New Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice added to programs in Lincoln for working adults

 

[May 17, 2019] 

LINCOLN 

Adults seeking a degree in criminal justice will have just the chance to get their start in August. An open house was held on the Lincoln College Campus on Monday, where the public could find information on the new courses and the program as a whole.

Lincoln College has expanded their Accelerated Bridge to Education (ABE) program for adult learners to the Lincoln campus with Criminal Justice courses to be offered, starting in the fall.

The Accelerated Bridge to Education program is geared toward adult learners aged 23 and older and is offered in Lincoln, Normal, Peoria and Oglesby. At $330 per credit hour for tuition and fees, the ABE program offers a significant savings to students.

According to information provided by Kaylee Kurtz, the admissions counselor for the ABE Program, on August 19, Lincoln College will begin accelerated hybrid evening courses as part of the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice on the Lincoln Campus. The Criminal Justice courses will meet one night a week in Lincoln from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and be partially supplemented by online learning for five weeks. Students also have the flexibility to potentially miss one class session without academic penalty in the course.

According to the information presented the program provides, “students with an understanding of the American Criminal Justice System, the institutions and personnel which comprise that system, and theories of crime causation, offending, and rehabilitation. Students take courses which develop their critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, ethical decision-making, and communication skills as related to the administration of justice.” With this degree, students can enter careers in law enforcement, probation offices, various correctional facilities, or community treatment and services.

Overall, the program requires 120 credit hours, including the requirements for a general education at the college (which can be transferred from other approved institutions), with a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper division coursework. The final 30 hours will be completed on the Lincoln campus, and students will need a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above to graduate.

In addition to the Criminal Justice program, the open house presented information on the Business Management program, which operates in a similar manner to the Criminal Justice program. Courses will meet one night a week, and will be supplemented with online course work. This program is also going to be offered in Lincoln on the main campus.

There will also be courses offered partially online for the Organizational Leadership and Health Services Administration programs. Kurtz explained that these programs are more hybridized, with half of the course work completed “online via webcam.” These courses are asynchronous, meaning the students have more flexibility in when they complete the material or review lesson plans in the form of recorded video.

Upon completion of each five-week session, students earn a full three credit hours toward their degrees. Classes for the ABE program are offered year-round, not just during the traditional school year. Through nine sessions of five weeks in a 12-month period, a student can earn 27 credits in a year by taking one course at a time.

Kurtz added that anyone interested in the program who could not make it to the open house is free to contact her with questions. She can be reached by phone at 309-268-4322 or by email at [e-mail]. 

[Derek Hurley]