Department of Justice Studies
The Department of Justice Studies is home to two distinct undergraduate programs: the Bachelor of Human Justice, and the Bachelor of Arts in Police Studies. These innovative programs prepare students for a wide variety of careers in the justice field.
Justice Studies' courses draw upon various academic disciplines such as anthropology, criminology, economics, geography, history, law, psychology, religious studies, and sociology integrating criminal, restorative and legal justice, and importantly social justice and human rights.
Justice Studies students have the opportunity to prepare for justice careers as pre-service professionals applying their knowledge, skills and attitudes at community, provincial, national and international levels with police services, restorative justice programs, correctional facilities, probation and parole services, human rights organizations, social services, and advocacy organizations with government and community-based organizations. This aspect of our programs emphasizes the value of integrating theory in practice and through learning by doing.
Human Justice students complete two practicum placements in justice organizations where they gain valuable professional knowledge, skills and attitudes that will afford them a solid foundation in their chosen justice careers.
During the final year of the Police Studies program, Professional Track students seek competitive admission to become a police officer and complete a one-year program of police college and on-the-job training, while Academic Track students complete additional university courses and a police-oriented practicum experiential learning placement.
UR Restorative Justice Club
Per their mission statement, the UR Restorative Justice Club "aims to promote the principles and values of Restorative Justice through processes, including dialogue, campaigns, circles, conferences, education, outreach, and research with academics, community members, practitioners, post-secondary volunteers, and skilled facilitators."
Future events can be found via their Instagram page.
Contact Us
Department of Justice Studies
University of Regina
Classroom Building, CL 343
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Administrative Assistant
Corie Smith
Phone: 306-585-4779
Department Head
Associate Department Head
Practicum Coordinator
Announcements and Events
The Department of Justice Studies is very pleased to announce the appointment of Ashley Major (LL.M.) to the Assistant Professor position in Socio-Legal Studies, starting July 1 2025.
Ashley Major (she/her) is a lawyer and researcher specialising in human rights law, gender equality, and sexual and gender-based violence advocacy. Ashley holds an Advanced Master of Laws in Public International Law (specializing in International Criminal Law) from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands; a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto; and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Justice from the University of Regina. She articled with the Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown Law Office – Criminal, focusing on appellate files relating to voyeurism, sexual assault, and domestic homicide. Prior to joining the Faculty at the Department of Justice Studies at the University of Regina, Ashley worked as a Research Associate and supervising lawyer at the International Human Rights Program, University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Passionate about domestic and international women’s rights issues, Ashley has completed work for several prominent human rights organisations over her career, including UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the OECD, and the Ending Violence Association of Canada.
The Department of Justice Studies is very pleased to announce the appointment of Lorna Ferguson (Ph.D.) to the Assistant Professor position in Criminology and Criminal Justice, starting July 1 2025.
Dr. Lorna Ferguson is an award-winning criminologist specializing in policing and missing persons and is the Founder of the North America-wide research organization, the Missing Persons Research Hub. She has made significant contributions to understanding how police respond to missing persons cases, particularly those that involve complex challenges like criminal connections, vulnerable populations, and cold/long-term cases. Dr. Ferguson’s involvement in high-profile projects, such as the Toronto Police Service's failures of the Bruce McArthur investigations and the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains return support discussions, exemplifies her dedication to addressing systemic issues in policing and safeguarding communities. She has educated, trained, and partnered with over forty police services and several individual officers to enhance police practices and policies and officer knowledge on missing persons. With her research, service, and the Missing Persons Research Hub, Dr. Ferguson’s ultimate goals are advancing scholarship in this field, improving police response to missing persons, and preventing and reducing missing persons in Canada.
While her specialization is police responses to missing persons, Dr. Ferguson conducts research in various areas related to policing, including incident command, evidence-based policing, technologies, calls involving persons with mental illness, cybercrime, police data, and police reform. Dr. Ferguson’s scholarly work has been published in top peer-reviewed journals in the field and has been the subject of many local, national, and international presentations. Her recent research has appeared in Criminology & Criminal Justice, Crime & Delinquency, Policing & Society, and Policing: An International Journal, among others. She has written six books, e.g., 'The Wicked Problems of Police Reform in Canada' with Routledge, 'Occupational Stress Injuries: Operational and Organizational Stressors Among Public Safety Personnel' with Taylor & Francis, and 'Police Search and Rescue Response to Lost and Missing Persons' with Springer Nature. Dr. Ferguson has taught university courses at the intersection of sociology, law, and criminology.
FAQ: Prospective Students - Human Justice
Students will acquire skills in analytical and critical thinking and human service practices complementing their general university studies and the liberal arts.
The Introductory and Advanced Practica are features of the BHJ program; students earning academic credit acquiring professional experience. Courses in the BHJ program are offered by faculty and practicing professionals.
The BHJ program prepares students for post-graduate work in fields such as law, criminology, justice studies, social justice, and human rights.
FAQ: Prospective Students - Police Studies
The BA in Police Studies has been recognized as the “best” in formal agreements signed by the Saskatchewan Police Commission, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers – the whole policing community in Saskatchewan. It has also been recognized formally by other organizations, such as the RCMP/GRC and the Edmonton Police Service.
The degree was developed by the University of Regina in partnership with the Saskatchewan Police Commission, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers, and was specifically designed to meet the needs of modern police services. An Advisory Board that includes members from all those groups oversees the Program at all times, which guarantees that it will always be up to date, and offer the best education available.