Bachelor of Arts, Major in Criminal and Social Justice with Concentrations in Social Work

at University of St. Francis USA

Business analytics refers to the skills, technologies, practices for continuous iterative exploration and investigation of past business performance to gain insight and drive business planning. Business analytics focuses on developing new insights and understanding of business performance based on data and statistical methods.

Business analytics depends on data quality, the skill of analysts who understand the technologies and the business, and an organizational commitment to using data to gain insights that inform business decisions. Business analytics makes extensive
use of analytical modeling and numerical analysis, including explanatory and predictive modeling, and fact-based management to drive decision making.  Analytics may be used as input for human decisions or may drive fully automated decisions.

Business Analytics is a growing degree at most universities and is needed in the business environment. Students need Business Analytics programs and courses to support their business success in the marketplace while they identify and analyze patterns in data via visualization, statistical analysis, and data analytics.

Business Analytics (B.S.) Business analytics is the iterative, methodical exploration of an organization’s data, with an emphasis on statistical analysis. Business analytics is used to make data-informed decisions. Business analytics depends on data quality, skilled analysts who understand the technologies and the business, and an organizational commitment to using data to gain insights that inform business decisions. Business analytics makes extensive use of analytical modeling and numerical analysis, including explanatory and predictive modeling, and fact-based management to drive decision making. Analytics may be used as input for human decisions or may drive fully automated decisions.

The Mathematics and Computer Science Program is a blend of courses from these two disciplines, designed to provide the student with the essential theoretical and practical elements of computer science as well as a significant background in mathematical theory and reasoning.

The Mathematics and Computer Science major is for students who like to develop scientific applications or applications that require use of higher mathematics. Businesses and agencies need specialized tasks for their employees and customers on computers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the mean annual salary for those in computer and mathematical occupations as $89,810.

At the University of St. Francis, there are student computer labs on campus located in most academic buildings. In addition to the general-purpose labs, there are discipline-specific labs for Computer Science, including a data communications lab. Additionally, the Computer Club provides opportunities for students to present their work and experiences from internships. Through this club, speakers from various industries present on topics of interest to Mathematics and Computer Science students.

The Criminal & Social Justice major at the University of St. Francis offers students an exciting alternative to a traditional criminal justice program by offering the opportunity to build a concentration in one of several specializations. The focus of the program goes beyond the criminal justice system and examines historical, social, and legal barriers to creating a more just society. Students are educated about the structure and process of the criminal justice system with a holistic, Catholic social justice perspective.

Writing skills, ethics and integrity, service and social justice are emphasized to prepare students for a profession where these traits and skills are in high demand. The program seeks to provide students with a broad liberal arts foundation challenged by Franciscan values, and engage them in the continuous pursuit of knowledge, faith, wisdom, and justice. Students will explore and understand societal issues that lead to criminal behavior, and will learn theoretical and practical knowledge of the structures, processes, and functions of the criminal justice institutions and their relationship to other social systems.

This major offers a comprehensive approach to studio art, photography and graphic design. Students may immerse them­selves in a variety of traditional and contemporary media, taught by practicing artists with local, national and international professional experience. Learning takes place in a state-of-the-art facility that’s unmatched in the region, offering dedicated spaces for a variety of media such as ceramics, digital arts, graphic design, photography, printmaking, studio arts, video editing and woodshop.

Classes are small (usually ranging from 8–15 students), giving each student the opportunity to develop enriching educational relationships with classmates and professors. The Art & Design department emphasizes the importance of blending the faculty’s professional experience with the students’ understanding of contemporary aesthetics and their development of ambitious studio practice.

Art & Design students will:

• Gain an understanding of the visual arts in relation to culture and history
• Be introduced to historical and contemporary artistic and design practices
• Learn in an environment that fosters critical thinking
• Use facilities that are current with industry standards

Concentrations

• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Studio Art

The Political Science program at USF prepares you for multiple career paths with a solid grounding in all aspects of political science. USF’s degree program provides you with training in American politics and law, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. You will be able to analyze issues at regional, national and international levels, and develop skills and habits for lifelong learning.

A degree in political science can lead to high paying professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median pay as $115,1100 a year for political scientists and $119,250 for lawyers. Faculty provide students with an excellent preparation for their chosen career, whether law, journalism, political campaigning, governmental work, education or law enforcement.

USF’s Political Science students learn in a state-of-the-art environment. Students become true political scientists as they use the latest technology and strategies to identify and use research data and polls. For example, the Scope and Methods class exposes students to the most recent technology and programs used by professionals. Additionally, USF’s courtroom for mock trail activities is located at its St. Bonaventure Campus, located in downtown Joliet– just down the street from the Will County Courthouse.

Concentrations

• American Politics
• Pre-Law
• Public Policy

The Finance degree is designed for students who intend to assume professional roles as financial managers. USF will prepare you with the knowledge, skills and tools you’ll need to be an effective manager of financial resources. A student may choose one of four concentrations that combine a traditional and certification-ready curriculum, experiential learning and practitioner-based instruction.

Finance students will learn to weigh benefits and costs by applying fundamental and advanced financial concepts in the decision making process. They will design financial spreadsheet models to solve real-world financial management problems, and will help advance the study of finance and its impact, both locally and globally, to make the world a better place.

An added benefit, seniors who feel inspired to keep studying to obtain an MBA or M.S. degree may take graduate-level courses during their last two semesters for dual undergraduate and graduate credit. That means students can take nine graduate-level credit hours during senior year, and can complete their MBA or M.S. one year after graduating if they attend full time. See course catalog for additional details about the “3 to Degree” program.

The ability to communicate ideas and information is one of the most valuable skills you can have. The English language is a powerful tool, and those who master it are well-prepared for the multiple career changes most college graduates experience in their lives.

English majors develop sophisticated abilities in communicating, listening, speaking, reading, writing, critical thinking, information gathering and understanding a broad spectrum of human cultures.

USF’s goal is to heighten and intensify student reading experiences, and help students reflect upon the ways in which written and spoken words deliver meaning. Through this discovery, students can develop the ability to recognize authoritative analysis and question authority. They can even become authoritative critics themselves.

Skilled writing begins with skilled listening and speaking. Through spontaneous and focused exchanges that entertain wide-ranging ideas in a respectful way, USF English majors become confident speakers and can present their ideas in formal and informal settings. Critical thinking skills are honed in every class and assignment, enriched by discovery, originality, humor, creativity, and the pleasure of reading.

As a USF DARA major, you will become a musically competent professional. You’ll gain the technical knowledge to excel in today’s digital-based music production industry. You’ll also acquire the knowledge, principles and practices of engineering methodology and music production, while learning to turn your artistry into a viable and sustainable business.

Each DARA major will have a prolific portfolio of work with a resume that illustrates his/her exceptional abilities. You’ll be equipped for success as an audio engineer, music industry entrepreneur, creator of user generated content or a recording artist.

In the studio, you’ll remix and reshape audio loops, create MIDI compositions utilizing various MIDI editors and controllers, and capture, edit, mix and master audio using USF’s state-of-the-art facilities.

The DARA Studio includes digital audio workstations that run Avid Protools and Ableton Live as host DAWs. Students use a myriad of embedded plug-ins and virtual instruments, an extensive microphone selection, a tracking room, sound booths, a control room and editing suites to create their musical masterpieces, at which point the value of the DARA program and coursework will truly reveal itself.

The Criminal & Social Justice major at the University of St. Francis offers students an exciting alternative to a traditional criminal justice program by offering the opportunity to build a concentration in one of several specializations. The focus of the program goes beyond the criminal justice system and examines historical, social, and legal barriers to creating a more just society. Students are educated about the structure and process of the criminal justice system with a holistic, Catholic social justice perspective.

Writing skills, ethics and integrity, service and social justice are emphasized to prepare students for a profession where these traits and skills are in high demand. The program seeks to provide students with a broad liberal arts foundation challenged by Franciscan values, and engage them in the continuous pursuit of knowledge, faith, wisdom, and justice. Students will explore and understand societal issues that lead to criminal behavior, and will learn theoretical and practical knowledge of the structures, processes, and functions of the criminal justice institutions and their relationship to other social systems.

At the University of St. Francis, theology is approached as a science of faith whereby reason inquires into divinely revealed truth. Theology prepares a student to better understand his or her faith and therefore better serve the Church and live that faith. Rooted in tradition, the study of theology helps students answer the fundamental questions of human existence, providing a foundation upon which one can deal with the spiritual and ethical questions of the modern world.

USF theology majors receive a firm foundation in the basic knowledge and awareness regarding the religious nature of the human person in relationship to God. In this pursuit, students will gain a broad exposure into the history of religious expression and belief, particularly that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Emphasis is on Scripture, tradition, Catholic Church doctrine, and the application of ethics and morality to everyday life. While the focus is on Roman Catholicism, the interrelationships with other Christian denominations and non-Christian religions are also pursued in a spirit of ecumenism.

Concentrations

• Pastoral Ministry
• Teaching Ministry