SWU offers criminal justice
Criminal justice is the latest of 33 majors available for students at Southern Wesleyan University.
Richard Rogers, criminal justice coordinator at the university, says the program will produce graduates who will be able to use their skills in challenging criminal justice careers.
“The criminal justice degree is desirable for those students seeking to eventually become detectives or administrators in law enforcement or corrections after they work their way through the ranks,” Rogers said. The major was officially approved during Southern Wesleyan University’s board meeting in October.
The criminal justice major and minor is for students interested in careers as law enforcement officers, trial attorneys, corrections officials and parole officers. The program highlights courses in social science and management that are useful in criminal justice.
Students who major in criminal justice will take courses to study areas such as forensic science, behavioral theories in deviance, psychology, research, race and ethnic relations, social problems, negotiation and conflict resolution, forensic psychology and criminal investigation.
“We discovered that we already had a number of students on campus interested in careers in criminal justice, but preferred the SWU experience over studying elsewhere at a school having a criminal justice major. Now they can have both,” Rogers said. “Our ability to provide professional training in a context that also builds personal values will create graduates who will be highly sought after in the marketplace.”
In addition to targeting career-specific skills, students in Southern Wesleyan University’s criminal justice program work closely with faculty members.
“With a student-to-faculty ratio of 17-to-1, the emphasis is to provide students with personal attention that encourages participation in the classroom setting,” Rogers said. “Faculty members invest their time and energy to help students develop their skills.”
The Southern Wesleyan University difference is the Christian perspective that is applied to academic studies, he said.
“Students are both challenged and nurtured as they participate in a learning environment which encourages them to view their studies from a Christian world view and to incorporate this view as they grow academically, spiritually and socially,” Rogers said. “This union of faith and learning prepares students to confront globally important issues in a rapidly changing world.”
Southern Wesleyan University also offers a forensic science major for students seeking careers in crime labs. The program features courses in biology, chemistry and forensics needed for a career in this area.
Forensic science majors take courses in areas such as anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, organic and inorganic analysis, physics and bioethics.
The criminal justice and forensic science programs both accept credits on transfer from technical colleges and from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
For details about criminal justice or forensic science, contact Southern Wesleyan University’s Admissions Office at 1-800-282-8798, ext. 5000, or contact Rogers at 1-800-282-8798, ext. 5037, or