Criminal Justice (BA)

Justice & Rehabilitation

The criminal justice system in the U.S. has long struggled against the combined strains of prison and jail overcrowding, financial hardships and repeat offenders. As a result, new methods of detecting and understanding crime, and integrating the rehabilitation of people convicted of crimes, are being developed. At Seton Hill University, you’ll prepare for tomorrow’s careers in criminal justice through a unique mix of forensic science, criminology, sociology, psychology and experiential learning.

Why Study Criminal Justice at Seton Hill?

As a student in the Criminal Justice Program at Seton Hill, you will:

• Learn how to use forensic science in investigations, and gain practical experience navigating the scene of a crime in Seton Hill’s Crime Scene House. 
• Gain practical experience in the criminal justice field before you graduate through in-depth, semester-long community projects and intensive, supported internships in the field. Students regularly gain experience through the court system, probation offices, state and local law enforcement, the F.B.I. and human service organizations.
• Be able to easily add a second major, like psychology, in order to widen your knowledge base and career options. Minors in social work, human services, business and sociology are also available.
• Enjoy participation in student clubs and organizations like the Criminal Justice Club and Pi Gamma Nu, the Seton Hill Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national Criminal Justice Honor Society.
• Have the opportunity to earn this degree in the traditional four-year on-campus format, or through Seton Hill's Online Bachelor's Degree Program for working adults.

Police Training Track

As a criminal justice major at Seton Hill, you have the unique opportunity to also receive Municipal Police Officers' Basic Training - as required by Act 120 for all municipal police officers - while you earn your bachelor’s degree. 

Through a partnership with Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC), Seton Hill criminal justice majors can be considered for acceptance to the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission Basic Training Program (MPOETC) held at WCCC. As a Seton Hill criminal justice major, you can enter the Basic Training Program in your sophomore or junior year at Seton Hill. 

Interested students will need to receive permission from Seton Hill’s Criminal Justice Program Director prior to applying to the WCCC Basic Training Program. The Basic Training Program can be completed on a full-time (approximately 6 months) or part-time (approximately 10 months) basis. The academy will count towards up to 18 credit hours at Seton Hill University.

Upon successful completion of MPOETC (completion of the academy and passing the certification examination), you will be eligible for certification and will be certified when you are employed by a municipal police department. 

Faculty

Criminal justice faculty at Seton Hill are noted professors and also experienced professionals in the fields of forensic science, psychology, criminology, sociology and human services. Topics of specific expertise include DNA analysis, jury decision making, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic and gender-based violence, recidivism in the juvenile court system, research design and data analysis.

Crime Scene House

At Seton Hill, we have a full-sized ranch-style house on campus that is dedicated to the creation of "crime" - and its solution. As a criminal justice major, you will use the knowledge you are gaining in the classroom to examine and analyze mock crime scenes constructed by professors who are experienced in crime scene analysis.