June 15, 2018
SIU and Rend Lake College agree on joint criminal justice program
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Local students who are interested in a criminal justice degree now have more options, thanks to a new articulation agreement between Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Rend Lake College.
The agreement was finalized at the Rend Lake College Board of Trustees’ meeting Tuesday. Now, Rend Lake College students who finish an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice will be able to transfer smoothly as juniors into SIU’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Bachelor of Arts degree.
Provides students with better opportunities
The dean of Applied Science and Technology at Rend Lake College, Gabriele Farner, said the agreement provides local students more opportunities.
“The addition of Southern Illinois University to our list of opportunities for criminal justice graduates is fantastic in so many ways. Not only is it a local partnership that brings new ideas and technologies to RLC students, but it also gives the students another local option to continue their education,” said Farner. “We’re excited to be working with them to help all of our students.”
To achieve the combined degree, students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average while attending Rend Lake College and complete required courses.
A bachelor’s degree will be awarded at SIU once the student completes approximately 42 more credit hours. Students who meet all requirements may utilize this program immediately.
Similar agreements
SIU and Rend Lake College hold similar articulation agreements in programs such as history, psychology, hospitality and tourism administration, early childhood education, technical resource management, health care management, radiologic sciences, accounting, business administration and industrial maintenance and applied engineering.
Students interested in these programs have the option to transfer their work without wasting previously earned credit hours.
SIU offers a dual admission program, preparing transfer students for academic transitions, and a dual enrollment program, locking in the current tuition rate while students finish at a community college. These services allow students to plan for their transfers before the matriculation date.