The goal of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is to provide students
with a strong interdisciplinary foundation. Graduates are prepared to respond appropriately
and ethically in challenging “real world” situations as they move on to careers in criminal justice, emergency and disaster management or for further education.
Our Criminal Justice Program is one of WCU's largest, with residential or online options. The online Emergency and Disaster Management Program is rated as one of the best online emergency management programs by BestColleges.com. The Emergency and Disaster Management Program is also offered
as a residential minor. Each program of study brings together theory and hands-on
practice through the curriculum, internships, independent studies, and student-faculty
interaction, a hallmark of our department.
In conjunction with the goals of the University, the College, and the Department,
our programs are based on the philosophy of a liberal arts education, grounded in
social science methodologies.
Our curriculum emphasizes the interdependence of theory and practice in addressing
"real world problems." Our emphasis on application guided by scholarship provides
a strong, interdisciplinary foundation for future criminal justice and emergency and
disaster management professionals.
The focus for undergraduate students is to achieve mastery of fundamental academic
competencies and a basic level of expertise in the fields of criminal justice and
emergency and disaster management.
The faculty are committed to provide high-quality education in criminal justice, emergency
and disaster management, and criminology to our majors, other students across the
University, and to the professional community.
Alum Receives Prestigious Award
Detective Adam Wilson is one of two detectives from the Gastonia Police Department
who have been selected for recognition in a prestigious national awards program.
The National Association of Police Organizations sponsors the TOP COPS award designed
to educate the public about law enforcement heroes. Detective Wilson and his colleague,
Detective Heather Houser, have received the Honorable Mention Award for North Carolina
award stemming from their work on a human trafficking case. The victim in this case
credits the detectives with rescuing her and providing an opportunity for her to lead
a productive life.
The Twenty-Fifth Annual TOP COPS Awards® Dinner will be held at the Omni Shoreham
Hotel in Washington, D.C. at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 14. Many celebrities from NBC’s
hit programs Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and CBS’s Blue Bloods, Cold Case, NCIS and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will serve as award presenters. In past years, civic leaders including the president
and vice president as well as the attorney general of the United States have helped
honor the award winners by attending and speaking at the ceremony.
Detective Wilson participated in the online Criminal Justice program and graduated
in 2011.
Faculty and Staff
Our faculty have a wide range of expertise, experience, and interests. Recognized
nationally for their research, these faculty members’ practical knowledge has been
developed on the front lines of the criminal justice system in courtrooms, prisons,
juvenile centers, and on the streets.
