Specializations in:
-General
-Law Enforcement
-Forensic Science
-Corrections and Case Management
-Homeland Security and Crisis Management

The Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice provides students with a broad based education in criminal justice studies. The curriculum is designed to give students a professional education in the criminal justice field, with particular emphases in policing, courts, criminology, corrections, juvenile justice, homeland security and the field of forensic science. The focus is to provide students with an education that will help them master the skills and expertise needed to work in the field of criminal justice.

Not Applicable

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Upon completion of the BSCJ degree program, the student should be able :

1. Apply appropriate knowledge and skills necessary for a vital career in criminal justice and related professions
2. Analyze and synthesize key theories of criminology, including the causes of crime, typologies, offenders, and victimization
3. Differentiate between the substantive and procedural aspects of the criminal and juvenile justice processes
4. Apply knowledge and understanding of law enforcement, homeland security and crisis management principles to analyze and evaluate police organization, discretion, terrorist threats and legal constraints
5. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of law adjudication including criminal law, prosecution, defense, court procedures, and legal decision-making processes
6. Demonstrate knowledge and analytical skills pertaining to corrections including incarceration, community-based corrections, and treatment of offenders, as well as other alternatives to incarceration programs
7. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of techniques, abilities, and limitations in the forensic science laboratory, the field of medicolegal death investigations, forensic psychology and computer crimes and computer forensics

AIU has developed a unique assessment process to assess the quality of student work in four major areas throughout our BSCJ program.  Every class has one common assignment that is used to rate each student's abilities in: Law and adjudication, Effective Communication, Critical and Creative Thinking, Information Literacy and Research. These criteria are linked to course, program and institutional level learning outcomes. The data from these assessments are used to gauge the progress of learning within our program.

1. Law and adjudication process: This assessment measures students' ability to demonstrate thorough understanding and application of the laws concerning criminal procedure.

2. Effective Communication: This assessment measures the students' ability to demonstrate application of written or visual skills, organization, style, grammar, mechanics, format, presentation and delivery, where applicable. Language clearly and effectively communicates ideas and content relevant to the assignment and errors in grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are minimal.

3. Critical and Creative thinking: This assessment measures students' ability to analyze assumptions and evaluate evidence as well as ability to use creativity and originality in problem-solving.

4. Information literacy and research: This criterion assesses students' ability to demonstrate outstanding selection and use of high quality, credible, and relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate to an assignment. Sources are consistently cited according to required documentation (e.g., APA), with almost no errors.

The results shown below reflect the percentage of students who achieved the level of proficient or more (accomplished and exemplary) in 29 BSCJ classes, involving a total of 269 students in quarter 2 of 2010.

Law and adjudication process: 100%
Effective communication: 95%
Critical and creative thinking: 96%
Information literacy and research: 81%

Not Applicable