Mission
The mission of the Criminal Justice program is to offer a quality academic program conducive to the learning experiences of students. Central to achieving this mission is an interdisciplinary program of study that prepares graduates for careers in criminal justice or to continue their education through advanced academic degrees. The mission will be accomplished in a stimulating academic environment that values diversity and fosters respect among students, faculty, and staff. The Criminal Justice Program’s mission will complement the overall mission of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Elizabeth City State University.
Goals of the Criminal Justice Program
- to provide opportunities to enhance students’ verbal, written, and technological skills to function effectively as future criminal justice professionals;
- to provide students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to critically investigate issues regarding crime and justice; and
- to develop competent individuals capable of independent and effective decision-making in criminal justice organizations.
Only credit from institutions that are accredited by their regional higher education accrediting body is accepted for transfer into an undergraduate criminal justice program. No academic credit is awarded or accepted for transfer credit to the criminal justice major by the criminal justice program for life experience or for military, police academy, or other professional training. The Criminal Justice program requires students to repeat a core criminal justice course if at least six years have elapsed since initial enrollment in a course. ECSU awards degrees only to those students who have earned at least 50 percent of the credit hours in the Criminal Justice program through instruction offered by ECSU.
Interdisciplinary Pre-Law
Students planning to enter law school should be aware of the recommendations of the Association of American Law Schools which describes the basic skills and insights it believes are fundamental to the later attainment of legal competence: (a) comprehensive ability and expression in words, (b) critical understanding of human institutions and values with which the law deals, and (c) creative power in thinking. Although no single course of instruction is prescribed by the American Bar Association, pre-law students (in consultation with the pre-law advisors) are urged to follow the designed pre-law curriculum. This program will facilitate the student’s ability to think clearly, concisely, independently, and persuasively.
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