The University of Houston-Victoria’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice recently was ranked nationally on The Best Schools’ Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Programs top 50 list for factors that included its academic excellence, faculty scholarship, reputation and financial aid.
“Criminal justice is an instrumental field that touches many parts of our society, and UHV is proud to offer undergraduate degree and graduate concentration options in this field,” said Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the UHV School of Arts & Sciences. “The university has outstanding faculty who bring real-world experience and nationally recognized research into the classroom. This ranking is a welcome recognition of what we already know is an excellent program.”
A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice prepares students for careers where they can investigate crimes, ensure the safety of communities, respond to disasters or share case findings in court. Careers in the field include police officers, federal agents, detectives, criminologists and forensic specialists.
The website ranks programs based on a list of five or six criteria, depending on whether the program is available online. UHV students can take the criminal justice program face to face or online. The first category reviewed the school’s curriculum, including the number of specializations available, range of available electives in the subject, faculty expertise and quality of online teaching.
The second category considerer the school’s faculty members, including their educational background, experience in the field, membership in relevant associations, academic research and publications, and any awards or recognition. UHV’s criminal justice faculty members have participated in research and published findings on a variety of topics, including hate groups, family and intimate partner violence, deviance, terrorism and profiling violent criminals.
In addition to factors involving the specific program, the ranking also reviewed the reputation of the universities and how much financial aid was available to students. During the 2018-2019 school year, UHV awarded $37 million in financial aid. The website also considered the range of degrees and fields of study available at each school. UHV has 70 available degrees and concentrations that include bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and one specialist degree option.
To learn more about the undergraduate criminal justice program, contact Rob Hawkins, UHV associate professor of criminal justice and director of undergraduate criminal justice studies, at 361-655-7101 or hawkinsr@uhv.edu.