If you want a career in law enforcement, the courts, or corrections, Centenary College is a great place to start.

Centenary boasts a faculty that includes some of New Jersey’s foremost authorities in the field and offers a wide range of internship opportunities. As the only college in New Jersey to offer a certification program in criminalistics, our graduates are sought out by employers in New Jersey and beyond

Responding to the needs of the criminal justice community, and in an effort to fulfill the needs of all students, both traditional and transfer, the College established a curriculum in Criminal Justice Studies that began in the Fall of 1999 and is innovative and practitioner based.

The criminal justice program at Centenary College in New Jersey is designed to prepare students for employment in any of the three components of the Criminal Justice System: Law Enforcement, the Courts, or Corrections, as well as prepare them for graduate studies.

• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice - Minor in Sociology
• Bachelor of Arts in Sociology - Minor in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Arts in Sociology - Concentration in Criminal Justice
• Master of Arts in Leadership and Public Administration

The program provides a multi-disciplinary study of the structure, administration and dynamics of the criminal justice system.  Guest speakers presently working in the criminal justice system and field trips to criminal justice facilities are incorporated into appropriate criminal justice courses.

Studies are grounded in the socio-psychological foundation of criminal justice. Our core curriculum is combined with courses in:

• Socio-psychological science.
• Behavioral science.
• The humanities.

Certificate Programs

Centenary College formed a Criminal Justice Advisory Board to assist in identifying program goals and needs of the local criminal justice community in January, 2000. Since then, the college has developed a wide range of programs to serve the needs of the region’s law enforcement professionals.

The Certificate in Criminalistics provides a structured approach for law enforcement professionals and forensic specialists who have not yet decided on an undergraduate degree. There are more than 60 law enforcement personnel enrolled in part-time studies from more than 40 different police departments or prosecutor’s offices.

Internships

The Department works closely with students to assist them in determining career goals upon completion of their degree. In furtherance of this end, internships are offered during the senior year of study to provide students the opportunity to work with a criminal justice agency to meet individual needs, gain practical experience and apply concepts learned in the traditional classroom setting.
Internships can be arranged with:

• Various area police departments.
• County prosecutor’s officers.
• Police academies.
• County courts.
• Correctional facilities.
• Various federal agencies.