Trinity International University has recently introduced a Criminal Justice major to its curriculum at their sites in Miramar and Kendall. The Criminal Justice degree was created in response to a need to prepare students for a wide variety of career choices in law enforcement including corrections, cyber-crime and paralegal work. The degree will also prepare students for postgraduate study. Their hope is that this program based on Christian values will help students develop a deeper moral perspective into the realm of criminal justice in our society.
According to Deborah Wiles, Director of Academic Operations, “The university exists to educate students to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world, to provide Christ-centered education that is community focused, church connected and culturally engaged.”
This new bachelor’s program will offer a Christ-centered liberal arts curriculum, with a strong foundation in the studies of criminology including criminal law, legal systems, corrections and policing.
Professors teaching the courses in this program are not only educators, but also practitioners in the field, which will help provide students with an education that extends beyond the textbooks. Trinity will be hiring professors with experience in the court system, corrections and law enforcement including enforcement agents, lawyers and judges. The courses they’ll be teaching include “Criminal Law and Procedures”, “Police and Societal Interactions”, “Drugs, Alcohol and Crime” and “Victimology and Restorative Justice” – all taught from a Christian Worldview.
Wiles said Trinity also plans to include internships that fit students’ different career goals, helping them apply what they’re learning in the classroom to a work-like environment. They’ve opened the door for collaboration with law enforcement and other legal entities that will benefit students. A group of executives from leading organizations in the criminal justice field has also lent support to the program by agreeing to serve on an advisory board. Members’ experiences include extensive work in the areas of DEA enforcement, Immigration and anti-terrorism.
As a Christian university, Trinity will allow for more moral depth to its Criminal Justice program. Wiles said, “Students will be exposed to both the punitive and redemptive aspects of practicing in the field. They will be encouraged to maintain a biblical and balanced view of humanity, one that acknowledges fallen man’s need for correction yet simultaneously recognizes the inherent value of every human being. The curriculum will encourage students to grow in their ability to demonstrate justice and mercy in their attitudes and actions, as well as maintain a posture of redemption as it may be applied within the confines of the law.”
The criminal justice degree program may be appropriate for students interested in career positions, such as probation officer, police officer, correctional officer, private detective, security guard, state trooper, FBI agent, CIA agent, immigration and customs, homicide detective, DEA agent, Secret Service agent, US Marshal or enforcement agent.
Trinity is a multi-location, university that provides Christian-based education for undergraduates and graduates. Their four core values are “Christ Centeredness, Community Focus, Church Connectedness, and Cultural Engagement. Trinity’s purpose is to enable its graduates to think and live like Christians in the twenty-first century. We believe that God calls his people into many kinds of service; Trinity’s calling is to prepare them to serve for his glory.” Trinity is continuing its mission in their new criminal justice program that will be offered on both the Kendall and Miramar campuses as a major and a minor.
For more information on Trinity’s Criminal Justice program visit undergrad.tiu.edu/program/criminal-justice/ or call 954-382-6400.

Gabriella Morris is a student at Florida State University and writer at Good News. She can be reached at [email protected].