Undergraduate students majoring in Victim Studies may earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. The coursework is designed to prepare students for employment in all areas of victim services (ex. as victim advocates or case workers and investigators with the Department of Family and Protective Services, etc.). System advocates work for law enforcement agencies and prosecuting attorneys' offices. They provide information about crime victims' rights, court accompaniment, referrals, and notification about hearings, etc. Victim service professionals are similarly employed by the prison system. Community-based advocates assist survivors regardless of whether they file criminal complaints. They may work in a shelter, answering the hotline and providing other direct services (ex. crisis intervention and case management, etc.) Or, they may provide non-residential interventions (ex. court, legal, and medical accompaniment, etc.).
Depending on the student's preference, the degree may be completed in-person or online. It is the only program of its kind in Texas and one of few in the nation.