2011 - 2012 Justice Studies (JUST)

Requirements | Academic Major | Academic Minor | Course Descriptions

Faculty: Giancarlo Panagia

Program Goals

• To develop critical, analytical, and integrative thinking skills
• To improve written and oral communication skills
• To be able to evaluate and conduct research within the Justice Studies field
• To develop global consciousness, social responsibility, and ethical awareness
• To gain a broad understanding of discipline's concepts and perspectives

Program Objectives

The Westminster Justice Studies program treats justice as a broad category of social and political problems that includes issues relating to criminal justice, economic and social justice, human rights, and international justice. Accordingly, students who choose a major in Justice Studies are encouraged to take interdisciplinary coursework that exposes them to different ways of thinking about justice. This includes, but is not limited to, coursework in fields such as Anthropology, Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology that helps students understand the nature of justice and why individuals and institutions may or may not behave in a just manner. Justice Studies majors are also required to engage in independent research and experiential learning activities such as internships. The Justice Studies minor, while more heavily focused on criminal justice issues, also affords students an opportunity to view justice through broad, interdisciplinary lenses.

Program Requirements

The Justice Studies program offers a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies as an academic major and provides for an academic minor in Justice Studies. The Justice Studies academic major requires completion of 63 semester hours of credit selected from Justice Studies' coursework and related classes in the social sciences and selected other coursework. Thirty-two of those hours must be in Justice Studies and related courses numbered 300 or above. Students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA or better in the academic major and minor.

For course prerequisites, please refer to the course description.

Academic Major

Justice Studies Major Emphases

Gender, Ethnicity, and Justice

ANTH 252 Cultural Anthropology (4)
ANTH 355 Indian Peoples in the US (4)
ANTH 366 Political Anthropology (4)
COMM 360 Race, Gender, Class, and the Media (3)
ENGL 330 Survey of Critical Theory (4)
PSYC 335 Psychology of Women (4)
PSYC 420 Community Psychology (4)
SOC 305 Contemporary Issues (4)
SOC 350 Gender in Society (4)
SOC 372 Race, Ethnicity, and Class (4)

Criminal Justice

JUST 110 Police and Society (4)
JUST 320 Judicial Process (4)
JUST 350 Criminal Law (4)
JUST 373 Juvenile Justice (4)
JUST 420 Punishment (4)
PLSC 355 Constitutional Law (4)
PSYC 307 Child Abuse and Neglect (2)
PSYC 362 Abnormal Psychology (4)
SOC 372 Race, Ethnicity, and Class (4)
*SOC 390 Social Research Methods (4)
* indicates a required course for the Criminal Justice emphasis

Economic Justice

ANTH 366 Political Anthropology (4)
ECON 253 Principles of Macroeconomics (4)
ECON 263 Principles of Microeconomics (4)
ECON 311 History of Economic Thought (4)
ECON 321 Political Economy (4)
ECON 418 Economics and the Law (4)
ECON 420 Labor Relations Economics (4)
SOC 305 Contemporary Issues (4)
SOC 390 Social Research Methods (4)

Note: students completing the Economic Justice emphasis must take at least two ECON courses. Students should consult with their academic advisor concerning the appropriate prerequisites for courses in this emphasis.

Recommended Plan of Study for Justice Studies

Academic Minor

To fulfill the requirements for an academic minor in Justice Studies, students must complete a minimum of 20 semester hours in Justice Studies or related coursework. Twelve of these hours must be in coursework numbered 300 or above.