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UT Tyler Criminal Justice Seniors Achieve Top National Ranking on MFT Exam

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November 29, 2012

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

November 29, 2012

Criminal justice majors at The University of Texas at Tyler recently achieved a top national rank on the Major Field Test examination for the fall 2012 semester, Dr. Barbara Hart, criminal justice program coordinator and associate professor, announced.

For the second time, UT Tyler is among the top 10 percent of all institutions taking the MFT in the field.

The CJ MFT, a nationally normed examination created by the Education Testing Service, covers seven subfields: theories of criminal behavior, the law, law enforcement, corrections, court system, critical thinking and research methodology and statistics.

“The importance of using this type of an exam is to provide a national scope of comparison for assessment of our CJ program,” Hart said. “Our students need to be able to compete with anyone, and with this exam, they know where they stand. They know they are getting their money’s worth from UT Tyler. Potential students need to know the quality of this program and their bragging rights when they make it through our curriculum.”

The program at UT Tyler is based on curriculum recommendations of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and designed to provide its majors with superior preparation for careers in criminal justice and/or further study in graduate or professional school. Students are introduced to a variety of theoretical perspectives and competing viewpoints throughout the curriculum and are equipped with the analytical and research tools for understanding and exploring issues in criminal justice.

“The criminal justice program at UT Tyler is highly respected among local, state and federal criminal justice agencies. Our students have always done extremely well, and this achievement adds to our program’s previous successes. The faculty here are also exceptional in every way and particularly talented in the classroom,” Hart added.

The bachelor of science in criminal justice offers students a focused exposure to the complex aspects of crime and criminal justice from the sociological, psychological, public policy, legal and practitioner perspectives.

Courses cover crime and delinquency, the police, courts, corrections and cognate agencies as well as criminal law, relevant contemporary research and ethical issues across the system.

For more information about the criminal justice program at UT Tyler or to apply, contact Hart, 903.566.7426 or bhart@uttyler.edu.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of almost 7,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.