Belmont Abbey College

Major - Criminal Justice and Security Studies

COORDINATOR: Julia Beeman

Belmont Abbey College offers professional studies that enable its graduates to face successfully the challenges of a changing society. The value of community is present throughout an education at Belmont Abbey and informs its educational programs and services.

The rapidly evolving field of criminal justice/criminology addresses both the issues that threaten community viability and the principles that ensure community growth and stability. This field of study is interdisciplinary, drawing from a broad range of academic disciplines: sociology, psychology, Constitutional and international law, statistics, data analysis, demographics, and ethics.

The new realities of the post-911 era demand more than the traditional approach to criminal justice studies. Public safety and security issues go beyond the traditional confines of criminal justice to include preparedness for a whole range of contingencies. With this in mind the degree in Criminal Justice and Security Studies will include not only the following:

• Explanations of crime and criminality prevention
• Control and treatment of crime and delinquency
• Theoretical examination of criminal justice subsystems – law enforcement, courts and corrections
• Facilitation of the growth and development of stable communities
• Criminal justice policies and their implications
• Role of public and private protective services
• Policing policies, organization and leadership
• International and domestic terrorism
• Security related to global commerce and supply line security
• Federal compliance programs for homeland security and emergency preparedness procedures (these include coordinated programs developed by Police, Fire and Public Health Departments)
• US intelligence system interfaces with local law enforcement

The major will be ideal for students who want to pursue careers in law, law enforcement, justice, social work, mediation, and community development. Some of these career choices would require additional postgraduate preparation but the degree would be excellent for a wide range of entry positions in probation and parole, some social work positions and community development agencies. Increasingly, one finds that a Bachelors degree is required of employees in local law enforcement agencies.

To be accepted as a major in the CJSS program students must have taken six credit hours of criminal justice courses and have earned not less than a “C” grade in each of the two courses. Students may not declare a major until this criterion is met.

Requirements: Within the general requirements of the College for graduation, the following are particular requirements for the major: Social Science 300 and 400, Criminal Justice 200, 300, 304, 305, 360, 309, 403, 408, 414, 453 and 12 credit hours of Criminal Justice and Security Studies electives. Additionally, students must take 9 credit hours of relevant courses outside the department (but within the division of Social Sciences)

• Law, law enforcement, court administration, social work, probation/parole, corrections and community development agencies [some career choices may require post graduate preparation].

Additionally, students must take 9 credit hours of relevant courses outside of the department but within the Division of Social Science (i.e., a total of 9 credit hours in psychology and or political science in such courses as Cognitive Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Social Problems, Family Violence, Introduction to Social Work, Counseling, etc.).

Examples of Electives in Criminal Justice and Security Studies
• SO/CJ380 White Collar Crime
• SO/CJ302 Policing in the 21 st Century
• SO414 Criminology: Theories of Crime and Delinquency
• SO/CJ413 Deviance
• CJ360 The Criminal Court system
• CJ370 Juvenile Delinquency
• CJ350 The Role of Law Enforcement in Emergency Management
• CJ400 Supply-line security issues
• PO/CJ419 Seminar in International Terrorism
• CJ Forensic Science



Criminal Justice and Security Studies – Faculty

The major includes significant participation by members of the local law enforcement community who bring their experience to bear by teaching as adjunct instructors. The full-time faculty of the college involved are:

James Giermanski - Chair and Professor of International Business
B.A. Belmont Abbey College, M.Ed. University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Ed.D. University of Miami, M.A. Florida International University

Peter Lodge - Chair and Professor of Sociology, Coordinator of Criminal Justice and Security Studies
B.A. Metropolitan University of Manchester, Ph.D. University of Keele

Gary Williams - Associate Professor of Sociology
B.S.Ed. Kent State University, M.Ed. Kent State University, M.A. Kent State University, Ph.D. Ohio State University

Ask Julia Foster Beeman, M.S. a question about the Criminal Justice and Security Studies program.

*Name:

*E-mail Address:

Phone Number: