The Presbyterian Church founded Westminster College in 1852 in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, a rural area 60 miles from Pittsburgh. In 2010, "U.S. News and World Report" ranked the college 126th among all liberal arts colleges in the United States. The school offers a bachelor of arts degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice. The program includes courses in deviance, juvenile delinquency, criminology, law and legal systems and social theory. An internship with a law enforcement agency or correctional facility, and a senior research thesis or project are mandatory for all criminal justice majors. Approximately 97 percent of all students at Westminster receive some type of financial aid, according to the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."
Westminster College
319 South Market St.
New Wilmington, PA 16172
800-942-8033
westminster.edu
St. Leo University is a Roman Catholic college approximately 40 miles from Tampa, Florida. Home to 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the university offers an associate of arts and bachelor of arts degrees in criminal justice. The baccalaureate course of study takes four years and offers a concentration in general justice, criminalistics or homeland security. Any student who has not previously worked in criminal justice must complete an internship with local law enforcement or agencies, such as the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S Marshals Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Criminal justice students have the option to participate in a special course offered with the International Association of Hostage Negotiators and the Public Agency Training Council, which includes coursework in criminal justice on a ship in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The university also offers a bachelor of applied science degree in criminal justice for individuals who already possess an associate of applied science in the field as well as a master's degree program. All full-time freshmen and 93 percent of continuing students at St. Leo benefit from financial aid, notes the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."
St. Leo University
33701 State Rd. 52
Saint Leo, FL 33574
800-334-5532
saintleo.edu
Established in 1906, the College of the Ozarks is an interdenominational Christian university in Point Lookout, Missouri, a small town 40 miles from Springfield. The college offers tuition-free education, requiring students to work on campus for a set amount of hours per term and pay only for their room, board and supplies. Because of this program, admission to the university is highly competitive; only 11 percent of those who apply receive an invitation to attend, reports the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges." Students in the college's baccalaureate program in criminal justice must specialize either in corrections or in law enforcement. Many courses include trips to correctional facilities and courts, and all students have the opportunity to complete internships during their junior or senior year. The college is home to a chapter of the Alpha Lambda Omega Pi criminal justice association, which provides opportunities for networking, career shadowing and improving skills related to law enforcement, such as marksmanship.
College of the Ozarks
P.O. Box 17
Point Lookout, MO 65726
800-222-0525
cofo.edu