Justice Administration Major

Why Justice Administration?
The Justice Administration curriculum is designed for students who want a career in some aspect of corrections, courts, law enforcement, probation and parole, or a local, state, or national justice agency. This major is available in the B.A./B.S. and the A.A.S./B.A.S. degree programs, with slight differences in requirements.

Unlike many other majors that offer only one or two directions, Justice Administration affords graduates with three separate major emphases, each with dozens of opportunities to establish a career: police, courts, and corrections.

Careers in Justice Administration

• Police: There are over 14,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States including 3,088 sheriff’s departments, 1,332 special police agencies (parks, schools, airports, etc.), 49 state agencies, and 70 federal law enforcement agencies.
• Courts: A little known area for careers is working for the court systems in either state or federal jurisdictions (i.e., supreme court, appellate courts, superior courts, probate court, county court, municipal court, domestic relations court, justice of the peace to name a few).
• Corrections: The United States has the largest correctional system in the world with a multitude of career directions; probation (juvenile or adult), parole, and correctional officer.
  

Justice Administration Student Profiles
It should be noted that justice administration offers equal opportunities for both men and women; consequently, course attendance is usually 50/50.

Justice Administration Success Stories
Wayland Baptist University graduates with a justice degree have stepped directly into positions with both the state and federal government in all three categories of justice administration.

Justice Administration Internships
One of the requirements for a degree in justice administration is to serve one full semester as an intern in a discipline usually chosen by the student but with approval of the professor. A minimum of 15-hours per week on-the-job training is required. This affords the student an opportunity to actually work within the context of their interests for a career. This course must be taken in their senior year. Many students have been hired upon graduation as a result of their OJT as an intern. Police and sheriff’s departments, adult and juvenile probation departments, Texas state adult parole, Hale County Crisis Center, are but a few of the areas chosen by students.

Justice Administration Requirements
Justice Administration (B.A./B.S.):
Students majoring in Justice Administration for a B.A. or B.S. degree must complete 30 semester hours, of which 24 must be upper-level credit. This major is available to B.A. or B.S. degrees only.

The following courses (18 hours) are required for the Justice Administration (B.A./B.S.) major:
JUAD 2300 – Administration of Justice
JUAD 3300 – Criminal Law
JUAD 3301 – Police-Community Relations
JUAD 3308 – Criminal Investigation
JUAD 3310 – Criminology
JUAD 3320 – Cultural Diversity
JUAD 4309 – Juvenile Delinquency
JUAD 4360 – Practicum
Three hours of Ethics
Three hours from Justice Administration electives

Justice Administration (A.A.S./B.A.,S.):
Students majoring in Justice Administration for a B.A.S. degree must complete 36 semester hours, of which 24 must be upper-level credit. Within the major, students may choose 18 hours of approved courses or select the Human Services specialization to complete all degree requirements. This major is available to A.A.S./B.A.S. degrees only.

The following courses (18 hours) are required for the Justice Administration (A.A.S./B.A.S.) major:
JUAD 3300 – Criminal Law
JUAD 3310 – Criminology
RSWR 3345 – Research Writing Methods
Three hours of Ethics
Select three hours from the following two courses:
     JUAD 2300 – Administration of Justice
     JUAD 3319 – American Legal System
Select three hours from the following two courses:
     JUAD 3303 – Urban Sociology
     JUAD 3320 – Cultural Diversity

               AND

Select approved courses from (18 hours):
Justice administration, psychology, sociology, law enforcement, ethics, management or related areas

               OR

Human Services Specialization (18 hours):
JUAD/SOCI 3304 – Social Problems
JUAD/SOCI 3322 – Introduction to Social Work
PSYC/SOCI 4310 – Social Psychology
Nine hours of approved courses from psychology or sociology