Gannon University | Program Facts

GU Criminal Justice Facts

Criminal justice majors can choose to pursue the Duquesne Law School 3+3 Program and complete their undergraduate and law school experience in six years, instead of seven.
Thirteen percent of criminal justice students continue on with graduate school studies and 87 percent are employed in their chosen field.
Gannon alumni from the criminal justice program work at places such as: the Erie Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Erie County Adult Probation, Erie County Juvenile Probation, Millcreek Police, Perseus House, Inc., Vision Quest Inc., ABRAXAS, the State Attorney General’s Office, the F.B.I., Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Dept., D.C. Capitol Police, and Secret Service.
Qualified juniors at Gannon may choose to pursue an accelerated MBA and complete both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in just five years rather than six.
Scholarships are available through the William Weston Scholarship Award and the Charlotte Newcombe Scholarship Fund.
Criminal justice students participate in either an internship or service learning experience to acquire hands-on experience in the real world.

Employment projections for positions in criminal justice through the year 2018 are expected to increase by 10 percent (growing faster than the average for graduates with four year degrees).
The median annual wage for law enforcement personnel is approximately $51,000 or higher.

The Criminal Justice Program maintains a student-centered environment with personal advising and mentoring from the CRJS faculty. As part of this, we offer students small class sizes, service-learning opportunities, and internship placements.
Our campus is located within walking distance to various criminal justice and social service agencies. Faculty take our students to visit the Erie County Coroner’s Office, SCI Cambridge Springs, SCI Albion, Perseus House, City of Erie Bureau of Police Department, and county and federal court houses. Students are able to observe both criminal and juvenile justice hearings.
Our diverse faculty is comprised of both academics and practitioners with experience working in the criminal justice field. This allows us to provide students with innovative elective courses (e.g., crime mapping, terrorism, gangs, forensics, victimology). Most of our faculty serves on state boards and regional associations.
Eligible criminal justice students have an opportunity to participate in Alpha Phi Sigma (APS), the national criminal justice honor society. APS students have attended conferences in Seattle, San Diego, and Toronto, most of which were funded by Gannon’s Student Government Association.