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Criminal justice is a multidisciplinary field that draws together perspectives from sociology, political science, psychology, history, philosophy, and law in an effort to understand major issues surrounding the management of criminal justice institutions. These institutions include police, courts, and correctional programs.

AREA OF EMPHASIS AT DELAWARE

As part of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, the Criminal Justice Program at Delaware offers a liberal arts approach that integrates theory, research, and the analysis of substantive law. The emphasis is on the history of the criminal justice system, the structure of its institutions, and problems faced by professionals and leaders at every level of organization within the field – from the halls of Congress to the urban police beat. Majors graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice. Courses begin with the basic terminology and organization of the field, along with overviews of the issues and problems that criminal justice professionals have attempted to address. At the same time, students acquire important working knowledge about police, courts, and correctional agencies. A second level of courses concentrates in greater detail on research in criminal justice. Finally, upper-level courses allow for in-depth exploration of the research and theory connected with specific issues and areas of concern within the field – criminal behavior, juvenile justice, criminal justice administration, criminal law, criminal procedure, criminal evidence, the history of American law, and international criminal justice systems.

Additional Keywords pre-law, prelaw, law