The Program in Criminal Justice provides students with a comprehensive, interdisciplinary education that blends a holistic liberal arts experience with pre-professional instruction. Our faculty and course offerings provide an expansive understanding of police, courts, corrections, and the range of institutions, social forces, and contemporary challenges that impact ideas and practices concerning justice, public safety, and crime-related policy. Graduates of the program are well-informed citizens on both practical and philosophical issues related to crime and justice and are well equipped for embarking on careers in public service and/or advanced study (e.g., law school; graduate school).
The Program in Criminal Justice was originally founded in the 1970's as the Administration of Justice major within the School of Social Work. In 1998 it relocated to Lucy Stone Hall on Livingston campus where the Program currently resides today, and in 2000 the curriculum for the Program's undergraduate major in Criminal Justice--offered through the School of Arts and Sciences--was originally established.
Criminal Justice majors graduating from Rutgers University will be productively challenged to refine and further enhance their skills in critical thinking and reasoning, empirical research and methodological literacy and the application of legal and theoretical principles towards current events. In addition, students are tasked with understanding the legal, political, and policymaking processes that affect criminal justice systems in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Finally, students who graduate from our program will be able to thoughtfully engage with a range of perspectives and areas on inquiry, including the role of the state, institutions of formal social control, civil rights and liberties, due process, punishment, rehabilitation, harm reduction, careers in public safety, and much, much more.
We hope you will take a moment to look through our website to see what our program has to offer, whether you are a prospective student, transfer student, or a current student looking for information about our major, internship opportunities, career information, or just general information about course descriptions, syllabi, and course schedules (available under the "Course & Syllabi" tab).
