Jul 05, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Department of Justice Studies

Peggy S. Plass, Academic Unit Head
Phone: (540) 568-7124
Email: plassms@jmu.edu
Location: Darcus Johnson Hall 2013
Website: http://www.jmu.edu/justicestudies

Professors
T. Castle, P. Plass, C. Robinson

Associate Professors
D. Beers, G. De Fazio, B. Meade, T. Parsons, M. Poteyeva, H. Scheuerman, C. Watkins

Assistant Professors
K. Billingsley, G. Perez, M. Švigelj

Lecturer
D. Breneman

Mission 

Justice studies is committed to offering a cross-disciplinary, intellectually-challenging and vocationally-relevant course of study for persons interested in academic or applied careers in justice studies at the community, national or global level.

Goals

To carry out this mission, the department seeks to:

  • Help students develop a comprehensive understanding of justice studies.
  • Empower students to analyze and explain justice and injustice and their impact on individuals, communities, institutions and nations.
  • Sharpen students’ abilities to think and reason critically, to practice sound methodological skills, to communicate effectively, and to develop solutions.
  • Prepare students to utilize and produce scholarship in the field of justice studies.
  • Equip students with essential competencies, knowledge and skills for a broad spectrum of pre-professional, career, and community and civic pathways.

Career and Professional Opportunities

Justice Studies offers students opportunities to develop a wide range of skills, knowledge, competencies, and habits of mind that can be applied within many career, professional, community, and educational settings in the future.  Examples of career fields which our graduates have pursued include the following:

  • Peace Corps
  • AmeriCorps
  • Governmental and non-governmental organizations
  • Law enforcement
  • Corrections
  • Judicial services
  • Law and legal careers
  • Advocacy/Lobbying
  • Policy analysis
  • Nonprofit organizations (national and international)
  • Human and Social services
  • Domestic and international security
  • Intelligence analysis
  • Diplomatic Corps
  • Researcher/data analyst
  • Program evaluation
  • Academia/Education
  • Graduate and professional study

Programs