How does it feel to be in the 98th percentile? Just ask the criminal justice program at DeSales University.
Criminal justice majors scored in the 98th percentile on the Educational Testing Service Major Field Test in Criminal Justice last year.
“It shows you that the content and the rigor of our criminal justice major here are strong,” says Dr. Jennifer Moore, chair of the Department of Social Sciences. “We have the results to say that this is working, it’s successful. And it’s working better than 98 percent of other colleges and universities across the country that are participating in this.”
DeSales first began using the ETS Major Field Test in 2009. It gauges students’ competency in seven key areas, including the law, law enforcement, corrections, the court system, and critical thinking. Students are required to take the test as part of their senior seminar class, which is taught by Seth Weber.
“It’s huge,” says Weber, who served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for 26 years and is now an adjunct professor. “It’s 20 percent of their grade and an important assessment of a student’s learning.”
Students aren’t only grasping the core concepts of criminal justice, they’re also improving each year. DeSales scored in the 97th percentile in 2015 and in the 96th percentile in 2014. Weber calls it a tribute to the students.
“We have had great students,” he says. “It’s amazing. They certainly get that this is an important test, different than any other test in their college careers. The scores have been amazingly high.”