Bachelor of Arts, Major in Crime and Justice Studies

at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth USA

Our BA in political science with a concentration in pre-law prepares you for law school by providing a solid foundation for future study in fields including commercial, criminal, environmental, family, labor, and tax law.

Your courses will focus on the U.S. legal system, law and courts in relationship to other aspects of the U.S. political system, international law and courts, and the international political system. A background in law prepares you not only for a practice of law, but also for rewarding careers in advocacy, business, and education.

Studying law will develop your analytical, logical, and creative thinking skills. You'll be prepared to think critically and act effectively as an engaged citizen.

We want to ensure that you acquire proficiency in writing, communication, advocacy, and comparative analyis: all vital skills in today's workplace, which is why we require students to complete an internship.

Economics is the science of decision-making. Economists identify and analyze the costs and benefits of financial and social decisions.

As an economics major at UMass Dartmouth, you'll learn how to:

• Advise businesses and government on economic issues
• Collect and analyze data
• Interpret and forecast market trends
• Research economic issues and design policies to solve them

Skills in cost-benefit analysis, the core of an economist's training, are widely applicable to and highly valued in current job markets.

Economists pursue careers in business, economic journalism, finance, government, insurance, management, public policy and real estate. Your studies will also prepare you for graduate study in areas such as accounting, business and law.

The demand for accountants is growing since industries of all sizes and types need accountants.

The Charlton College of Business prepares accounting students with the essential financial knowledge and practical skills necessary to become problem solvers and decision makers. Because accounting is an information system, we emphasize information technology skills, including the use of accounting, spreadsheet and database applications as well as the use of technology for accounting and tax research.

There are four major career paths in accounting:

• Public accountant
• Management accountant
• Government accountant
• Auditor

You'll prepare for a successful career in a public accounting firm, a private corporation, or the nonprofit sector.

An accounting degree from CCB will help you to prepare for the CPA, CMA, CFE (Certified Fraud Examination), and other professional accounting certifications.

The Crime & Justice Studies (CJS) program brings together the fields of criminology, criminal justice, and justice studies. Bridging the social sciences and humanities, CJS specializes in the study of the criminal justice system's history, policies, politics, and procedures.

Our multidisciplinary program meets the needs of undergraduate students interested in entering the fields of law enforcement, the courts, corrections, probation, parole, social services, youth services, public policy, research, non-profit, and non-governmental or community organizations.

All students are required to complete a senior year internship to explore career options, gain real-world experience, network, and develop professional skills.

Students pursuing the BA in Crime & Justice Studies:

• Develop comprehensive perspectives on the various and, at times, conflicting expectations that exist within the institutions and agencies that comprise and work with the criminal justice system
• Engage in cross-agency dialogues within the classroom before they enter the workforce
• Learn to identify and analyze structural, institutional, and transnational violence
• Gain knowledge and skills toward understanding and transforming injustice
• Prepare themselves to contribute to the improvement of their communities and society

Our graduates have careers in law enforcement, courts, corrections, public administration, law, social services, youth services, nonprofit or non-governmental agencies, and community organizations. A growing number of CJS graduates have gone on to complete graduate degrees in law, master's, and various doctoral programs.

The major in communication provides students with 21st century written, oral, and visual communication knowledge and skills grounded in rhetorical theory and critically engaged with diverse social, environmental, and technological perspectives.

Students develop important skills and gain experiences that will support their learning and professionalization during their time at UMass Dartmouth and beyond. Students will apply communication concepts and theories to real-world problems and issues within one or more communication industries.

Upon completing the degree, students will be able to:

• Create written texts using appropriate supporting materials and theories in communication and rhetoric
• Communicate ideas orally within multiple contexts
• Use information design principles to produce texts appropriate for an audience, purpose, and context
• Summarize and apply key concepts in communication and rhetorical theory
• Evaluate the historical and/or cultural contexts of communication practices and describe their ethical, social, or environmental implications
• Evaluate messages from a variety of media and technologies using methodologies in communication and rhetoric

Electrical engineers design and develop electrical and electronic components and systems for power, communications, and control; integrated circuits; and computers.

Electrical engineering is the largest field within the engineering profession, and it continues to grow and evolve. Electrical engineers are working in such diverse fields as acoustics, aerospace, automotive, communications, consumer electronics, energy resources, the environment, medical and biomedical fields, power, signal processing, space, testing, and underwater systems.

Our program prepares you for this evolving field by providing a strong background in science, mathematics, and engineering. You will be prepared for positions in industry and with government agencies and to continue your studies at the graduate level.

The Electrical Engineering program prepares students to meet changing high-technology needs in electrical engineering, and for graduate study, by providing a strong background in science, mathematics and engineering.

Electrical Engineering encompasses a broad range of specialties including communications, signal processing, instrumentation, control and automation, power conversion and distribution, RF and microwave devices and systems, and digital and analog techniques. In any of these specialties, electrical engineers work with devices and/or systems to perform various functions such as research and development, systems analysis, management, production, testing, quality control, or sales. They may pursue careers in many areas, such as monitoring and control of the environment, space exploration, aerospace and defense, ocean engineering, energy resources, biomedical engineering, information technology, law, or medicine.

The program consists of a core of basic science and mathematical courses interwoven throughout the four years of study. The student also selects 15 credit hours in a new general education curriculum called University Studies. Students begin to identify with their field in the first and second year of study. In the junior year, students gain a foundation for further study in particular branches of electrical engineering. A senior year composed primarily of elective courses and a capstone design project allows the students to concentrate their studies in one or more areas of their choice, and hone their skills for the real world. A co-op or internship experience is also available for qualified students in cooperation with regional industries.

The emphasis of computer and information science is on software, the methodologies of computing, and the study of powerful programming.

The computer science curriculum is programming intensive, supported by substantial laboratory components, and directed toward modern software development. Your studies are supplemented by work in specialized labs and a network of state-of-the-art workstations.

You will be prepared to work in the computer industry and in business, in careers that have high growth and earning potential. You may work as a computer scientist, software engineer, software developer, database administrator, computer support specialist, or system administrator. You'll also be well-prepared to continue your studies at the graduate level.

The Computer & Information Science Department also offers a bachelor's degree in computer science with an option in software engineering: the systematic approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software systems used in business, medicine, science, engineering, entertainment, and other fields.

Our two-year programs provide continued graduate education and research experience in general biology or marine biology.

Specific areas of study include, but are not limited to:

• Animal behavior
• Coastal ecology
• Computational biology
• Developmental biology
• Evolutionary biology
• Genomics
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Physiology

For a degree in marine biology, it is expected that your research project has a marine focus, and that the curriculum includes at least one marine biology course.

The Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHM) provides you with the knowledge and tools to help improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery and become an agent for positive change. Professionals working in healthcare and those interested in influencing the field learn how to save time and money, improve quality of care, redesign organizational processes, and reduce implementation errors.

Throughout the program, you will strengthen your managerial skills, which you’ll be able to immediately apply to the workforce. You’ll also learn how to analyze and measure health systems' performance, improve processes and productivity, and use data to guide improvements and support patient care delivery.

The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department offers a bachelor's degree in computer engineering with a concentration in cybersecurity: the application of measures to protect computers and computer systems from unauthorized access and attack.

With the expanding threat of cyber attacks, cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing fields in computer engineering.

As a concentration within UMassD's computer engineering major, your program of study will explore the foundations of cybersecurity—including hardware, software, and information systems—as well as contemporary issues in software reliability, security risk, internet of things, and smart and connected cities.

Your course work will cover:

• computer forensics: detection and prevention of digital criminal activity; ethical and legal issues in the collection, analysis, and reporting of digital data
• cyber threats and security management: trustworthy systems, security life cycles, social engineering, risk assessment
• design and implementation: real-time embedded resource management systems
• network security: defense of network resources, cryptography, models

As a computer engineering major, you'll be prepared to meet the changing high-technology needs of industry and to continue with graduate studies.

Computer engineers with a background in cybersecurity will find exciting and challenging work in a variety of fields including banking, communications, e-commerce, government, the military, and social media.