Undergraduate Major
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration
麻豆视频鈥檚 Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration prepares students with the education required to enter careers in enforcement, investigation, social services, law, victim services and other related professions. Taught by professionals in Criminal Justice careers and professors with backgrounds in areas including law, law enforcement, the courts, security, the FBI, and research, the program offers current practices and timely information to its students.
Achieve More With A Criminal Justice Degree
Practicum
Alvernia's program requires completion of a practicum course, in which you will gain relevant, hands-on experience through an internship on the local, state or federal level at a criminal justice, private corporate security or service agency.
Career Outlook
Pursue a variety of careers, including:
- Police Officer
- Correctional Officer
- FBI Agent
- Private Investigator
- Crime Prevention Specialist
- Crime Scene Investigator
- State Trooper
- Prison warden
- Criminal Law
- Corrections
- Criminal Justice Professor
- Probation Officer
Fast-Growing Professions
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the range of jobs available with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in criminal justice is projected to grow up to 12 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than average for all occupations. The median annual wage in those professions in 2022 ranged from $48,000 to $80,000.
High-Flying Grads
Graduates report that they have secured careers in their field of interest, including:
- Berks County Court of Common Pleas
- Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Children鈥檚 Home of Reading
- Connections Work
- Dauphin County Probation Services
- FBI Security
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Tompkins Financial
- U.S. Border Patrol
- Various municipal police departments
Students interested in furthering their education in the field of law have been accepted at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Maryland Carey School of Law.
Program Overview
- Experiential Learning Opportunities
During their senior year of studies, students must complete requirements of CJ 408 Agency Practicum. Students secure a field placement and complete 252 hours of experiential learning, submit journals, prepare a senior portfolio and make a presentation on their internship experience. During the 2023 - 2024 academic year, the following agencies/internship sites provided these experiences:
- Berks County Court of Common Pleas
- Berks County Adult Probation Department
- Berks County Juvenile Probation Department
- Berks Connections/Pretrial Services
- Carbon County Probation Department
- CASA of Berks County
- Children鈥檚 Home of Reading
- Hamburg Police Department
- KRE Security
- Magisterial District Court
- Montgomery County Youth Services
- New Story School
- Olivette Boys and Girls Club
- Pottstown Police Department
- Reading Area Community College
- Reading Police Department
- South Heidelberg Township Police Department
- South Whitehall Township Police Department
- Stone Harbor Police Department
- The Washington Center
- Tompkins Financial
- Accreditation Statements
Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the . MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
- Opportunities for Majors
The purpose of the Criminal Justice Associations is to expose and educate members about the field of Criminal Justice. Interested
students should contact Criminal Justice faculty in BH003.
Alpha Phi Sigma
Alpha Phi Sigma is the Criminal Justice National Honor Society. The purpose is to promote critical thinking, rigorous scholarship and lifelong learning, to keep abreast of the advances in scientific research, to elevate the ethical standards of the criminal justice professions and to sustain in the public mind the benefit and necessity of education and professional training. Students also have
the opportunity for membership in the Saint Thomas More Honor Society. The Saint Thomas More Honor Society is the local honor
society of the Criminal Justice Department. Membership is by invitation only to those students who meet the membership criteria.
Students interested in any of these organizations should contact Malgorzata Zuber, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, at Malgorzata.zubere@alvernia.edu.
The Washington Center Experience
Alvernia students have an opportunity to earn college credit by spending a semester or summer in Washington, D.C. where they serve as interns in a congressional office, government agency, major corporation, newspaper or news network, or agencies devoted to legal affairs, international relations, or business and economics. They also may intern with one of several non-profit groups dealing with the environment, women鈥檚 issues, the arts, education, science, or labor relations among others. Participants are customarily juniors or seniors who have achieved grade point averages of 2.5 or better and who have the endorsement of the appropriate academic area. In addition to their internship, students select one seminar dealing with the arts and humanities, communication, public policy, the legal system, business, and government. Interested students should see their academic advisor.
After transferring to Alvernia, O'Pake Fellow helps make difference in Reading
Ask Jamal Dancy '24 about his university experience and he won鈥檛 sugarcoat it: College can be hard.But he feels like 麻豆视频 is a place where, despite your struggles, you can feel secure in the fact that if you ask for help, you鈥檒l get...
Student guides troubled youth on pathway to success
Jennifer Hack '18 has always been interested in the criminal justice field, and her calling to assist youth in the juvenile probation system led to an experiential learning experience at the Berks County Probation Office. Through the practicum dur...
Making the case for K-9 units
Criminal Justice Administration graduate Elizabeth Goida values the education she received at 麻豆视频, which included real-world experiences, such attending the Reading Police Academy and working with the Reading Police ...
Criminal justice professor focuses on real world preparation
Rosemary McFee is super excited about the Center for Simulated Investigations on Alvernia鈥檚 campus, a workshop stage for students in a variety of disciplines.鈥滻 am so happy that we will have a whole building, near the Alumni House, where stud...
Get to Know Your Faculty
For more information about Alvernia鈥檚 Criminal Justice Administration program contact the Admissions Office at 610-796-8269 or admissions@alvernia.edu. Or reach out directly to Department Chair Rosemary McFee at 610-796-8313 or rosemary.mcfee@alvernia.edu.
