Welcome to Penn State Altoona

1
Welcome to Penn State Altoona

• An Introduction to
• The Criminal Justice Program
• Part One

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For More Information

• This presentation and other important information
  about the program can be found at
• http//www.personal.psu.edu/sak229
• You should also check the programs official web
  site at
• http//www.altoona.psu.edu/cj

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Criminal Justice Faculty

• Michael Arter, Ph.D.
• Vidisha Barua, LLM, Ph.D.
• L. Edward Day, Ph.D.
• Mary Ann Probst, Esquire, CJ Program Cordiantor
• Robert Worley, Ph.D.
• Scott Kelly, Ph.D. student, Lead Advisor and
  Part-Time Lecturer
• All CJ faculty advise CJ students. You have
  already been assigned an advisor to assist you,
  but you may ask any one of us for guidance.

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The Field of Criminal Justice

• Exploding with opportunity
• Some positions require only 60 hours of higher
  education, BUT
• Employers will hire the best qualified applicants

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Criminal Justice

• Criminal justice majors have many choices in
  their future.including but not limited to law
  enforcement and corrections.

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What Kinds of Jobs?

• Lawyer
• Mediator
• Arbitrator
• Child Advocate
• Criminalist
• Forensic Specialist
• Researcher

• DEA Agent
• Cargo Theft Agent
• FBI
• Highway Patrol
• Postal Inspector
• Private Investigator
• Some of these careers will require specialized
  additional education.

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What Else?

• Anything!
• A liberal arts education teaches you to think,
  analyze and communicate .
• These skills can be transferred to any career.

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What you do with your time in the CJ program
determines the opportunities you will have
available later.
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Where do I begin?

• Commit to your educational process!
• Immerse yourself in the educational process
• Set goals and work toward them
• Make a plan your advisor will help

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Advisors

• Advisors support students in their endeavors,
  provide information, and encourage students to
  make their own decisions
• Students have an obligation to communicate with
  their advisors. Effective advising requires
  communication and complete information

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Special Needs

• If you are a special needs student.it is your
  choice whether to disclose that information
• Accommodation letters are provided by the Health
  Wellness Center
• You are responsible for provided this information
  to your instructors

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Tell or Dont tell.

• Choosing not to disclose special needs
  information means that your advisor and
  professors will not be able to provide additional
  academic support
• Disclosure at the end of a semester is not
  retroactive

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Self-Advising

• Self-Advising some students believe that they
  can navigate the academic system on their own,
  and dont need advising
• Roommate/Friend Advising some students rely on
  their roommates or friends for academic advising

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Self-Advising

• While students make their own academic
  decisionswe strongly recommend that students
  discuss those decisions with their advisor.
• Working with your advisor consistently helps
  eliminate last semester panic and delayed
  graduation

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Self-Advising

• Remember to refer to the CJ web sites for
  information on the program, program forms, etc.
• Have your degree audit reviewed by the Program
  Coordinator before your final semester.

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Reality Check

• Penn State Altoona does NOT guarantee that every
  student will get through a rigorous academic
  program
• Success is up to each individual student
• Your progress in your academic program depends on
  you!

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Reality Check

• A Bachelors Degree requires a total of 128
  credits of required and elective courses.
• This means that you need to complete an average
  of 32 credits each year, or 16 credits every
  semester to graduate in four years.
• PLAN AHEAD!

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Reality Check

• Entry into the Criminal Justice associate degree
  program does NOT guarantee entry into a
  bachelors degree program.
• If you are enrolled in the associate degree
  program, you must apply for entry into the
  Bachelors program.

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Reality Check

• Community Service and Internships are an integral
  part of this CJ Program.
• You will participate in both during the process
  of attaining your CJ degree.
• Both are opportunities to network and expand your
  professional horizons.

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Why do I have to take all those other courses?

• University life is intended to assist you in
  realizing your full potential
• While you are here, you will amass a body of
  knowledge about your field, and you will learn a
  great deal about yourself
• Courses are designed to broaden your world and
  your future opportunities

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For example.

• Writing/Speaking classes allow you to improve
  written and oral communication skills
• Employers demand effective oral and written
  communication skills in people they hire

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Ok..but why Math?

• Quantification improves your critical thinking
  skills and analytical skills.
• Understanding statistical analyses is a critical
  skill for making informed policy decisions.
• The best preparation for STAT 200 is either MATH
  017 or MATH 021, but you may need to start at a
  more fundamental level, depending upon your math
  placement score.

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But Health and Activity Classes?

• Health and Physical Activity Classes improve
  your health and fitness, and provide
  opportunities for lifelong recreation
• They also help you develop a healthier lifestyle
  NOW rather than later when the damage has been
  done

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Natural Science?

• In Natural Science classes, you learn a different
  way of looking at the world -- the scientific
  method -- which sharpens logic and reasoning
  abilities

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Overall.

• Whether two year or four year, AS, BS or BA.a
  degree program needs to fit you, challenge you
  and ignite excitement about your chosen field