UCO Hosts 11th Annual Criminal Justice Day

Oct. 3 marks the 11th annual Criminal Justice Day at the University of Central Oklahoma, an event that brings together students, faculty, and agencies to explore careers in the criminal justice field.

During Criminal Justice Day students, faculty, and professionals tour UCO’s campus, meet current faculty, criminal justice majors, and connect directly with criminal justice professionals from local, county, state, and federal agencies who regularly employ graduates. These agencies represent a range of criminal justice careers.

CJ Day serves as a recruitment tool for UCO, high school juniors and seniors, and students enrolled in criminal justice programs at Oklahoma’s career technology centers, such as Francis Tuttle and MetroTech.

Nonprofit organizations such as the Diversion Hub, YWCA, and the Education and Employment Ministry, along with 140 representatives and 32 agencies, will be bringing equipment, trucks, and helicopters to give students a hands-on experience with first responder gear. 

Students can get internships and practicums from these experiences, and it can introduce them to careers that they have not thought about before. 

Dr. Jamie Burns, Director of the School of Criminal Justice and organizer of the event, has seen growth with CJ Day.

In the first year, 2014, there were 213 students who attended, and in 2024, 451 students attended, and now 800 people are registered who attend this year.

“Quite a few of our current students were first exposed to the School of Criminal Justice because of CJ Day. We always get students who enroll at UCO for criminal justice because of CJ Day,” said Burns.

Agencies are also expanding their participation. While most partners are from Oklahoma, some will travel from Kansas and Texas this year.

UCO is the first criminal justice program and is the only University that has an annual Criminal Justice Day in Oklahoma.

UCO has such a great location for an event like this because we’re right near Oklahoma City, where all these agencies are,” Burns stated. 

“We want to highlight all the good things that are happening not only with the school of criminal justice, but UCO in general. We want students to feel at home here,” said Burns.