Professional Development Project

You have all worked very hard to reach this point in your educational endeavors. The Professional Development Project marks the end of your capstone course and for many the successful conclusion to the first two years of your academic journey. 

The Professional Development Project builds upon the Learning Journal entries that you have made each week, but asks that you pull together your information into a polished paper or presentation. 

Within this project, you must address the following:

• Reflections on your education. What have you learned during your time in the program, and how will it help you achieve your personal and professional goals?


• A critical assessment of your knowledge of the field of criminal justice. In which aspects of the field do you think your knowledge is the strongest? Where do you feel you could benefit from more education?


• A plan for the future, including at least five short-term (6 months to a year) and 5 long-term (5 years) goals.


• Specific details regarding the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. 

You can submit the project in one of two formats. 

Option 1: Submit a PowerPoint presentation (eight slides minimum). In this format, while you can use bullets in your paper to enumerate your points, be sure to provide sufficient detail to clearly address all aspects of the assignment. 

Option 2: Submit a paper in Word (3 double-spaced pages minimum). 

In either format, pay attention to your grammar, spelling, etc., as you should in any written work, so that you have a polished final product to show for your efforts. That said, do not let this project be a burden — take advantage of this opportunity to think about what it has taken to get to this milestone in your education, and what you want your next steps to be.