Criminal justice major

Criminal justice is one of our most popular academic programs. There are plenty of reasons why the criminal justice major enjoys such a strong reputation. With the help of internships, diverse faculty, research opportunities, and more, our students can use their knowledge in criminal justice in a variety of ways: to improve the current justice system, exercise reasoned judgment to advance the scientific basis of criminal justice practices, and promote ethical principles.

In a growing career field that consists of many different specializations, understanding criminal behavior as well as the governing legal system is a great asset to society. Criminal justice provides a wide array of studies including criminology, policing, the courts, juvenile delinquency/juvenile justice, and corrections which pave the way to influential careers concerning these topics as well as government law, paralegal, private-practices, correctional treatment specialists, and more.

THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM IS RANKED #1 IN THE STATE

2022 Forensic Anthropology Workshop

University of Wisconsin-Parkside students and local law enforcement personnel gained first-hand experience on what it’s like to be a crime scene investigator as part of a Forensic Anthropology Workshop, featuring local law enforcement professionals, scientists and K-9 units.

During the six-day workshop, which ran June 6-11, students were guided through a full mock grave excavation, where they learned about search, recovery, and analysis of crime scenes.

UW-PARKSIDE HOSTS FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY WORKSHOP

LEARNING IN ACTION

Our students can use their knowledge in Criminal Justice to:

Improve the Justice System - by communicating the results of criminal justice concepts and criminological theories to articulate methods and strategies to improve our justice system.
Advance the Scientific Basis - exercise reasoned judgment to advance the scientific basis of criminal justice practices, policies and procedures by identifying and evaluating research needs and priorities of our justice agencies.
Promote Ethical Principles and Practices - demonstrate social and personal responsibility by evaluating evidence, acting ethically, and reflecting the values that are the underpinnings of criminal justice as an academic discipline.

ACCREDITED FOR QUALITY

"The University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a premier public institution and leading provider of high- quality educational programs was recognized as the top school in Wisconsin for its support of careers in criminal justice and corrections, in rankings published by CorrectionalOfficer.org."

- PRESS RELEASE from CorrectionalOfficer.org

TRUTH IN A NUTSHELL

COMMUNITY BASED LEARNING PRESENTATIONS

CAREER PATHS

Gary Eckstein, M.A.

Lecturer

Gary is a lecturer who teaches courses such as CRMJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice, CRMJ 234 Juvenile Delinquency, CRMJ 372 Violence and CRMJ 387 Terrorism and Security. He is a UWP graduate who receive his B.A. and M.A. in Sociology with an emphasis in Corrections/Criminology from Marquette University. Mr. Eckstein is currently the Vocational Outreach Director for the Kenosha Achievement Center. He has worked as a Counselor/Clinical Specialist with the Sojourner Truth House, Taylor Children's Home, Community Care Resources and the Professional Services Group.

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Martin Gottschalk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair

Martin Gottschalk, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Chair of Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York at Albany. His dissertation was entitled, “Sociology and the Evolution of Punishment.” He teaches Corrections, Law and Society, Introduction to Criminal Justice, and Research Methods. He has authored or co-authored works appearing in journals like the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Policy Review, and Critical Criminology. He has also worked with the North Dakota District office of United States Probation and Pretrial Services, examining the effects of Manualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

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Michael Graveley

Lecturer

Mike teaches CRMJ 316 Criminal Procedure, CRMJ 380 Criminal Law and CRMJ 490 Special Topics: The Jury Trial. Mr. Graveley attended the University of California Berkeley and UW-Madison Law School. He is currently an Assistant District Attorney in Kenosha County.

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Aubri McDonald

Assistant Professor

Dr McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at UW Parkside. She has a PhD in Criminology from the University of Illinois in Chicago and a Master’s in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr McDonald has a B.A. in Psychology and B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kansas.

Her research involves examining racialized and gendered cultural frames in media, social movements, and criminal trials and the influence on cognitive bias and decision-making.

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Nicholas Salimbene

Assistant Professor

Dr. Salimbene is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at UW Parkside. He has a Ph.D in Criminology and Criminal Justice From Sam Houston State University and a Master's in Criminology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

His research involves examining how environmental factors affect police organizational efficiency. In addition, he is focused on working closely with local police departments.

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Dennis Schultz

Lecturer

Mr. Schultz teaches CRMJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice, CRMJ 367 Latinos(as) and the Law, CRMJ 388 Comparative and International Criminal Justice Systems, and CRMJ 494 Criminal Justice Internship, while also serving as the department's internship coordinator. He has many years of experience in the Human Services profession, retiring as the Director of Kenosha County Human Services. Dennis received his B.A. in Sociology and his M.S. in Counseling from the the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

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Philip Wagner, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Wagner is an Assistant Professor joining us from Fairmont State University in West Virginia. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Criminal Justice. He has a Ph.D. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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A University of Wisconsin Parkside Signature Program

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PROGRAM CONTACT INFO

Connie Minton | (262) 595-3416 | minton@uwp.edu