Shorter University announces plans to offer criminal justice degree

March 3, 2011 - Shorter University has announced plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice beginning in the fall of 2011. The degree, offered in both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science formats, will be a traditional course of study but will feature online components as well, said Dr. Sabrena Parton, dean of Shorter’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“We are very pleased that we will be able to offer a criminal justice degree program at Shorter. We feel it will be a vital addition to our curriculum and benefit both current and future students,” said Dr. Parton.

 “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job outlook for occupations requiring a criminal justice degree is expected to grow by 18 percent over the next decade, which is faster than the average for all occupations. In fact, Shorter’s Office of Admissions reports that criminal justice is one of the top ten requested majors from high school students entering college. We felt that if such a large number of students are requesting this degree, then we needed to meet that demand and offer it.” Dr. Parton said.

Criminal justice, a branch of sociology, is utilized in many different job markets, such as law enforcement, Homeland Security, social work, pre-law and private sector security jobs, explained Dr. Parton. Some of the courses offered with the degree include Criminology, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law and Conflict Management.

 “In addition to meeting current and new student demand, students who have earned their associate’s degree in criminal justice from regional technical schools can transfer to earn their four-year degree in criminal justice at Shorter,” said Dr. Parton. “There is also the potential for internships with the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and other local and state departments.”

The degree will be administered by Shorter University’s College of Arts and Sciences, a department where 94 percent of professors hold terminal degrees.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian college committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and the Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas as well as undergraduate degree programs for working adults, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Education and the Master of Arts in Leadership. General education and calculus courses are offered in an online format, and Shorter recently launched online programs that lead toward the Associate of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Master of Accountancy degrees. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.


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