The mission of the Administration of Criminal Justice program at Bradley
University is to provide our students with a thorough understanding of
the institutions, structures and processes through which society defines,
perceives and responds to deviance. Our graduates will understand the sociological,
political and historical implications of crime in our society, the structures
of the various criminal justice systems, crime policy, and the basics of
the law involved in the implementation of crime policy. They will possess
a theoretical framework and the analytical skills necessary to assimilate
new developments in the discipline and in society as they occur.
Our Goals
Graduates of our program will understand that the social science of
criminal justice is not a technical, pre-professional discipline. Rather,
they will know that it is a social science discipline with a well established
theoretical base, scholarly literature, a body of knowledge, graduate programs,
and a community of scholars. More importantly, the interdisciplinary background
and broad-based liberal arts education they receive at Bradley will prepare
them to understand the dynamics of social change in response to the increasing
saliency of crime in our society. Thus, our graduates will be positioned
to lead society in positive directions as it evolves in response to changing
conceptions of crime.
Careers for Our Graduates
Graduates of our program will have numerous career options, including graduate study in the highest ranked programs in the discipline, pursuit of a career in the law, attainment of a professional degree in cognate disciplines such as public administration, social work and correctional counseling, as well as specialist positions in service delivery organizations within the various criminal justice systems themselves. Our students will acquire the superior level of analytical skill required for work in federal law enforcement, and will be well poised to move into management positions in a variety of organizations.