Criminal Justice

Collage of Criminal Justice Imagery

At Stockton University, the Criminal Justice (CRIM) program is dedicated to offering students a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system through the lens of social sciences.

The program emphasizes an academic foundation, offering in-depth analysis and understanding of the criminal justice system's role in society, while also equipping students with versatile skills applicable across various professional pathways.


About the Program

To achieve our mission, the program plans to:

  • Have students learn different theories of crime and criminality and their applicability to criminal justice issues.
  • Have students understand principles of criminal justice research.
  • Have students apply basic statistical concepts.
  • Encourage students to think critically and evaluate the quality of sources of information.
  • Provide students with a greater understanding of the police and the issues confronting law enforcement.
  • Provide students with a greater understanding of the courts, legal system, and Constitution and the critical issues confronting these entities and their place in the criminal justice system and our society.
  • Provide students with a greater understanding of corrections and the issues confronting the corrections systems.
  • Teach students about the complex relationships between diverse groups and the U.S. criminal justice system.
  • Introduce students to comparative and global issues related to the criminal justice system.
  • Introduce students to ethical considerations in criminal justice work.
  • Prepare students to continue their education at the graduate level.
  • Expose students to topics in criminal justice through different modes of experiential learning.

Program Chair

Deeanna Button

Deeanna Button, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
609-652-4452
G232
deeanna.button@stockton.edu

Program Vision

The vision of the Criminal Justice program is to provide a broad knowledge of the criminal justice system while providing students with content on the specific trends, challenges, and advances in the field.  In order to do that we:

  • Ensure our curriculum is current and course content is up to date.
  • Assess content in all of our core courses, make adjustments, and report results back to the program.
  • Provide students with relevant opportunities to participate in academic and career development programs, including the Criminal Justice Career Series and the Criminal Justice Lecture Series.
  • Provide students with vital information and career opportunities via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
  • Work together as faculty to create by-laws and a governing structure for our program to ensure all faculty have a voice.

 The Criminal Justice program mission aligns with the University mission.

Curriculum

Criminal Justice students are not required to pursue a concentration but may choose to focus their study on one of the following area of interest:

Forensic Psychology involves applying psychology to the field of criminal investigation and the law.


What will I learn?

  • Culpability states including insanity and competence to stand trial
  • Development of the criminal personality
  • Evaluation of the risk of reoffending
  • Testimony as an expert witness
  • Child custody evaluations

Where can I find jobs?

  • Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
  • Probation, parole, and correctional facilities
  • Mental health facilities
  • Group homes, family services, and juvenile justice agencies
  • Law enforcement offices; private security firms; insurance companies

Contact: 

Joshua Duntley, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Office: G251 | Phone: 609-626-3570
Email: 
joshua.duntley@stockton.edu

Kimberley Schanz, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Office: F128 | Phone: 609-652-4585
Email: kimberley.schanz@stockton.edu



 

 

What courses do I need to take?

Foundation course requirements

  • PSYC 1100 Introduction to Psychology  
  • PSYC 2211 Psychopathology
  • CRIM/PSYC 3120 Legal and Forensic Psychology

Electives: Students must take TWO:

  • CRIM 2111 Juvenile Justice
  • CRIM 2327 Victimology
  • CRIM 2610 Introduction to Forensic Science
  • PSYC 3145 Sex Crimes
  • PSYC 3618 The Psychology of Child Victims and Witnesses
  • PSYC 3646 Forensic Behavior Analysis
  • PSYC 3648 The Criminal Brain

Forensic Investigation is an overview of crime scene investigation, blood spatter examination, crime scene photography, fingerprint examination, ballistics, and criminal behavior.


What will I learn?

  • The importance of forensic evidence in the criminal justice system
  • The significance of eye witness testimony
  • The legal parameters of forensic investigation
  • The collection, presentation, and transportation of evidence to the laboratory

Where can I find jobs?

  • Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • Medical Examiners' Offices
  • Law enforcement offices; private security firms; insurance companies

 

Contact: 

William Dineen, Teaching Specialist of Criminal Justice
Office: H242 | Phone: 609-626-3133 Email: william.dineen@stockton.edu

What courses do I need to take?

Foundation course requirements

  • CRIM 2101 Constitutional Law for Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 2355 Advanced Forensic Investigation
  • CRIM 2610 Introduction to Forensic Science

Electives: Students must take THREE:

  • BIOL/CRIM/ANTH 2400 Forensic Anthropology
  • CRIM 3900 Internship in Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 2345 Cyber Crime  OR GEN 3643 Cyber-Security
  • CRIM 2358 Medico-Legal Death Investigation
  • CIST 3481: Digital Forensics & Cybercrime Investigation
  • ENVL 3423 Entomology*
  • ARTV 2321 Photo: Digital Image and Print*

*Note: May have individual separate prerequisites, require permission of instructor, or have class restrictions to take the course. Students are responsible for completing prerequisites or satisfying these requirements as needed to take the individual courses.

Homeland Security is a set of courses that focus on terrorism, federal law enforcement, intelligence, military strategy, policing, national and global security, disaster management, and emergency preparedness.

 

What will I learn?

  • Terrorism and effective counter-terrorism strategies.
  • The role of government during disasters.
  • Political climates that bring about stability and instability.
  • Emergency response and policy regarding natural disasters/pandemics.
  • The role of security in protecting the population, civil liberties, and freedom

Where can I find jobs?

  • Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • Medical Examiners' Offices
  • Law enforcement offices; private security firms; insurance companies

 

Contact: 

Jess Bonnan-White, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Office: C122 | Phone: 609-652-4453
Email: jess.bonnan-white@stockton.edu



 

What courses do I need to take?

Foundation course requirements

  • CRIM 2211 Terrorism
  • CRIM 2216 Homeland Security 

Electives: Students must take TWO:

  • ANTH 1100 Introduction to Anthropology
  • ANTH 2245 Race, Ethnicity and Immigration
  • CRIM 2101 Constitutional Law for Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 2345 Cybercrime OR GEN 3643 Cyber-Security
  • POLS 2160 Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • POLS 2170 Introduction to International Politics
  • POLS 2190 Introduction to Public Policy
  • POLS 3221 Constitutional Law
  • POLS 3313 The International Order
  • PUBH 2435 Fires, Flood, Famine: Communities in Crisis
  • SOCY 3650 Paths to U.S. Citizenship

Curriculum Worksheets

*Please refer to Degree Works for General Studies, At-Some-Distance, and Course Attribute requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify issues in the practice of criminology and criminal justice. 
  2. Gain the knowledge of the specific and independent but interdependent roles of the police, the courts, and corrections in the criminal justice system. 
  3. Critically analyze the complex relationships between diverse groups and the U.S. criminal justice system.
  4. Apply criminological theory to real-world problems. 
  5. Understand research related to criminal justice and its role in shaping criminal justice policy. 
  6. Develop skills necessary for practitioners, advocates, academics, and organizational leaders in criminal justice-related fields.

 

Dual BA/MA Degree Program in Criminal Justice

The Dual BA/MA Degree Program in Criminal Justice is designed to offer students a broad, multidisciplinary and multidimensional perspective of the criminal justice system. Students will embark on an intensive academic experience for five years. This program includes all of the liberal arts courses that all Criminal Justice students at Stockton are expected to take, plus all the undergraduate and graduate core Criminal Justice classes.

Students have the choice of either completing the requirements for the Master's Degree as a generalist student, or they may choose to take courses to complete a track in Administration & Leadership, Forensic Psychology, or Homeland Security.

This is an intense program. To ensure the successful completion of the program working many hours outside of school is not recommended. New students may apply for dual-degree status by checking the box for dual degree on the admissions application.  Current Stockton students who are interested in switching to the dual degree program must contact the coordinator of the dual degree program, Dr. Kimberley Schanz. Once accepted into the program, students may decide to major in something other than Criminal Justice or graduate with a B.A. degree only, by notifying the Criminal Justice program and the University in writing.

Eligibility

Two types of students may apply for admission to the dual degree program:

1. High school seniors who apply to Stockton. Students expressing an interest in majoring in Criminal Justice, who have earned a 3.3 GPA in high school, or who are in the top 20% of their high school class, or who have good SAT scores (minimum 1170 preferred; 24 ACT composite also accepted) will be considered for early, conditional admission into the dual degree program. They will be issued letters of acceptance to Stockton University as undergraduate students and be given conditional admission to the dual degree program in Criminal Justice. Once enrolled at Stockton, students will have to maintain a GPA of 3.3 each semester in order to maintain their eligibility in the dual degree program. Criminal Justice students who are already enrolled at Stockton but were not admitted to dual degree as incoming freshman may apply to dual degree immediately following the completion of freshman year if they have maintained at least a 3.3 GPA each semester.

 

2. Transfer students. These students may apply for early, conditional admission if they have a GPA of at least 3.3 from their sending institution. Students will be expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 each semester in order to maintain eligibility in the dual degree program. The program will accept a maximum of 64 undergraduate transfer credits, but students with that many transfer credits will likely have to take either summer classes or an extra semester to graduate on time. (Students entering Stockton with an Associate's Degree will have 64 credits by the end of their sophomore year, but dual degree candidates will have completed or need to complete at least 68 credits by that time.) All students must complete their General Studies and non-social and behavioral science electives by the end of their junior year. By the time students begin to take graduate courses in their senior year, they should have at most six credits of cognates (social and behavioral science courses) remaining.

Fast Facts

Program Type: Full-time, accelerated 
Degree Offered: 
BA and MA in Criminal Justice
Program Length: 5 years (for students who enroll in freshman year); opportunities for transfer students, too
Total Credits: 164 credits for both degrees, with double-counting
Dual Degree Savings: 18 credits of undergraduate tuition and fees
Financial Assistance: Graduate Assistantships and scholarships are available


How to Apply?

Students apply as undergraduates through the Office of Enrollment Management as part of the regular freshman or transfer student admission process.  

Current Stockton students should contact Dr. Kimberley Schanz  directly to determine eligibility.

Contact:

Kimberley Schanz, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Office: F128 | Phone: 609-652-4585
Email: kimberley.schanz@stockton.edu

 

Criminal Justice Program Faculty

 

Jess Bonnan-White

Jess Bonnan-White

Ph.D. (University of Iowa) - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice:  Conflict Resolution, Economic Empowerment, and Cultural Preservation.
609-652-4453 | C122
Deeanna Button

Deeanna Button

Ph.D. (University of Delaware) - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice:  Violence and Victimization, and Social Inequality.
609-652-4452 | G232
William Dineen

William Dineen

M.A.S. (Fairleigh Dickinson) - Teaching Specialist of Criminal Justice: Crime Scene Investigation,Bloodstain Pattern nalysis, homicide investigation, criminal investigation, interview and interrogationtechniques, resilience in policing, the criminal justice system, and corrections.
609-626-3133 | H242
Joshua D. Duntley

Joshua D. Duntley

Ph.D. (University of Texas) - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice:  Forensic psychology, evolutionary psychology, homicide and stalking, victim defenses, quantitative methods.
609-626-3570 | G250
Arleen Caballero Gonzalez

Arleen Caballero Gonzalez

J.D. (Rutgers University School of Law, Camden) - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Criminal Law:  Criminal procedure, criminal law, legal research, fourteenth amendment, Puerto Rican studies.
609-626-3172 | H231
Syeda T. Hadi

Syeda T. Hadi

Ph.D. ( University of Hawaii at Manoa)-Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice: Transnational feminist criminology, criminalization and victimization of female asylum seekers and refugees, intersectionality perspective, criminological theories.
609-626-3187 | H236
Janice O. Joseph

Janice O. Joseph

Ph.D. (York University, Canada) - Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice:  Juvenile justice, criminology and deviance, minorities and crime, corrections.
609-652-4312 | H248 
Marissa P. Levy

Marissa P. Levy

Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University) - Dean, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Criminal Justice:  Environmental criminology with emphasis on spatial analysis of crime (crime mapping and crime prevention), evaluations and statistics.
609-652-4512 | H201
Ruibin Lu

Ruibin Lu

Ph.D. (Washington State University) - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice:  Specialty courts, U.S. judicial system, drug and alcohol use, community corrections, comparative criminal justice.
609-626-3829 | B006
Manish Madan

Manish Madan

Ph.D. (Michigan State University) - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice:  Comparative research, policy, and victimization and gender.
609-626-3530 | G237
William McKnight

William McKnight

M.S. (St. Joseph's University) - Teaching Specialist of Criminal Justice:  Police leadership, policing, the criminal justice system, homeland security, risk management and mitigation, business continuity.
609-652-4442 | H227
Richard Mulvihill

Richard Mulvihill

M.S. (Nova Southeastern University) - Tenured Instructor of Criminal Justice:  Police and public safety administration, corrections, and criminal justice technology.
609-626-3557 | H251
Nusret Sahin

Nusret Sahin

Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University) - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice:  Race, trust and police legitimacy, police-citizen encounters, terrorism, police technology.
609-626-3825 |  B006a
Katherine Kafonek

Katherine Kafonek

PhD.(University of Delaware) - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice: Victimology, Intersectional Criminology
609-626-3472 | F126
Kimberley R. Schanz

Kimberley R. Schanz

Ph.D. (CUNY Graduate Center) - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice:  Statistics, research methods, forensic psychology, behavioral consistency in serial sexual assaults, victim risk assessment, offender-victim interaction.
609-652-4585 | F128
Amy Yingyi Situ-Liu

Amy Yingyi Situ-Liu

Ph.D. (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice:  Environmental crime, comparative criminal justice, quantitative and qualitative research methods, criminology, crime control.
609-652-4314 | G260
Christine Tartaro

Christine Tartaro

Ph.D. (Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice) - Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice:  Corrections, research methods and statistics, violence in correctional facilities, suicide in correctional facilities, program evaluation, sentencing.
609-626-6035 | G252
Barbara Stanley

Barbara Stanley

M.S. (Drexel University) - Teaching Specialist of Criminal Justice: Medico-Legal Death Investigation, Crime Scene Analysis, The Crimnal Justice System, Forensics Anthropology, and Criminal Law
609-652-4987 | H228

PROFESSORS EMERITI

Larry E. Nutt

Larry E. Nutt

Ph.D. (University of Chicago) - Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice:  Police behavior, deterrence, criminology, social theory
Rupendra Simlot

Rupendra Simlot

Ph.D. (University of Rajasthan) - Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice:  Forensic science, crime scene investigation, cyber-crime investigation, criminal justice administration, security management, police behavior, police management, international culture.  
Marcia R. Steinbock

Marcia R. Steinbock

J.D. (Rutgers University School of Law, Camden) - Professor Emerita of Criminal Justice:  Judicial systems, prisoners' rights, psychology and law, Jewish women.

Certificate Program in Forensic Science

The certificate program in forensic science is designed to provide a focus for those students who are interested in pursuing a career in forensic science. This program is specially designed for students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry or biology and for those who have already graduated but would like to pursue a career in forensic science by taking additional courses. Criminal justice majors may also complete the program. A student who completes the program will be knowledgeable about the criminal justice system, a systematic search at the crime scene, proper procedures for collection, packaging and preservation and transportation of physical evidence, methods of analysis of physical evidence using the knowledge of science and the significance of expert witness testimony.

Contact:

William Dineen, Teaching Specialist of Criminal Justice
Office: H242 | Phone: 609-626-3133
Email: william.dineen@stockton.edu

 

Special Programs

The Criminal Justice Internship Program is a cooperative effort between Stockton's Criminal Justice Program and public or private criminal justice agencies. Internships give students the opportunity to apply their Criminal Justice education to actual work situations. Students will apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to supervised work experiences at selected agencies, working under the supervision of both Criminal Justice faculty members and professionals in the field. Internships are available in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

Students may earn up to eight (8) credits for internships at the undergraduate level. Students are required to complete 140 hours of service at the agency, keep a journal, and write a research paper during the internship semester in exchange for 4 credits, and 70 hours of service at the agency for 2 credits. Students will also be required to complete academic work, such as a journal of their daily activities at the agency and a research paper on the agency itself.

The application deadlines are as follows:

  • Spring internship deadline is October 20,
  • Summer internship deadline is March 1
  • Fall internship deadline is May 1.

An application must be completed and the background check paid for and initiated by that date in order to the eligible for the following semester’s internship.

Students will:

  • Gain practical, on-the-job experience in professional settings
  • Clarify career goals and assess readiness to enter a chosen profession
  • Integrate knowledge learned in the classroom with real-world employment situations

Requirements are:

  • Must be a Criminal Justice major
  • Must have Junior or Senior class standing
  • GPA of 2.5 or higher
  • Have taken CRIM 2140 or 2141 (Research Methods) and passed with a C or better
  • Must meet all application deadlines
  • Must pay for and pass a criminal background check
  • Must meet any agency-specific requirements

Criminal justice students with a concentration in Forensic Investigations are required to meet the above requirements as well as having completed the required courses for the concentration. These students are required to work 280-300 hours in exchange for 4 credits. For more information and to apply, please visit SOBL Academic Internships webpage.

Contact:

Elyse Matthews, Coordinator of Community Experiences & Academic Internships
Office: H225 | Phone: 609-626-6139 | Email: elyse.matthews@stockton.edu


The Stockton CSI summer camp is designed to immerse high school students in the process of investigating a criminal case and bringing it to trial. Campers investigate a staged homicide scene, request forensic analyses on the evidence they collect, question witnesses, prepare a case for trial, and present the case in front of a mock judge and jury. Every step of the way, the campers learn from professionals in the field, including police investigators, criminologists, forensic psychologists, attorneys, medical examiner investigators, and corrections officers. There are also two field trips -- one to the county medical examiner's office and another to the county jail.

Contact:

Joshua Duntley, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Office: G250 | Phone: 609-626-3570 | Email: joshua.duntley@stockton.edu
Christine Tartaro, Professor of Criminal Justice
Office: G252 | Phone: 609-626-6035 | Email: christine.tartaro@stockton.edu

 

Careers