Goal
There is a growing need in the field of Criminal Justice to understand modern challenges to social order and to address the causes of deviance and to assess programs to prevent and control crime. The program prepares students to apply theory and research skills to develop and evaluate programs effectively as well as to assess the real and potential social impacts of Crime and Justice prevention programs.
Orientation
The track is organized following an interdisciplinary approach to the study of social justice, crime, and the legal system. We intend to recognize the links between the study of crime as a social problem, and the variety of social, political, and economic policy contexts in which crime is embedded. This approach not only gives us a comparative advantage over other potential competing institutions, but it also allows us to maximize existing resources in the university and in our department. Upon the completion of three courses in this concentration, students will receive a certificate of completion.
Program Organization and Curriculum
Students are encouraged to meet with the departmental advisor to discuss their academic and professional interest and tailor a program of study that they should pursue as upperclassmen. Electives that satisfy the concentration requirement must be confirmed with the advisor. Some electives include, but are not limited to:
- SOC 107: Introduction to Criminal Justice
- SOC 204: Transnational Crime
- SOC 205: Sociology of Crime and Justice
- SOC 208: Sociology of Delinquency
- SOC 230: Families and Incarceration
- SOC 310: Police, Law and Society
- SOC 311: Victimology
- SOC 315: Crimes in Urban America
- SOC 317: Criminological Theory
- SOC 319: Modern Islamic Terrorism
- SOC 320: Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
- SOC 329: White Collar Crime
- SOC 331: Globalization and Social Movements
- SOC 332: Popular Culture and Crime
- SOC 337: Crime and Corruption in Chinese Society
- SOC 354: Social Psychology of Crime
- SOC 407: Pillaging, Murder and Mayhem: A Survey of Violent Crime
- SOC 468: The FBI and Counterintelligence
Internships
The following is a recommended partial list of internship opportunities for our students:
- The DC Police Department
- The Office of the US Parole Commission, US Department of Justice.
- La CASA de Maryland, a community service organization.
- AYUDA, a legal aid service organization in the District of Columbia.
- The Center for International Environmental Law
- DC Superior Court
In addition to these internship opportunities, students wishing to work for the federal government are encouraged to apply to one of the following competitive internships with the assistant of a faculty mentor.
- FBI Honors Internship Program
- Republican Homeland Security Committee
- Department of Homeland Security DHS Internship Program
- Democratic Leadership Committee Internship