program in the social sciences emphasizing a liberal arts approach to the administration of, practice in, and understanding of the criminal justice system. The program is designed to prepare students for a variety of entry-level positions in criminal justice and to provide them with a knowledge of the causes of crime, as well as the workings of the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections) and law in society.

General Goals for Learning

Students will:

• Have an understanding of the principles underlying the functions of the criminal justice system and its relationship to society at large;
• Have a thorough understanding of the role of criminal justice professional in the fields of law enforcement, corrections, and the courts;
• Posses the skills necessary to think clearly, independently, and critically about the fundamental issues in criminal justice; and
• Posses the foundations necessary for professional careers in the criminal justice fields, successful graduate study, or law school.

Majors & Minors Offered
Criminal Justice Major 
Criminal Justice Minor

For more information contact:
Dr. Tricia Lynn Klosky
Criminal Justice Coordinator
700 Terrace Heights #1513
(507) 457-6677
tklosky@smumn.edu