4 universities ready to shape future leaders and changemakers in criminology and criminal justice

Criminology and criminal justice are fascinating fields of study — and much more nuanced than what you see portrayed on TV shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Blue Bloods” and “Law and Order.” These are the biggest offenders of “copaganda,” presenting the criminal justice system as an incorruptible force for good.

The reality has a lot more grey areas than that. Some have questioned the badge and others have called for reform after seeing the disparities and failures within the system. Criminal justice systems can run rampant with corruption and abuse of power too. 

These opportunities and pitfalls make it an exciting and contentious subject to study. Even its most basic questions — such as “what is crime?” — can spark interesting debates. The best part? By understanding crime, criminals and criminal justice, you’ll not only understand the world we live in better but also gain many skills to build careers as a detective, probation officer, social worker, and more.

California State University, San Bernardino

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) prepares students to become well-qualified experts in criminal justice agencies and beyond. Established in 1965, the school now ranks in the top 4% of the nation, according to the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a sequence of tests used by US universities to measure student learning in the freshman and then in the senior year. 

Programmes offered here develop and refine a broad spectrum of skills, including research methods, statistics, analysis, problem defining and solving, evaluation, and writing. Core courses focus on the history and function of the criminal justice system agencies, the measurement of crime, theoretical causes of crime and delinquency, scientific methodology and research designs, and social science statistics commonly used in criminal justice and crime analysis. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice explores how the criminal justice system works, why people offend, how society and law react to crime, and how to conduct scientific research that can address policy and criminal justice reform. The realities and misconceptions of the criminal justice system, the systemic failures to address disparities within the system, and evidence-based practices to affect positive change are covered as well.

Combining the expertise of three departments — Criminal Justice, Geography and Environmental Studies, and Information and Decision Sciences — the Bachelor of Science in Intelligence and  Crime Analysis prepares students for careers as intelligence or crime analysts, for public or private service. There’s extensive training in research, analytics and data management, hands-on activities, use of specialised software and tools (such as NETDRAW, UCINET, Microsoft Office, ArcGIS Pro, and SPSS) and a required independent research or an internship. 

The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice — ranked #23 for the “Best Online Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice” (UniversityHQ.org) — makes for an ideal next step after the BA or BS. Two options are available — the thesis option is great for anyone seeking a PhD or research career, while the comprehensive examination option is for those with administrative and management goals. Apply to the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at California State University, San Bernardino today.

Criminal Justice students with the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations and K9 Officer Mizu. Source: Temple University, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

Temple University

Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts has a Criminal Justice major dedicated to deepening one’s understanding of crime, governance and social justice. Here, students engage in a multidisciplinary approach to studying crime, guided by a faculty consisting of experts in criminal law, federal policing, homeland security and corrections.

The Criminal Justice major includes unique courses such as the Certificate in Cybersecurity and Human Behaviour, the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Programme where students can attend classes in a prison, and a Criminal Justice Internship Programme. 

For postgraduate students, the school offers a Criminal Justice MA and a Criminal Justice PhD. These programmes are suitable for those who already work in criminal justice and want to sharpen their skills. Several PhD students have gone on to conduct research, teach, and work closely with various faculty members and students throughout the department.

Students eager to complete their programmes earlier can opt for an Accelerated Degree, where they can complete their undergraduate programme and earn a master’s degree in just five years.

BA in Criminal Justice graduate is currently working on her law degree at the University of Florida. “Criminal Justice at Temple University prepared me by providing a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system, including its theories, policies, and practical applications,” says Mary Byerley. “The programme equipped me with critical thinking skills, research abilities, and a deeper appreciation for issues related to justice and equity.”

Texas Tech University

Sociology and criminology are two sides of the same coin – both areas share the same topics, such as relationships, inequality, behavioural sciences, social theory, psychology, etc. Texas Tech University is aware of the similarities the two concentrations share, and offers a criminology concentration for their Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Likewise, sociology basics are offered in their Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. The course is also available online for those busy with other commitments.

Both programmes offer elective courses for students interested in expanding their knowledge outside the basics of criminology. Students can take courses in Family Violence, Sociology of Deviance, Alcohol, Drugs, and Society, Individual Studies: Homicide or Women & Crime, Juvenile Delinquency, Introduction to Forensic Anthropology, and Human Skeletal Biology and Forensic Techniques.

A major in criminology at Texas Tech University is beneficial for students planning careers in a variety of areas. Due to the wide scope of the programme, graduates aren’t tied down to being directly involved in the criminal justice system – they can explore positions in business, law enforcement, government departments, medicine, social services and more.

Besides offering comprehensive programmes for sociology and criminology, the University of New Mexico also offers recruitment programmes for the National Guard. Source: The University of New Mexico

University of New Mexico

The Department of Sociology & Criminology at the University of New Mexico is home to a rich and diverse intellectual community. It has a small student-to-faculty ratio, allowing personalised attention and deeper attention into focus areas like crime and justice, gender, health and medicine, race and ethnicity, and social movements.

The department offers a specialised programme in Criminology for undergraduate students. It emphasises the characteristics and causes of crime, its origins and nature as well as the consequences of societal reactions. It also explores the criminal justice system as a whole.

For those interested in specialising through a graduate programme, the department offers four areas. Students can choose from Crime, Law, and Social Control, Sociology of Health and Medicine, Race and Ethnicity, and Gender, a brand new area. Whichever programme or area you choose, you’ll learn from passionate experts and go on to become one yourself.

Last July, Lisa Broidy and MA graduate, Ella Siegrist published an article in Feminist Criminology titled “Prioritising Protection: How Jailed Women Challenge Maternal Stigma.” Recent PhD candidate, Ryeora Choe, co-published an article in Journal of Traumatic Stress titled “Persistence of the association between mental health and resource access: A longitudinal reciprocal model in a diverse refugee sample.”