Our interactive approach to learning fosters an understanding of crime and the principles of social scientific research. Youll assess how illegal behavior is defined, with special attention to how social inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, and age influences what is seen as crime and what is seen as justice and how they intersect.
Throughout your studies, youll also develop concrete policy analysis and research skills built on a social justice framework. Youll learn to produce research projects and other creative works that address pressing real-world social or criminological problems.
As a criminal justice studies major, you will:
Learn about the historical forces of entrenched racism and sexism that shape the criminal justice system and other contemporary American institutions, Critically assess crime and justice policies and practices from intersectional perspectives, Develop analytical research skills to describe and evaluate real-world social problems and solutions, Effectively convey ideas through oral and written communications, including policy memos, reflection essays, research papers, and op-eds, Cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity skills when working with diverse communities.
Our curriculum emphasizes the intersectionality of criminal justice and social justice. Youll gain a solid understanding of the American criminal justice system within its broader historical and institutional contexts, and consider how its procedures create or exacerbate inequalities based on characteristics such as race, class, and gender. Your courses will also explore the theories behind crimewhat constitutes a crime and who gets to decide its definitionwhile giving you a strong foundation in social research methodologies and techniques. We also offer a wide range of electives so you can dive deep into the topics that matter most to you. Topics include restorative justice, crime and mental health, violence, law and public policy, policing, global criminology, juvenile justice, and much more.
This major gives students the knowledge and skills to be effective in the fields of adult and juvenile justice, youth development, community justice, criminal justice, victim advocacy, and human services. Here's your suggested course of study, depending on the kind of degree you'll earn.
