UHV undergraduate criminal justice program receives ranking
The University of Houston-Victoria’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice program recently was recognized by a national ranking website for its affordability and online accessibility.
Top Criminal Justice Schools ranked UHV’s undergraduate criminal justice program 18th in its 2018 Top 50 Best Criminal Justice Online Degree Programs. The website uses a points-based ranking system that factors in tuition, student-to-faculty ratios and national rankings.
“The UHV bachelor’s in criminal justice has been highly ranked for years,” said Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the UHV School of Arts & Sciences. “By combining affordable tuition with the excellent faculty who developed and lead the program, UHV offers a degree that fully prepares future professionals to serve their communities in many different areas of the criminal justice field.”
Online accessibility is a major component of UHV’s inclusion in the list. The university offers criminal justice courses face to face or online, depending on the needs of students, said Keith Akins, associate professor of criminal justice. The flexibility is especially helpful for students who already are working professionals and need to schedule their coursework around their jobs.
The program also was ranked highly for its low student-to-faculty ratio of 15-1. That allows faculty to focus on the needs of individual students. In addition, some students currently work in the field, and many tenured and adjunct faculty members previously worked or continue to work in criminal justice jobs. This enhances classroom discussions and exercises, Akins said.
“We have a pretty impressive mix of officers as both students and adjunct instructors,” he said. “One of the things they know is that real-life experience often is much more intense and unpredictable than what’s covered in the classroom, and they are able to share and discuss those experiences with their fellow students. That gives the program an extra boost and helps all of our students become better professionals. ”
To learn more about UHV’s criminal justice program, contact Akins at akinsk@uhv.edu or go to www.uhv.edu/arts-and-sciences/undergraduate-programs/criminal-justice.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
