Criminal Justice | University of Northern Colorado

Welcome to the Web site for the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Northern Colorado. The Bachelor of Arts program was established in Fall 2003 and reflects a liberal arts tradition and prepares students for entry-level positions in the criminal justice system. The Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice was approved in March 2009 and is offered on line. The master’s program is designed to accommodate schedules of working professionals.

Here you will find information about our program (both our major and our minor), our students, our alumni, and our faculty, as well as helpful material on course offerings, financial assistance, and careers.

Questions or comments? If so, please feel free to contact directly any of the members of our faculty or staff, or to contact the program coordinator, Philip Reichel, either by e-mail, or by snail mail at

Philip Reichel
Criminal Justice
Campus Box 147
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO 80639

Telephone: (970) 351-2107
Fax: (970) 351-1255

Student Profiles

Kimberly Swanburg

Kimberly Swanburg is a senior majoring in criminal justice at UNC. She is from Thornton and is a Colorado native. Her two-year participation in The Criminal Justice Society has provided her a great opportunity to learn more about the criminal justice system. She has been an intern with the Larimer County Probation Department and currently has her own caseload. She is also doing an internship with Weld County District Attorney’s office with the investigations unit. She states it is definitely a great experience and recommends an internship to all criminal justice students prior to graduation. Now for the hard part: figuring out what is awaiting her after graduation. Her ultimate goal is to become a crime analyst.

Alumni Profiles

Sara Haile

Sara Haile, originally from Eritrea, was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. After graduating from Kungsholmen International High School in Stockholm, she enrolled at UNC and followed her passion for the law and the mechanisms of the U.S. Criminal Justice system and its relation to race in America. Sara excelled academically with a cumulative 3.75 GPA and became a prominent advocate of diversity and social justice on campus and in the Greeley community.

She served as president of the Summit Organizing Committee on Social Justice and Diversity (SOC) and was recognized for her outstanding efforts by being awarded the UNC Club Leadership Award in 2007 and the prestigious Drs. Allen and Lily Huang’s Global Citizen Award in 2008. She was also recognized in 2008 as an outstanding scholar when she received the Award for Excellent Academic Achievement in Criminal Justice.

After graduating in May 2008, Sara moved to New York City where she is currently working for the global law firm White & Case LLP, while preparing to attend law school in the fall. Her goal is to attain a law degree in international law and public policy and become a political leader and international advocate of civil and human rights.

2009 Interim Session Class

The SIFS Course—January 2009

The Southern Institute of Forensic Science and UNC’s Criminal Justice program conducted a very successful Forensic Anthropology for Law Enforcement and Death Investigators class during the 2009 interim session. This class was composed of UNC students and law enforcement professionals and was instructed by Diane France, Ph.D., D-ABFA, Forensic Anthropologist of Ft. Collins, Colorado, and Ms. Hillary Parsons, an anthropology graduate student from the University of Montana in Missoula.

[Back to Top]

Alexa Frederickson
Interns in the Weld County Cold Case Unit

Alexa Fredrickson, a University of Northern Colorado criminal justice intern, is helping investigator Josh Noonan of the Weld County Sheriff’s Office go through the dozens of binders containing information about unsolved murders in Weld County. The Cold Case Unit was recently featured in an article in the Ft. Lupton Press. To see the article, go to Ft. Lupton Press—“Cold Cases Unthawed.”

Alexa Frederickson

Tori Gutt Named Academic All-District

Tori Gutt, a criminal justice major and sophomore swimmer has been named to the ESPN All-District VII Second Team in the women’s at-large category. Tori, from Tucson, Ariz., has a 4.00 grade point average in criminal justice. She owns the school record in the 200 meter breaststroke after swimming a 2:21.11 at the Conference USA Championship

Campus Scene

UNC Trustees Approve Online Master’s Degree Program in Criminal Justice

UNC’s Board of Trustees, at its meeting on March 13, unanimously approved an online graduate program in criminal justice, making it the only program of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region.

The two-year master’s level program will be delivered online to accommodate schedules of working professionals in law enforcement across sectors—ranging from police officers and civilian workers to probation officers, victim advocates and employees in juvenile and adult correctional facilities—and will provide opportunities for them to further their education. Many agencies across the country require additional education for advancement, said Criminal Justice Professor Philip Reichel.

Reichel said faculty will use evidence-based practices, including applying standards of quality for online programs and incorporating up-to-date research to the courses. The program, which extends the current bachelor’s degree offering in Criminal Justice, will begin this fall with a group of about 10 students. Cohort groups will be added each fall. It will be offered through UNC’s Office of Extended Studies.