If you are asking why you should choose the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department (CJC) at Ball State University, there are many reasons.

Class Size

Most CJC classes have 35 or fewer students. In these classes, students are able to assess and discuss issues that impact the criminal justice system on a daily basis. Agencies are in need of students who can critically examine issues, who understand the human condition, and can make informed decisions.

Course Variety

In addition to traditional course-offerings, CJC students have many options when it comes to learning. Some of these options are Independent studies, Senior Seminars, and the internship program.

• Students may do independent studies with individual faculty members
• Senior Seminars are available on topics such as:

Crimes, Film, and Society                        

Forensic Investigations

Murder

Terrorism

Crime Prevention

Drug and Alcohol:  Abuse and Treatment

Affirmative Action in Criminal Justice

Hate Crimes

Narcotics Investigation

Seminar on Success                               

• The Department Internship program is one of the best in the United States.
  1. The required internship helps to learn about the "real world."
  2. The internship allows students to make agency connections, which could lead to future employment.

Outstanding Faculty

All CJC faculty have had "real world" work experience. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor.

Blend of Criminal Justice and Criminology

Students typically ask what the differences are between criminal justice and criminology. As you might imagine, much overlapping occurs. Criminology views crime and criminals as central substantive issues. Criminologists focus their attention on understanding crime and criminals as well as policy issues. Criminologists are theoretically oriented. Criminal justice is a relatively new discipline. Criminal justice scholars place much emphasis on policy and administrative issues. Further, criminal justice tends to be more practice based. The CJC Department offers a program of study which blends both criminal justice and criminology.

Opportunity to Extend Learning

Students can elect to extend their studies at Ball State University after earning their undergraduate degree by enrolling in the Masters of Public Administration - Criminal Justice Degree.

Established Departmental Goals

• Serve all students at the university, particularly Criminal Justice and Criminology majors, the best we can;
• Work cooperatively with the university community and the community at large;
• Promote excellence in teaching and research via the teacher-scholar model;
• Promote excellence in service to our students, the college, the university, the community, and to our profession;
• Provide a professional and supportive atmoshphere for faculty to achieve departments goals as well as personal goals;
• Maintain the quality of our outstanding internship program;
• Enhance multicultural issues within the department and in each of our course offerings.
• Enhance computer compentency within the department and in each of our course offerings.
• Promote knowledge of and appreciation for ethical issues and conduct in the practice of criminal justice and criminology.

Technologically Advanced Campus

Yahoo! Internet Life magazine ranked Ball State as 17th in its annual survey of "most wired" colleges and universities. A campus-wide wireless system enables students to use a laptop or hand-held computer to surf the web, email faculty, or join an online discussion about an assignment while sitting outside on a nice day or on a couch in a study lounge. Approximately 340 classrooms in 40 buildings at Ball State are connected by a Video Information System (VIS) which makes it the largest such system at any University. Ball State University has a student to computer ratio of 6 to 1.  The national average is 15 to 1.  Ball State has taken VIS one step farther with its more than 60 electronic classrooms on campus allowing Ball State faculty to incorporate the Internet and other cutting edge technology into their curriculums in a variety of ways.

Less Debt for Students

Ball State students accumulate less debt while attending classes than their peers across the country. U.S. News and World Report ranked Ball State University 8th among national universities in the category of "least amount of student debt."

Excellent Program for Freshman   

Ball State University has been recognized as one of the nation's best in helping freshmen succeed. Ball State University has been selected as a semi-finalist in a national study to identify "Institutions of Excellence in the First College Year." Ball State is among the semi-finalists because of its strengths in five areas:

• University Core Curriculum
• Freshman Connections Program
• University College
• Freshman seminar courses
• Faculty development

The University was recently named an "Institution of Excellence in the First Year" by the Policy Center on the First Year of College, a national research center. Ball State University, one of 13 finalists from an original field of 130 nominees, will be included in a new book from The Policy Center, tentatively titled, "Portraits of First-Year Excellence in American Colleges and Universities."

Excellent Residence Halls

Incoming freshmen at Ball State University will find their residence halls rank among the best in the country in a national publication. The 2003 edition of "The Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges" list Ball State among 27 schools nationally for having the top residence programs for freshmen. Ball State University is the only Indiana College listed in the category.

Opportunities to Study Abroad

Many of our CJC students study abroad.  In fact, Ball State University is ranked number seven in the nation, among doctoral granting institutions, for the number of students who study abroad.