Ming Chuan University Department of Criminal Justice

Message from the Chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice

First things a freshman can do:

1.	The Department of Criminal Justice is an applied science; therefore, study in this field is an interdisciplinary integration, including sociology, psychology, law, social work, and political science. It is a very interesting and also very practical learning, so you can read related popular books first, or watch related films, such as: The Collection of Reasoning Works of Hoval and Fowler, FBI Psychoanalyst, Dr. Henry Li's Forensic Files, Lawyer Boy, Insult to Harm, Family Man (comic), New Police Story, The Negotiator, Zodiac, What’s Love Got to Do with It, The Copycat and many more.
2.	Criminology is a very new academic field and an ancient science. Of course, the most important language for studying this subject is Chinese, for the law. The textbooks used are mostly concise and condensed. Chinese reading and writing are the essential tools for report drafting; the learner must have an average level of analysis and reading proficiency. Moreover, because recent criminology and police studies are greatly influenced by the United States and Japan, in the theory and practice of modern crime prevention, a large number of materials in English and Japanese are cited. So if you can strengthen your foreign language abilities before entering the department, it will definitely help future learning.
3.	A large part of university courses are self-study and interactive discussions. In this era, submission of written reports, creation of newsletters, presentation of learning experiences, sharing of exchange experiences, and discussion of lessons with teachers and classmates in groups after class, all use contemporary electronic communication media and related applications. Please learn to use these new media and production applications before you officially begin classes. If possible, the faster and more accurate you can be with Chinese and English typing the better.
4.	Because the development focus of this department is "Criminal Justice, Judicial Social Work, and Public Safety", it is necessary to understand these three modules to facilitate study and career planning; in addition, it is recommended to pay attention to current social events and related judicial laws and regulations, and related reports on international (including cross-strait) changes (read relevant newspaper editorials).