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Juvenile Justice Minor

The juvenile justice minor is designed to promote an awareness and understanding of the issues related to juvenile justice. Topics range from the causes of juvenile delinquency including youth culture, to juvenile justice system responses from the point of custody to adjudication, and juvenile correctional philosophies and practices.

Visit the program website for more information.

Program Overview

Juvenile justice is offered by the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Legal Studies, a 21-credit interdisciplinary program open to all students. This minor is also designed to provide students with a comprehensive education that will prepare them for careers in the field of human services as it relates to juvenile offenders and at-risk youth.

A maximum of nine credits may be applied to both the criminal justice major and juvenile justice minor.

Why Study Criminal Justice at Grand Valley?

  • Grand Valley has one of the larger criminal justice programs in the country and faculty who are nationally recognized for contributions in the discipline.
  • Faculty members offer students the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of research and service-learning opportunities.
  • The program offers students the chance to complete an internship in the agency or organization of their choosing.
  • The program provides learning opportunities to assist faculty in the field, gathering and analyzing data on community issues and evaluating community programs.
  • Class sizes are small and intimate, providing for a learning environment conducive to dialogue and meaningful interpretation of material.
  • Students are given the opportunity to take classes from faculty with diverse interests and practical experiences.

Career Insights

This tool shows an overview of potential career opportunities for this major. Actual salaries, employment opportunities, and job titles may change over time.

Location & Format

Undergraduate students in this minor meet downtown on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Format:
  • Face To Face

Coursework

The 21-credit minor consists of five required courses:

  • CJ 101 - Justice and Society
  • CJ 201 - Criminology
  • CJ 350 - Juvenile Justice Process
  • CJ 355 - Youth Culture and Crime
  • CJ 420 - Juvenile Correctional Counseling

Additional elective courses complete the minor, see catalog for details.

For More Information

School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Legal Studies

gvsu.edu/cj
289C Richard M. DeVos Center
(616) 331-7130

Admissions and Recruitment Office

gvsu.edu/admissions

 

“Criminal Justice at GVSU is second to none. The professors, faculty, and advising staff truly care about student success, which is one of the many reasons that the program is one of the best in the discipline.”

BENJAMIN WALKINGTON
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ALUMNUS