Criminal Justice and Spanish

Our new Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Spanish combines the university’s established criminal justice program – which prepares students for a variety of careers in one of the nation’s fastest growing disciplines – with courses from its world languages program, which offers a concentration in Spanish. 

The new combined major is designed to fill a high demand for criminal justice professionals who have professionalized their Spanish and who have demonstrable intercultural competence. The program is designed for both heritage-Spanish speakers and non-heritage-Spanish speakers. The BS in Criminal Justice and Spanish provides an avenue for students to combine professional preparation in criminal justice with Spanish language skills, making them stand-out candidates in a growing criminal justice field. 

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Program Requirements

Criminal Justice and Spanish

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Spanish is founded on a distinctive blend of academic coursework and extensive experiential learning opportunities within real criminal justice environments, conducted in both Spanish and English. 

This program enables students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the various components of the criminal justice system and the various challenges facing the criminal justice system with an emphasis on solutions and improving the system. 

In addition to providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system, the program also enables students to develop the necessary skills to be successful criminal justice professionals, including critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills, ethical decision-making skills, communication skills, leadership skills, quantitative reasoning skills and an understanding of diversity and technology.  

Students will also attain an advanced level of Spanish communication, mastering various linguistic registers, idiomatic expressions, and the ability to write accurately and effectively across different levels of formality, with a specific emphasis on criminal justice terminology. The criminal justice system plays a vital role in society by maintaining public safety and order in our communities, preventing crime, punishing and rehabilitating offenders, and supporting and empowering crime victims and there are diverse career opportunities within the criminal justice field, including but not limited to various roles within law enforcement agencies, the courts, correctional facilities, victim services, and offender rehabilitation and reentry services, just to name a few.  

Proficiency in Spanish enables the various criminal justice professionals to engage with Spanish-speaking individuals, establishing trust, facilitating communication, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Furthermore, the program fosters an in-depth appreciation of the intricate and diverse cultural, political, and socio-historical processes that influence the Spanish-speaking world and its interactions with the United States. 

Curriculum

The curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Spanish is meticulously designed to enhance job prospects for its graduates. By offering a flexible structure, it allows both heritage and non-heritage Spanish speakers to professionalize their language skills while preparing for a career in the dynamic field of criminal justice. 

This program's blend of rigorous academic coursework and hands-on experiential learning ensures that students are not only proficient in Spanish but also equipped with the practical knowledge and skills needed in criminal justice roles. 

Career Opportunities

The field of criminal justice has shown steady growth, and the dual expertise in Criminal Justice and Spanish makes our graduates particularly competitive. A recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics supports this, stating, “Applicants with a bachelor’s degree […] as well as those who speak more than one language, should have the best job opportunities”. Thus, our graduates are uniquely positioned to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market, standing out to employers who value both advanced education and bilingual capabilities. 

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Source: Police and Detectives: Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). 

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