College of Criminal Justice Sees Growth, New Degree Additions

The College of Criminal Justice is experiencing steady growth with a new addition of online Bachelor’s of Arts/Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Homeland Security Studies and an increase in baccalaureate degrees conferred compared to other institutions in the state. In the past five years, Sam Houston State University accounted for 27% of the growth in Criminal Justice baccalaureate degrees among the 26 institutions granting them. Within ten years, the number of CJ degrees conferred state-wide increased by 47%, whereas CJ degrees conferred by SHSU increased by 73%.

In 2016, the College of Criminal Justice put 578 students with Bachelor’s degrees in the workforce. Last year 763 baccalaureate degrees were conferred, second only to the College of Business Administration, and in doing so, increased the lifetime earnings of our graduates by $730 million dollars, ^[1] $617 million of which will remain in the Texas economy. ^{[2] [3]}

Our online-only undergraduate student population has seen a 69% growth in the last five years, from around 350 online-only undergraduate students in Fall 2013 to around 600 in Fall 2018. The new online BA/BS degrees in Homeland Security Studies, approved by the Coordinating Board, will aid in continuing that growth starting Fall 2019.

The College of Criminal Justice is also a minority-serving college, with 56% of students identifying as minority, compared with the university average of 48%. Although our numbers of White, Asian, and African American students have held steady, the Hispanic student population has increased by 55% in the past five years alone. The College retention rates also exceed the university average.

The Criminal Justice Center is also undergoing a much-needed refresh, the first in decades. An interactive kiosk in the lobby now welcomes visitors to the CJ Center with a “Welcome” video from the Dean in English and Spanish, introducing them to the Center and the College along with maps and other information. Contemporary furniture with built-in charging stations are also found throughout the lobby, providing a welcoming experience for our students and visitors.

As we move into the future, we continue to celebrate and honor our past. The lobby walls now feature plaques that recognize our three Distinguished Professors. Likewise, the wall in the hallway leading to the Dean’s Suite commemorates those who have served the college as Dean.

For continuous updates on the College of Criminal Justice and its successes, follow our Facebook page or Twitter feed. There you will find live-streamed events, recent news, and celebrated successes of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

1. Social Security Administration, Education and Lifetime Earnings, retrieved from the Web 3/26/19, https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html
   
2. Colleges With the Most Students Who End Up Working In State and Out of State, The Chronicle of Higher Education., Nov 23, 2018, Vol. 65, Issue 12, A23.
   
3. SHSU conferred 2,444 degrees to women (1,539,720k) and 1,461 degrees to men (1,314,900k) for a total impact of 2,854,620,000 x 84.5% =2,412,153,900 remaining in Texas).