Are There Different Criminology Major Programs or Concentrations?
The best part about the Criminology program at Stonehill College is that it can take you where you want to go — whether that means majoring in criminology, minoring in it, or even creating an interdisciplinary studies major or minor with it.
Criminology is the study of different areas of crime, including the causes and implications of crime on society. That’s a gratifyingly broad lenses through which to view and understand society — and your role in it.
What’s most important is that the study of criminology at Stonehill fosters critical thinking, free inquiry and the free interchange of ideas, so that when you graduate, you’ll be able to think, act and lead with courage to create a more just and compassionate world.
Where will your path take you?
Criminology Major at Stonehill
Stonehill College’s Criminology program is recognized as one of the best by several college-ranking websites, including College Factual and Niche.
Ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in Massachusetts on College Factual's list of the best U.S. colleges for a major in criminology, Stonehill’s Criminology program provides students with a foundation to understand the political, economic and cultural patterns that shape definitions of crime, the practices of law, the criminal justice system, the causes and consequences of crime, and crime control policies.
A capstone internship at the end of the program provides students with the opportunity to use what has been learned in the classroom and gain direct contact with social service or criminal justice agencies.
The Criminology program at Stonehill College gives students an understanding of the theory and practices of the criminal justice system while focusing on important issues like victims, juveniles, social justice and race.
The major in Criminology requires the completion of eleven courses. Students are also required to complete an internship placement that puts them in direct contact with social service or criminal justice agencies.
Stonehill criminology majors pursue various careers, including many in law and public service, and have one of the best average starting salaries in the country.
Criminology Minor at Stonehill
A minor in criminology consists of a minimum of six courses, which include Criminology 201, at least one of the courses in Criminal Law, and four elective criminology courses.
Criminology 201
This course provides a broad overview of sociological and interdisciplinary theories of criminal behavior and social control. Students learn how to analyze theories and research on crime for the purpose of advancing theory as well as developing policies for crime prevention and control. Not open to first-year students in their first semester.
- Procedural Criminal Law
- Substantive Criminal Law
- Mechanics of the Courtroom
- The Jury System
- Anthropology of Violence
- At-Risk Families & Youths (First-Year Seminar)
- Sociology of the Prison
- Introduction to Policing
- Sex Offenders: Patterns & Behaviors
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Criminal Mind, Mental Illness & Criminality
- Topics in Criminology
- Victims of Crime
- Practicum: Victims in the Courtroom
- Federal Criminal Process
- Violent Crime & Federal Initiatives
- Spatial Crime Analysis
- Ethics, Values, & Diversity in Criminal Justice
- Global Crime
- Terrorism
- Seminar: Crimes of the Powerful
Interdisciplinary Studies Major
The Interdisciplinary Studies program is an option for students who seek to accomplish intellectual goals beyond an existing major. It requires an expression of creativity and self-motivation, and a foundation of intellectual commitment.
Interdisciplinary studies majors at Stonehill College prepare a program proposal with substantial intellectual content. Formulated with faculty advisors — one of whom will be designated as principal advisor — it must reflect the objectives of a liberal arts education.
Interdisciplinary Studies Minor
The interdisciplinary minor gives students the opportunity to explore, in some depth, a well-defined question or topic beyond the major. It provides students with maximum flexibility to propose a course of study, composed of classes and other academic experiences, as a path to conduct an interdisciplinary inquiry that may or may not be related to the major or disciplinary minor.
Students submit a proposal for an interdisciplinary minor that includes no less than four and no more than five academic units. Given the depth of study required, a student will only complete one interdisciplinary minor during their academic career at Stonehill.
Criminology Major Honors
Criminology majors can be honored in two ways at Stonehill.
The Edwin H. Sutherland Criminology Honor Society was founded in 2004 at Stonehill. Named after the father of modern criminology, the society endeavors to foster a community of young scholars dedicated to enhancing their understanding of the causes, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency. Students are inducted into the honors society as a second semester junior or senior, if they meet the criteria.
The Moreau Honors Program challenges students in small seminar-style courses taught by the most gifted and innovative professors at the College. Courses are designed to stimulate independent thought by combining rigorous academic standards and classroom discussions with relevant and enjoyable extracurricular events. The program leads students into lasting habits of reflection and a full, creative engagement with the world. Many criminology majors are Moreau Honors Scholars.
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Want more? Stonehill College and Bridgewater State University (BSU) have arranged for the preferred admission of qualified Stonehill students to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree at BSU. BSU graduate program admission application fee is waived, and students accepted in their senior year may delay the beginning of the graduate program for up to one year.
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice educates students about the dynamics of crime, criminal behavior, the criminal justice system, and how these factors interact in relationships with social institutions and public realities, including leadership roles within the judicial system, law enforcement agencies, legal firms, correctional facilities and the field of criminal justice education.
This program also prepares students for doctoral programs.
MSCJ with two optional concentrations
With preferred admission to the BSU program, Stonehill students choose between two optional concentrations for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program:
The Administration of Justice concentration focuses on the organizational structure of criminal justice agencies and their jurisdictional authority on the local, state and federal levels. It also examines issues relevant to administrators of criminal justice agencies, including organization and planning, leadership, conflict management and problem-solving.
The Crime and Corrections concentration focuses on theoretical frameworks concerning crime and criminal behavior, the methods used to control and prevent crime, treatment and punishment of the offender and the management of the offender in the community.
Find your path at Stonehill
From major to minor to master’s, the Criminology program at Stonehill College provides you with the options you need to get where you want to be.