Opportunities and outcomes
Criminal justice topics covered
- Institutions and processes of law enforcement and corrections
- Criminal law and procedures
- Nature, role, and function of police in society
- Nature, causes, and processing of juvenile delinquency
- Prisons and correctional institutions
- Parole and probationary concepts
- Nature and causes of crime
- Efforts of the criminal justice system to predict, prevent, modify, and correct criminal behavior
Student learning outcomes
- Apply a theoretical foundation to case-based scenarios related to criminal justice
- Define pertinent criminal justice issues associated with their career-oriented goals
- Develop technical writing applications that illustrate a comprehensive knowledge of criminal justice material
Career Scholars Program
Students majoring in Criminal Justice are eligible to take part in the Career Scholars Program. The Career Scholars Program offers a generous scholarship package while you embark on a unique cooperative education journey starting your freshman year at Wayne State. During your time here, you’ll participate in career readiness activities, job site visits, job shadowing, and more - all while learning the fundamentals of professional practice. After three years on campus, you’ll complete your senior year by working at a paid job in your chosen field. Job locations include Norfolk or Grand Island, Neb., where you'll live in community housing with fellow Career Scholars students.
Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP)
The Rural Law Opportunities Program offers students full tuition and automatic acceptance into the Nebraska College of Law. Designed to meet the state’s need for attorneys in rural areas, RLOP recruits and educates students from rural Nebraska to become lawyers who will return to rural communities and practice law. This special partnership between Wayne State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln also includes the opportunity to attend guest lectures and special court proceedings, observe classes at Nebraska Law, participate in an internship between your junior and senior year, and be mentored throughout the program by Nebraska Law administrators and representatives.
Rural Law Opportunities Program
Criminal justice internships
Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find criminal justice internships and career opportunities. Students recently completed internships at the following locations:
- Haven House Family Services
- Lincoln Police Department
- Lincoln Regional Center
- Madison County Attorney’s Office
- Madison County Sheriff’s Department
- Masonic Eastern Star Home for Children
- Miller Law Office
- Minnesota Department of Corrections
- Norfolk Police Department
- Woodbury County Juvenile Detention Center
Graduates of the Criminal Justice degree program work in their chosen field using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College. Each year, eager employers welcome WSC graduates into their organizations.
Jobs of recent graduates:
- Assistant Probation Officer – State of Nebraska District 7 Probation (Norfolk, Neb.)
- Background Investigator – Peraton (Lincoln, Neb.)
- Case Worker – Department of Health and Human Services (Grand Island, Neb.)
- Community Program Monitor – Iowa Department of Corrections (Sioux City, Iowa)
- Corporal Officer – Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (York, Neb.)
- Correctional Officer – State of South Dakota (Yankton, S.D.)
- Deputy Sheriff – Saunders County Sheriff’s Office (Wahoo, Neb.)
- Detective – Hastings Police Department (Hastings, Neb.)
- Family Support Worker – Owens and Associates (Norfolk, Neb.)
- Judicial Assistant - Polk County Courthouse (Des Moines, Iowa)
- Legal Assistant – State of Alaska Attorney General’s Office (Anchorage, Alaska)
- Mental Health Security Unit Supervisor – Department of Health and Human Services (Norfolk, Neb.)
- Police Officer – Lincoln Police Department (Lincoln, Neb.)
- Security Officer – G4S Secure Solutions (Denver, Colo.)
- Social Worker – State of Iowa (Sioux City, Iowa)
- State Trooper – Nebraska State Patrol (Lincoln, Neb.)
- Substance Abuse Coordinator – District 5 Probation (Columbus, Neb.)
- Youth Detention Officer – Madison County Detention Center (Madison, Neb.)
job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey
After graduating from Wayne State College, recent grads pursued advanced degrees at the following schools:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MSE) – Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.)
- Criminal Justice Administration and Management (MSOM) – Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.)
- Law (JSD) – New York University (New York, N.Y.)
- Law (J.D.) – University of Nebraska-College of Law (Lincoln, Neb.)
- Interdisciplinary Studies (M.S.) – Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.)
Transfer to Wayne State
Our generous transfer credit policy will allow you to get credit for what you've already earned.
- If you've taken courses at other institutions, you can transfer those credits to Wayne State.
- Already have an associate degree? Seamlessly transfer your full degree through one of our transfer pathways.
- Military or veteran student? You may be able to get credit for your military experience and training.
The professors in the Criminal Justice program are so involved in your well-being as a student and are very interested in your education. Our professors have experience in the field and know what they are talking about. Our CSI house is led by an instructor with experience in crime scene investigation and forensic science, and we get to use the actual materials that are used in the field. As a Criminal Justice major, you can also join the Criminal Justice Association, which allows you to listen to speakers from the field and learn from them and go on excursions to different places such as prisons, etc. It also helps you to connect with people in the field for future opportunities.
Shay-Ony Obispa
Curacao
Major: Criminal Justice
The professors in the Criminal Justice program are so involved in your well-being as a student and are very interested in your education. Our professors have experience in the field and know what they are talking about. Our CSI house is led by an instructor with experience in crime scene investigation and forensic science, and we get to use the actual materials that are used in the field. As a Criminal Justice major, you can also join the Criminal Justice Association, which allows you to listen to speakers from the field and learn from them and go on excursions to different places such as prisons, etc. It also helps you to connect with people in the field for future opportunities.
Shay-Ony Obispa
Curacao
Major: Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Department faculty
Dr. Jason Karsky is a criminal justice professor at Wayne State College and the chair of the Criminal Justice Department. His teaching interests include juvenile delinquency, community-based corrections, cybercrime, and emergency management.
Rachel Kunz, J.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Rachel Kunz is a criminal justice professor at Wayne State College. Her teaching interests include criminal law, criminal procedure, capital punishment, family violence, and violent crimes and victimology.
Dakota Schroll teaches in the Criminal Justice Department at Wayne State College. His teaching interests include mental health and criminal justice, criminology, criminal and specialty courts, violent crimes, victimization, antisocial behavior, individual differences in crime, quantitative methodology and social science statistics, and risk/needs assessment.
Dr. Lisa Wanek is a criminal justice professor at Wayne State College. Her teaching interests are bullying in American schools, family violence, and criminology.
Tara Wiles teaches in the Criminal Justice Department at Wayne State College. Her academic interests include studying criminal investigations, criminalistics, and drugs, alcohol, and addiction.
Student clubs for criminal justice majors
Alpha Phi Sigma - A criminal justice honor society
Criminal Justice Association - Provides opportunities for students in the criminal justice field
Legal Minds - For students interested in all things related to law
Pi Gamma Mu - An honor society that recognizes excellence in the social and behavioral sciences
Best Colleges in Nebraska for Criminal Justice
Ranked among Nebraska’s top programs for criminal justice studies in CollegeRaptor’s 2026 Best Colleges rankings.
A Best College of Distinction
Wayne State was recognized as a College of Distinction for our commitment to affordability, accessibility, and strong student outcomes that deliver a proven return on investment.
Best Criminal Justice Degree Schools
College Factual ranked WSC as one of the top colleges in Nebraska for a Criminal Justice degree based on 11 factors including student resources, demand, and successful graduate outcomes.
A Top Public College in the Midwest
Wayne State College is ranked among the top public colleges in the Midwest for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting strong academics and student outcomes.
