2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Sep 27, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Criminal & Restorative Justice and Psychology Programs


Division Dean: K. Kaelber
Program Faculty: B. Davis, E. de Oliveira, L. Seifert

The Criminal & Restorative Justice and Psychology faculty members are committed to a full and deep understanding of human beings. We believe that such an understanding can be gained by drawing upon the resources of the Christian faith and the academic discipline of criminal & restorative justice and psychology. Therefore, we are serious about our faith in Jesus Christ and our callings.

Criminal & Restorative Justice and Psychology offers the following undergraduate programs: a criminal & restorative justice major , a psychology major , an applied psychology major , a B.A./M.A.Ed. accelerated program in psychology and counseling major , a criminal & restorative justice minor , a psychology minor , a chemical dependency counseling assistant (Phase I) minor (certificate) , a sociology minor , and a liberal arts concentration in psychology. Students who are fascinated by human thought, emotion, and behavior are encouraged to take some of our courses and to sit down with us to discuss how the study of psychology may fit into their educational and vocational plans.

Criminal and Restorative Justice Mission Statement

The mission of the criminal and restorative justice program is to study the nature of criminal behavior and its causes, to study the workings of the criminal justice system, to understand the nature of restorative justice, and to reflect on the relationship between Christian faith (both belief and practice) and the criminal justice system.

Criminal and Restorative Justice Goals

  • Provide students with a sound understanding of how the criminal justice system functions.
  • Examine the sociology of crime and criminal behavior.
  • Students will explore differing conceptions of justice with a special focus on a restorative conception of justice. 
  • Students will examine the intersection of Christianity, ethics, and the criminal justice system.

Criminal and Restorative Justice Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the different components of the American criminal justice system and how each of those components, and the system as a whole, functions.
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the sociological causes of crime.
  • Students will be able to utilize both quantitative and qualitative research methods in studying criminal behavior.
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the restorative understanding of justice and how such an understanding would shape the criminal justice system.
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of how the Christian faith shapes an understanding of the criminal justice system.
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ethical debates concerning criminal justice.

Criminal & Restorative Justice Handbook  

Psychology Mission Statement

The mission of the psychology program is to promote the development of students who understand a broad range of areas within psychology and make connections among Christian faith, learning and living. We are committed to our students’ growth in knowledge, wisdom, and compassion so that they will succeed and serve in their future educational, career, and personal endeavors.

Psychology Program Goals

  • Develop students’ knowledge across a broad range of areas within psychology.
  • Foster students’ abilities to critique and apply psychological theories and findings.
  • Teach students to use procedures and ethical guidelines involved in psychological research.
  • Challenge students to contemplate the connections among Christian faith, learning, and living.
  • Prepare students to serve in their future educational, career, and personal endeavors.

Psychology Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will evidence a satisfactory level of knowledge of key theories, findings, and methods across a broad range of the primary subdisciplines in psychology.
  • Students will demonstrate familiarity with the ethical guidelines and procedures involved in developing, performing, and reporting psychological research.
  • Students will articulate an informed position on foundational issues, contributions of theology to a holistic view of persons, contributions of psychology to a holistic view of persons, and their own personal philosophy of integration.
  • Students will evidence reflection upon their reasons for studying psychology, their short- and long-term educational and career goals, and their intellectual, personal, and interpersonal strengths and weaknesses. They will also evidence the ability to reflect back on their undergraduate careers and describe continuity and change in these areas as well as plans for the future. Students’ reflections on these areas will exhibit an understanding of relations among faith, learning, and living.

Service Learning in Brazil and Poland

Students have the opportunity to serve and learn in trips to Brazil or Poland, led by division faculty. In either trip, the option is available for students to complete the General Education Cross-Cultural Encounter component.

 

Programs

    Undergraduate MajorUndergraduate MinorAccelerated Program Option

    Courses

      Counseling

      for the B.A./M.A.Ed. Accelerated Programs

      Criminal and Restorative JusticePsychologySociology