Great news for College of the Rockies Criminal and Social Justice (CSJD) students. Those who graduate with the CSJD diploma at the College, and meet the admission requirements, are eligible to enter directly into the third year of the Bachelor of Criminal Justice at Lethbridge Polytechnic (formerly Lethbridge College).
College of the Rockies Criminal and Social Justice (CSJD) students, along with instructor Avery Hulbert (centre) and students from Lethbridge Polytechnic, attended the postgraduate course on Victimology, Victim Assistance, and Criminal Justice in Dubrovnik, Croatia. COTR students are now eligible to enter directly into the third year of Lethbridge Polytechnic's Bachelor of Criminal Justice.
The signing of this transfer agreement formalizes a long-standing relationship and collaboration at both institutions. In May 2024, eight students from Lethbridge Polytechnic and six students from College of the Rockies joined their faculty at the postgraduate course on Victimology, Victim Assistance, and Criminal Justice in Dubrovnik, Croatia where they both participated and presented. College faculty member Avery Hulbert and her Lethbridge Polytechnic counterpart Aaron Eyjolfson have collaborated for years on victimology research initiatives so partnering on this educational opportunity in Croatia seemed a natural fit and solidified the commonalities between the institutions.
"This is a great opportunity for our students to complete a bachelor's degree in closer proximity, or online," said Stephanie Wells, Dean, University Arts and Science. "The Criminal Justice degree at Lethbridge Polytechnic is well regarded and the institution has a strong history of policing and justice studies. Similarly, our Criminal and Social Justice diploma is led by faculty with a passion for their subject matter, which is noticed by industry professionals. We were pleased to receive an email from a Lethbridge Police Services recruiter who commented that he's connected to many institutions across Canada, yet Avery and her students stand out."
Students studying CSJD are invited to add a co-operative education work term between their first and second year where they will work a minimum of 420 hours in an area of interest for this field. This sets students up for success in the Bachelor of Criminal Justice where an additional 300 hours of work-integrated learning is completed with a justice or human services organization.
Hulbert says, "Hiring and recruitment in areas of law enforcement, community, and social services is at an all-time high so this is an incredible opportunity for students who want to transition from the College to Lethbridge Polytechnique and then right into the workforce. Students will be graduating with the education, skills, abilities, and competencies desired by employers in the field.
College of the Rockies' Criminal and Social Justice program accepts students in September each year and is available in the classroom at the Cranbrook Campus or fully online. The College has also signed block transfer agreements with Athabasca University, Columbia Southern University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Royal Roads University, and Vancouver Island University.
Learn more at: cotr.ca/criminal-and-social-justice
