Bachelor of Applied Justice Studies

Mount Royal’s Bachelor of Applied Justice Studies is unique among justice studies programs in Canada because it blends the study of criminology and a theoretical understanding of the criminal justice system with hands-on skills and work experience — offering a unique approach to learning.

Students are exposed to direct contact with the justice system, with two semesters spent applying their skills in paid work terms called directed field studies.

Make a difference to your community

Justice is more than just crime and punishment. You can make a difference in people’s lives in a variety of ways — by making the community a safer place, implementing successful programming for high-risk individuals or discover solutions that could forever alter someone’s life.

Your education, your choice

The Applied Justice Studies program offers you two study streams to choose from:

Directed Field Studies stream — Complement your classroom studies with real world experience in a 16 week, full-time paid work term.

Practicum and Capstone Practicum or Research Project stream — In practicum, you receive career-focused mentoring in a justice-related agency. For your last practicum, you can also choose to complete a capstone research project. This stream combines unpaid justice-related experience with career mentoring and tutorials. The department’s faculty and practicum coordinator will assist you with these decisions.

Experience wanted

This criminal justice-oriented program prepares you with:

• a rich understanding of criminal justice and criminological issues, so you can make informed decisions about issues
• practical and critical thinking skills
• alternative conflict resolution techniques
• alternative interviewing techniques
• strong communication skills and computer literacy
• perspective on ethnic, cultural and lifestyle diversity as well as human rights

Career choices

Due to the high demand for well-trained people in the Canadian justice system, graduates of this program are often actively recruited by a range of justice-related employers.

Your job title could be:

• Facilitator — your Mount Royal education will give you a distinct advantage when seeking a career as a facilitator working with at-risk youth and adults in a one-on-one or group setting.
• Police officer — TV does not always portray life in the most realistic way. Your career upholding the law will be exciting and rewarding, but safer than it is portrayed on TV. You will also have the opportunity to specialize. With an ever-increasing list of retirees the Calgary Police will be requiring approximately 100 recruits per year.
• Probation officer — when offenders are sentenced to such things as community service rather than prison, you will be the one to supervise and help determine the eligibility of their probation.
• Parole officers — deal with prisoners who have been released on the condition they follow certain rules.

You could be working for Canada Border Services, Corrections Canada, Elizabeth Fry Society or Fish and Wildlife. Or you could be a:

• crime statistics analyst,
• emergency communications officer or
• crisis intervention worker.

Faculty expertise

The faculty consists of individuals with diverse education backgrounds including criminology, sociology, psychology and law. Many instructors have worked extensively within the criminal justice system, and two are Mount Royal Justice Studies graduates. You will find the faculty accessible during your studies and once you graduate, they will use their contacts to help you kick-start your career. Check out the faculty list.

Research opportunities

The Justice Studies faculty are also heavily involved in research, which allows you some extra opportunities. Recent projects include studies on:

• identity theft
• human trafficking
• the sex trade
• DNA evidence
• crime mapping
• mass marketing fraud
• diversity issues in justice
• police effectiveness and efficiency

Diploma option

If you choose not to pursue all four years of the Bachelor of Applied Justice Studies program, you may be eligible to graduate with a Professional Studies Diploma, Justice Studies. The main criteria to graduate with the diploma is the completion of the first four semesters of the applied degree. The department chair or academic advisor can give you details.