The faculty of Peirce College's Criminal Justice associate and bachelor’s degree programs approach teaching Criminal Justice courses from both a practical and theoretical perspective. Appreciating that the field of Criminal Justice is constantly evolving, our on-campus and online Criminal Justice degree students will engage in a full range of courses that lay the basic foundation of knowledge required to work in the field of criminal justice.

The faculty has designed the courses to serve to students’ individual interests within the field of criminal law. Students will work directly with faculty members who are practitioners in the criminal justice field and who will prepare them to deal with real-life examples of issues that arise in the field of criminal justice. Our professors will teach you the critical thinking and effective communication skills necessary to successfully negotiate the issues professionals face in the field.

As they introduce you to the building blocks of criminal justice, the faculty will focus on its three main components: law enforcement, the courts and corrections. Your professors will help you to understand what truly constitutes a criminal offense, how crime is measured and introduce you to the theories of crime causation.

As you proceed through the program, the faculty will turn its attention toward teaching you the basics of studying crime and crime behavior and the criminal justice system and its related processes. You'll learn about the modern challenges facing those professionals working in the field, but they'll also give you a historical perspective on criminal law and show you how to properly research criminal statistics, studies and reports.

The faculty will deliver lessons on ethics, the role of technology in the criminal justice system, law enforcement's role in and duty to society as well as the place of private and public security outfits. The advanced courses the faculty teaches deal with topics such as victims, criminal investigations, computer crimes, probation, parole and homeland security. Finally, your capstone professor will foster in you leadership development and put your cumulative criminal justice knowledge to the test through simulations mimicking the daily functions of those working in the criminal justice system and the ethical issues they face.