Criminology and Justice Studies
About the Department
In what ways did the War on Drugs of the 1980s and 1990s impact urban communities in terms of street-corner dealing, violence, and overall health? What are the lasting effects of that "War" paradigm as they relate to national incarceration rates, racial disparities in police shootings, stop-and-frisk, and the adjudication process? How far will the fight against terrorism push the legal and ethical boundaries of government surveillance and the monitoring of electronic communications, and what will be the impacts of such forces? In what ways are “big data” being used (now and in the future) by justice, intelligence, or private organizations to identify social networks, conduct risk assessments, and make decisions about crime policy and resource deployment? Finally, how do climate change and pandemics influence crime and conflict across communities, and where does the collective discipline of criminology and criminal justice "fit" at the intersections of crime, housing, education, climate, and infectious disease policy? These are just some of the questions the Criminology and Justice Studies faculty work every day to answer, both through their research and scholarship, and in the classroom with our students.
Drexel University's degree programs in Criminology and Justice Studies offer a rich educational experience that emphasizes justice and criminological theory, the use of analytical tools and data to answer big questions about crime and justice, all while teaching students how to translate conceptual knowledge into state of the art practice. Along the way, the Department of Criminology and Justice Studies offers global educational opportunities with two courses taught abroad, a set of community-based courses that take students beyond the classroom to practice the learning process, as well as an urban educational experience in one of the premier cities in the country. With its three thematic concentrations -- Criminal Justice, Justice Informatics, and Justice Studies -- the Department of Criminology and Justice Studies offers students many pathways through which to explore a curriculum that emphasizes innovative learning opportunities, global and civic engagement, and a culture that fosters student successes and well being.
Please click the links below to explore the degree concentrations in Criminology and Justice Studies.
