Starting fall 2023, CCJ B.A. and minor will be offered online and on campus. Students can choose the modality that works best for their needs. Committed to changing the way people think about and do the work of justice, and we hope you will consider joining us.
We live in anxious and uncertain times. We are polarized by politics, gender, race, and inequality. Historically, high numbers of people have been incarcerated in the US, and many more have regular encounters with law enforcement and the court system. Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in opportunity are often connected to the neighborhood where one lives. While it often appears as if nothing will ever change in the Criminal Justice System, the causes, patterns, and dynamic nature of crime and criminal behavior itself are in many ways predictable and, therefore, can be changed.
The Criminology and Criminal Justice degree is designed for students interested in the general study of crime and the administration of justice and those pursuing professional careers in criminology, criminal justice, or related fields. The degree also prepares students for entrance into graduate or professional schools in criminology, criminal justice, law, public administration, social work, and the social sciences.
Your Education, Your Opportunity
We offer a transformational experience that will equip you with critical thinking skills and the knowledge you need to combat some of the most pressing justice-related problems facing our communities. Emphasizing the study of crime, criminal behavior, and social responses to criminal behavior, we will connect you with real-world opportunities both within and outside of the criminal justice system to lead and advocate for change.
Program Highlights
- Our students enjoy a world-class education taught by criminologists and sociologists with degrees from some of the most recognized criminology and criminal justice programs globally, including The University of Illinois- Chicago, The Pennsylvania State University, The University of Oklahoma, and The University of Missouri St. Louis.
- Our distinct location in the Illinois capital city provides our students with an unparalleled opportunity to complete internships with state and federal agencies, local nonprofits, and private industries.
- Our students benefit from the personal attention of a dedicated advisor and many other resources and career development services, including training in job search strategies, online career portfolio development, and interviewing skills.
- Our alumni have gone on to productive careers inside and outside law enforcement, including jobs in policing, probation, crime analysis, border patrol, community organizing, juvenile justice, human and social services, judicial administration, and many other government agencies. In contrast, others have gone on to law school and/or graduate school in a wide range of fields, including sociology, psychology, counseling, history, and public administration.
A CCJ Degree is Opportunity
The Criminology and Criminal Justice degree is designed for students interested in the general study of crime and the administration of justice and those pursuing professional careers in criminology, criminal justice, or related fields. The degree also prepares students for entrance into graduate or professional schools in criminology, criminal justice, law, public administration, social work, and the social sciences.
The Criminology and Criminal Justice major provides an integrated curriculum that emphasizes problem-solving and analytical skills, an approach favored by many criminal justice agencies and employers. The curriculum reflects the field’s multidisciplinary character, drawing on a variety of liberal arts and professional areas of expertise. Faculty associated with the department have degrees in criminal justice, criminology, law, political science, psychology, and sociology. Student majors take a core curriculum that familiarizes them with a range of perspectives, methods, and content areas of the criminal justice field. They may use their electives to take additional courses or to minor in another field.
All majors participate in an ECCE Engagement Experience through Internships and Prior Learning (IPL). Students have the opportunity to work with state agencies and training centers and local criminal justice and social service agencies.
