2018-2019 UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
College of Public Service
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Leigh Van Horn, EdD, Interim Dean
C430, 713-221-8991
Kevin Buckler, PhD, Associate Dean
C400, 713-221-2733
The College of Public Service is a community-based center for higher learning dedicated to preparing students to enter and/or advance in professional careers in criminal justice, education, and social work. It believes that an educated society creates thoughtful policy and humanistic practices for the betterment of its diverse constituents. The College seeks to instill analytical thinking skills that nurture in students an appreciation of the use of scientific inquiry to solve the problems of our time and encourages creativity and the development of new ideas. It embraces the professional and personal growth of its faculty, staff and students by promoting intellectual collaboration within the school, university, and community at large. The College of Public Service strives to engage in dynamic research that will improve the quality of our area schools, social service organizations and justice institutions, and will instill scholarship, integrity, and responsibility in tomorrow’s leaders.
The College of Public Service is organizationally structured into two academic departments and two centers. The two centers are the Center for Public Service and Community Research and the Criminal Justice Training Center. The two academic departments are the Department of Urban Education and the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work.
Center for Public Service and Community Research
Steven Villano, Director, C220, 713-226-5244
The Center for Public Service and Community Research (CPSCR) is located in rooms C-220 and C-222 within the College of Public Service. The mission of the CPSCR is to initiate and develop collaborative partnerships with the community, to participate in active engagement and mutually beneficial problem solving, to advocate change through faculty and student engagement in community affairs and to facilitate community based research. Programs in Criminal Justice, Social Work, Urban Education, and the Criminal Justice Training Center are served by the CPSCR.
The CPSCR will incubate, facilitate, and promulgate systemic change through collaboration and community based research with our external stakeholders. We support the growth of students, faculty, and staff through authentic, academic and profession-based high impact experiences in community engagement, service learning, and research. Students, faculty, and staff are currently engaged in a wide variety of public service projects based upon specific needs identified by our partners. When possible, the CPSCR identifies opportunities that are interdisciplinary in nature allowing students in Criminal Justice, Social Work and Urban Education to work together to apply their recently acquired knowledge in real world settings. Projects are focused on education and service while others include community partners in research.
Criminal Justice Training Center
Steven Bracken, Director, C114, 713-226-5276
The mission of the Training Center is to provide the best possible training to qualified applicants for the Texas Peace Officer License Exam and to provide advanced law enforcement training to current Texas peace officers in compliance with TCOLE regulations. The Training Center Academy is licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and the academy trains not only the Basic Peace Officer Course but also advanced law enforcement topics that are needed by Licensed Peace Officers for ‘Continuing Education Points’ to maintain their license. The citizens of Texas deserve the best trained peace officers with the highest standards of ethics and professionalism to protect their communities. Each academy class at the Training Center must complete a Community Service project prior to graduation. Service to others is at the heart of our program. Cadets and Staff of the Training Center donate thousands of hours annually to activities that improve our community and the criminal justice profession.
Law Enforcement Training Program
Entry-level training for prospective police officers is provided by the Center’s Police Academy. The academy is certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. (TCOLE) and is approved for veterans’ benefits through the Texas Education Agency. Approximately 40-50 specialized and advanced courses are offered annually for police officers and other public sector practitioners. Basic and advanced management training courses range from one to 14 weeks in length.
Specialized Certification Courses and Seminars
Specialized training and certification opportunities are provided through unique seminars and courses.
Certification courses are available in such diverse areas as emergency medical care and technician training, and management.
UH-Downtown Criminal Justice Training Center Academic Credit
Graduates of the Criminal Justice Training Center are eligible to earn 24 hours of credit toward the Technical Credit Block of the BAAS in Criminal Justice degree in our college.
Urban Education Degree Program
The University of Houston-Downtown’s Urban education program offers certification in elementary, secondary, and bilingual education. Students wishing to obtain EC-6 Core Subjects with ESL Supplemental, EC-6 Core Subjects with Bilingual Supplemental, and 4-8 Core Subjects with ESL Supplemental certification will need to take courses in a variety of academic areas.
Students interested in the Urban Education program should contact the university Academic Advising Center at 713-221-8006 or visit N-320 (One Main Building).
Students wishing to obtain secondary certification may choose from the following subject areas: Mathematics, English-Language Arts and Reading, History, Social Studies with Composite Social Studies Certification, Life Science, Physical Science, and Composite Science.
Initial Status as an Urban Education Pre-Major
All students who enter UHD with an interest in eventually declaring as an Urban Education major will start in a pre-major status.
Declaration as an Urban Education major occurs automatically upon completion of the requirements and requires no action from the student.
To achieve the status as a Declared Urban Education major the student must:
- Earn a 2.3 grade point average after having completed 30 credit hours; and
- Successfully complete MATH 1301, ENG 1301, and ENG 1302, with a grade of “C” or higher; and
- Satisfy the Texas common core in the American History and Life and Physical Science components. (NOTE: To be formally admitted (as described below) the student must earn a “C” or higher in all American History and Life/Physical Sciences courses toward completion of the Texas common core).
Admission as an Urban Education Major
Admission as an Urban Education major is not automatic. It requires the student to formally apply. A student should see his or her Academic Advisor for more information.
To seek formal admission as an Urban Education major, the student must:
- Have been declared as an Urban Education major;
- Submit an application to the program, including a personal statement and interview (needs to be within 12 hours of completion of all academic major and preparatory requirement before submission of Professional Development application);;
- Have earned a minimum 2.5 overall grade point average;
- Met TSI Requirements;
- Be in good academic standing with the university;
- Earned credit in American History component with a grade of “C” or higher in both courses;
- Earned credit in Life and Physical Sciences component with a grade of “C” or higher in both courses; and
- Be common core complete.
Professional development sequence:
- Professional Development I: This course sequence may not be initiated unless the student has earned admission to the Urban Education program.
- Professional Development II: This course sequence may not be initiated until the student has successfully completed Professional Development I.
- Professional Development III: This course sequence may not be initiated until the student has successfully completed Professional Development II.
Admission and Declaration for Social Work Degree Program
Declaration of pre-major status in Social Work
A student interested in admission into a Social Work program of study may initially declare as a pre- Social Work major.
- Students who are continuing at UHD will be declared as a Pre-Social Work Major with a Cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher.
- Students who are transferring to UHD will be declared as a Pre-Social Work Major with a Cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher.
Freshman who are admitted to UHD will be declared as a Pre-Social Work Major with the following requirements: High School GPA of 2.5 or higher and Freshman admission requirements met.
This declaration does not mean that the student will be fully admitted into a Social Work program. See the requirements for Admission as a Social Work major.
Admission as Social Work Major
Each student who meets the following criteria to the Social Work program will be considered for formal admission:
- Completion of all required developmental courses;
- Completion of a minimum of 30 college credit hours;
- Be in good academic standing;
- Submission of a completed Social Work Program admission application packet (application form, admissions essay, and two references in support of the application); and
- Have a GPA of 2.5 or greater for the most recent 30 hours of college credit hours that have been taken in the past five years. (Although UH-Downtown accepts earned credits older than 5 years, the Social Work Program does not include grades for courses more than five years old in its admissions GPA calculation.)
Students considering applying to the program are encouraged to take SOCW 2361 and SOCW 2363 as soon as possible; these two required courses are open to non-majors and serve as prerequisites for upper-level Social Work courses.
Admission to the Social Work Program is a competitive process. All students who wish to major in Social Work must complete a separate, admissions application for the Social Work major which is available on-line. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
NOTE: Forms available at: https://www.uhd.edu/academics/public-service/social-work/Pages/bsw-admissions-application.aspx
Students who do not meet the Pre-Social Work Major or Formal Social Work Major criteria above do not qualify for admission to the Social Work Program and will be classified as an Undeclared Major with Social Work Interest.
Admission and Declaration for Criminal Justice Degree Program
All undergraduate students at UH-Downtown are assigned for academic advising to University College until they are accepted into one of the degree programs.
Declaration as a major in Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) and Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Criminal Justice (BAAS CJ) require the following:
- Continuing students at UHD must have a UHD GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Students transferring to UHD must have a transfer GPA OF 2.0 or higher
- Freshmen who meet the Freshman Admissions criteria will be declared upon admission to the university.
Students who do not meet the criteria above do not qualify for admission into the Criminal Justice degree programs and based upon their respective interest will be classified as one of the following pre-majors: Pre-Criminal Justice (B.S.) or Pre-Criminal Justice (B.A.A.S.).
Graduation with Honors
Students who have earned a GPA of 3.3 or greater in their last 42 credit hours taken at UHD are eligible for College Honors.
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