Criminal Justice Learning Community
The Criminal Justice Learning Community (CJLC) is a career-based learning community for criminal justice majors. Membership is available to students throughout their four-year experience at BGSU. Members of the learning community take cohort-style classes allowing for projects and experiences beyond the traditional curriculum. As a member-driven community, students will not only attend, but plan and implement projects and experiences that are matched to their common goals and interests.
About The Community
Students who join the CJLC are provided with high impact, project-based learning opportunities throughout their time at BGSU. The CJLC curriculum is designed to prepare members not only while they are on-campus, but also outside BGSU. For example, only members will have the option to engage in an internship experience between their sophomore and junior year. CJLC members receive priority registration for all community service activities, tours, trips, and conferences.
Community Highlights:
- Leadership Opportunities –Members have the opportunity to serve in leadership positions to plan trips, tours, community service, and other social events.
- Collaborative Engagements - Serve as mentors to first-year students after the completion of one year in the CJLC.
- Early Internship Experience – Only members are eligible for an early internship experience to be completed during the summer between their sophomore and junior year.
- Accelerated Courses – Members in their junior or senior year have the option to take graduate level course work designed especially for CJLC students with credits counting towards both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
- Professional Development – Meet and interact with guest speakers from local, state, and federal agencies representing all areas of criminal justice.
Engaging Experiences:
- Trips – Members have the opportunity to study abroad and study away. We are preparing for a study abroad trip to London in January 2022!
- Tours – We get you out of the classroom and into criminal justice agencies as much as possible. Our members tour police departments, courthouses, correctional facilities, and more. The best way to learn about careers in Criminal Justice is to interact with the people who work in the field!
- Alumni Career Panels – Attend panels where alumni share their knowledge and career experiences and tell you what it takes to be successful in various criminal justice and related fields.
- Service Learning – Plan and participate in projects that serve at-risk and underserved communities.
- Conferences – Travel and participate in criminal justice conferences in cities such as Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Denver.
How to Apply
After you have submitted your request to join a community, you will receive an email from the community director approving your request. If you have any questions about your application or the community, please contact Catherine Pape.
Related Courses
CRJU 2100
Introduction to Criminal Justice
FIRST-YEAR MEMBERS | FALL
During Fall Semester, first-year students in the community will be enrolled in a section of Introduction to Criminal Justice together. This course focuses on philosophical, historical, operational aspects of criminal justice agencies and processes in a framework of social control in a democracy. Crime and corrections problems and response of criminal justice agencies to them.
CRJU 4200: Criminal Courts
FIRST-YEAR MEMBERS | SPRING
Typically taught by Judge Matthew Reger, Wood County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Courts focuses on the structure, jurisdiction, and procedures including the nature of criminal law. The interaction of other criminal justice agencies including police, prosecutor, and probation with the courts is discussed. This course provides students an opportunity for field experiences in the way of court observations.
DHS 3300
Interview and Observation
SECOND-YEAR MEMBERS | FALL
During Fall Semester, second-year students in the community will be enrolled in a section of Interviewing and Observation together. This course focuses on the development of interviewing and observational skills used in working with diverse populations in human service fields. Examine interviewing from various perspectives for different purposes: clinical, forensic, organizational, and social.
CRJU 3950: CJ Careers and Leadership
SECOND-YEAR MEMBERS | SPRING
Spring semester, second-year students will be enrolled in a course focusing on careers and leadership within Criminal Justice. As part of this course students will have the opportunity for career shadow days. Successful completion of the year two sequence serves as eligibiltly for an early internship experience throughout the summer between years two and three.
DHS 3000
Research Methods
THIRD-YEAR MEMBERS | FALL
During Fall Semester, third-year students in the community will be enrolled in a section of Research Methods for the Human Services together. Survey of research methods including research design, measurement and sampling, survey, experimental and field methods and data collection and analysis. Emphasis on interpreting and critically evaluating research for human services.
CRJU 3951: Applied Mental Health in CJ
THIRD-YEAR MEMBERS | SPRING
Course description forthcoming
CRJU 3951: Crime Concepts and Theories
FOURTH-YEAR MEMBERS | FALL
This course aims to explore crime, efforts to control crime, and the influence of these efforts on crime and society. A focus on criminological theory and the development, research, and testing of theory is a common theme throughout the course.
CRJU 4800: Senior Seminar
FOURTH-YEAR MEMBERS | SPRING
Fourth-year students in the community will be enrolled in the Senior Seminar together. Consideration and evaluation of selected policies and practices in criminal justice field. Attempt to integrate criminal justice field and to focus on common problems and concerns. Problems of theoretical and practical nonconvergence. Individual research interests explored, formalized, reported.
LIVE AND LEARN WITH STUDENTS WHO SHARE YOUR PASSION
Join one of our residential Learning Communities and take advantage of unique opportunities designed to help you succeed in your personal, professional and academic lives. These communities are comprised of students who share a major or common interest and have a block of rooms inside a residence hall.