Midstate College is proud to announce that the staff of the Illinois Board of Higher Education has approved the request for Authorization to Grant the Bachelor of Arts in Law and Social Justice.
The Bachelor of Arts in Law and Social Justice provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum that engages in critical analysis of justice issues. The program seeks to discover the social and historical roots of justice and injustice and examine how popular understandings of these principles shape public policies, including those of the legal system. The 188 quarter credit hour program consists of courses in history, politics/government, law, social and behavioral sciences, economics, and the environment. In addition to the 68 quarter hour credits in general education courses, specific courses include courses in: criminal justice; social justice; theories of justice and social change; women, justice and the law; law and racism in America; community organizing; workers’ rights and human rights; juvenile justice system; economics of globalization; urban economic development; politics of punishment, analyzing prisons, and jails; public administration; professionalism and ethics; research methods; and an applied study/internship experience. There are also 60 quarter credit elective hours in a legal or social justice related field.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Social Justice provides preparation for employment in an extensive range of careers. The program not only prepares the student for a profession with advocacy groups, nonprofit organizations, federal, state, and local governmental institutions, or any employer seeking people with strong skills in research, writing, analysis, and advocacy with contemporary legal and social issues, it is also a choice for professionals seeking advancement in criminal justice/law enforcement careers and for students considering advanced study in social services, urban and regional planning or law.
Midstate College Director of Paralegal Studies, Mark Wiltse, has been instrumental in spearheading the effort to offer the Bachelor of Arts in Law and Social Justice. Mark has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with his undergraduate studies focusing on criminal justice and legal studies. Mark has been teaching at Midstate since 1996 and takes great pride in the opportunity to offer this unique program. “The Bachelor of Arts in Law and Social Justice has the potential to set Midstate College apart in the competitive market, not only locally through traditional classes, but even further due to our expansive capabilities in eLearning.”
For more information, please contact Ashley Spain, arspain@midstate.edu or 309.692.4092 ext. 1040
