The Criminal Justice system is made up of three major components: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Students will become familiar with all three components in the classroom.
The program is both theoretical and practical. It is theoretical in that it provides a good understanding of critical issues in the field. It is practical because it requires an internship of 150 hours working in a criminal justice agency in probation, corrections, or law enforcement.
Service Learning Experiences
The Criminal Justice Program has embraced the service learning and civic engagement emphasis at Defiance College because this emphasis provides unique opportunities to learn outside the classroom and to have more criminal justice agency contacts. Civic engagement at Defiance College pushes our students to understand the value of contributing to many of those programs in which our graduates will be a part. It takes citizens and professional staff to make most programs excel.
Associate Degree & Minor
The Criminal Justice Program offers an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice as well as a minor. The Associate degree prepares students for some entry level positions in the criminal justice field. The program also offers five courses in the Forensic Science Program.
Major Brochure | Courses | Sample Plan of Study
Internships
Internships are available in all three components, specifically in law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. In correction agencies, there are internships in probation and parole offices. Placements are also available in adult prisons, juvenile detention centers, community-based correctional facilities, and at private treatment facilities. Courtroom observations are often part of this experience as well.
Capstone Projects
Once a senior, the criminal justice student will have the opportunity to draw upon the knowledge learned in the classroom and in their internships to develop and complete their Capstone Project. Many agencies have assisted and benefited from the results of these Capstone Projects, some of which were developed from ideas of area professional agencies. Examples of these agencies are:
- Northwest Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Center
- Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio
- Defiance Police Department
- Columbus Police Department
- Toledo Police Department
- Defiance County Sheriff’s Office
- Napoleon Police Department
- Ohio State Highway Patrol
- Defiance College
Mock Crime-Scene Investigation
An exciting aspect of the criminal justice program is an opportunity for students to participate in a mock crime-scene investigation and trial with local law enforcement, fire officials, attorneys, and judges.
Other Opportunities
The program provides other practical opportunities such as tours of facilities and agencies, guest speakers, films, and the option of Cooperative Education. The Criminal Justice Society sponsors annual trips to metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Washington D.C., and Detroit to visit a variety of criminal justice agencies.
Defiance College’s criminal justice graduates are very successful. A degree in criminal justice allows a student to work in a variety of different settings. Some of our recent graduates are working for correctional facilities and many different law enforcement, probation, and parole agencies in the Midwest as well as Special Agent positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and Treasury. Many of our graduates have gone on to Graduate School or Law School.
Don Knueve, Ph.D.,, Professor of Criminal Justice
419-783-2581 | dknueve@defiance.edu | Faculty Profile
Steven Sondergaard, J.D., Professor of Criminal Justice
419-783-2443 | ssondergaard@defiance.edu | Faculty Profile
Steve Sondergaard, professor of criminal justice, stages a different mock crime scene each year for students to gain experience in a variety of aspects in criminal investigation.
