Justice studies is an interdisciplinary area that blends topics from humanities departments (e.g., philosophy), social science departments (e.g., psychology, sociology, women’s studies), departments that include both humanities and social science faculty (e.g., history, political science), and professionally-oriented departments (education, family studies, social work). Some of the topics studied include courts, family violence, rights, substance abuse, juvenile justice, school law, children as witnesses, hate crimes, and community policing. The goal is to produce graduates who have a higher level of knowledge about law and justice in American society and in the world so that they will mature into more knowledgeable and effective citizens.
The program offers a dual major and a minor in Justice Studies and an interdisciplinary minor in forensics.