Bluefield, VA – The Caudill School of Business and the School of Criminal Justice at Bluefield University is launching a new concentration in justice administration under the Master of Business Administration (MBA). Alumna Dr. Lisa Robinson, class of 2007, will serve as the director of the new program.
Designed with working professionals in mind, the online specialization is focused on enhancing the skills and knowledge of criminal justice partners to further their careers within law enforcement, corrections, and other criminal justice organizations. The MBA in justice administration can be completed in as little as one year.
Students who participate in this program will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge hands-on through a capstone course to complete their degree. Upon completion, students will be equipped with the necessary education and training to secure administrative roles in criminal justice and/or business organizations. The program will be offered in summer 2021.
“We spent almost three years developing this program to ensure it meets the needs of our students and the current market demand,” said Robinson, assistant professor of criminal justice at Bluefield University. “I’m happy to be back home leading this program and looking forward to serving my alma mater and the current generation of BU students!”
Dr. Lisa Robinson will serve as the director of the justice administration program. Robinson received her bachelor’s in criminal justice from Bluefield University in 2007, and her master’s in criminal justice from Radford University in 2009. Robinson began her professional career as a resource specialist for the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program (now Virginia Veteran and Family Support). While in that role, she worked directly with veterans and their families suffering from mental health issues related to their military service. In 2011, she was promoted to the Region III Coordinator, overseeing the expansion of Wounded Warrior through a federal grant into 26 counties and ten cities in southwest Virginia.
In 2012, Robinson served as the Homeless and Housing Programs Coordinator at New River Community Action. In that capacity, she supervised the provision of services to homeless and at-risk individuals and families in the New River Valley. During that time, she completed her second master’s in history from Louisiana Tech University. In 2017, she pursued her PhD studies full-time in sociology at Virginia Tech. She worked with the College Access Collaborative and the Laboratory for the Study of Youth Inequality and Justice until her graduation in 2020, conducting research on youth violence, rural violence, online extremism, and social movements.
“I am excited for the opportunity to return to my alma mater and help the School of Criminal Justice expand into this new degree,” expressed Robinson. “It’s a great opportunity for students and current professionals to gain the skills to advance in their criminal justice careers in only one year.”