Search

Mission

The Department of Social Work and Criminal Justice is dedicated to providing a comprehensive liberal arts education that prepares students for positions in the fields of social work, criminal justice, and human services, while also equipping them with a strong foundation for continued professional growth and post-graduate education. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the department promotes critical thinking, ethical practice, and a strong commitment to service. These programs provide students with the knowledge and skills essential for success in their respective fields, fostering a lasting commitment to service, human dignity, and the advancement of social well-being.

Learning Outcomes 

1. Students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the historical, legal, and social foundations of the criminal justice system and their influence on contemporary policies and practices.
2. Students will apply critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and research skills to evaluate complex issues and develop evidence-based solutions within the criminal justice field.
3. Students will effectively communicate ideas, analyses, and findings related to criminal justice through clear and professional oral presentations and well-structured written reports.
4. Students will exhibit ethical decision-making and an understanding of the moral responsibilities required of professionals in the criminal justice system.
5. Students will develop the knowledge, skills, and professional competencies necessary to succeed in entry-level positions within the criminal justice field or to pursue advanced education in graduate or professional schools.

This is a 50-hour observational experience in a criminal justice agency of the student’s choice. Instructor approval of the placement is required. The purpose of the observation is to increase the student’s knowledge of practical job skills needed in criminal justice.

This course provides an in-depth internship in a criminal justice agency. The internship is designed to test and increase the student’s skill, clarify the relationship between theory and practice, assist in the appropriate use of supervision, and increase self-awareness and the use of critical thinking skills, and completing the development of a professional identity. Student must successfully complete CRJU 147 and 4 additional CRJU courses in order to enroll in this course. Student should have second semester junior or senior status to enroll. Instructor permission required prior to enrollment.

This course is a self-directed research project on a selected topic. The course
is designed to assist students in the application of research skills.

This course will help students gain an understanding of the law school process, beginning with the law school search and application for admission processes. This course will also provide students with an introduction to first-year law student coursework and a glimpse into the lives of newly practicing attorneys from the surrounding area. By the end of this course, students will be able to make informed decisions on whether to attend law school once they graduate from Bethany.

This course surveys the history of Islamic civilization from the life of the prophet Muhammad in the early seventh century CE through the collapse of the Abbasid Caliphate in 1258. It explores the development of the Islamic religion and the formation and institutionalization of Islamic political and social institutions. It also explores the philosophical, scientific, and economic flourishing of the Islamic world’s “golden age” that began in Baghdad after 762. Also emphasized is the development of important regional centers of Islamic civilization across a vast territory stretching from Spain to the borders of China.

This course surveys global political, social, economic, cultural, and technological developments across the twentieth century. Particular emphasis is placed on exploring how the world became interdependent and interrelated to a far greater degree than ever before and the forces that have resisted these processes of globalization.

This course surveys the history of Europe from the French Revolution to the present. It is topically and chronologically organized and emphasizes common themes and problems in European civilization as a whole rather than specific national histories. The first half of the course traces Europe’s ascent to global dominance across the nineteenth century through the development and spread of industrial capitalism and colonial empires. The second half of the course follows the history of Europe through the two World Wars and the resultant collapse of empires and the Cold-War division of Europe. The course concludes with an examination of the fall of Communism, the rise of the EU, and the renewed forces of nationalism that have resisted European unification. In addition to following these broad political developments, this course also focuses on social and economic changes, cultural movements, and the lived experience of Europeans during this period of deep and rapid transformation.

This course surveys the history of the Middle East from the fifteenth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century. It begins with the rise of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires and concludes with U.S.-led interventions of the early 2000s and the political upheavals of the Arab Spring.

In this interdisciplinary course, multiple lenses are employed to examine issues of social justice, including factors which either promote or interfere with the creation of communities that value inclusion, diversity, and peace. Aiming to foster a concern for social justice, the course provides theoretical and practical tools to challenge injustice, including opportunities to think and work alongside local advocacy organizations.