Are you interested in:

• Learning why crime occurs
• Questioning “common sense” explanations for criminal behavior
• Advocating for social justice in the criminal justice system
• Working in law enforcement
• Understanding more about the law
• Social diversity
• Working with “at-risk” youth

Criminology is the study of crime and related issues from a liberal arts/social scientific perspective. You will gain an understanding of theories, practices and trends in crime, and the criminal justice systems in our society. You will focus on understanding how and why crime occurs in society, ways to measure and examine these trends, and possible steps to intervene with or punish those who break the law.

Our location in the state capital with multiple levels of law enforcement agencies offers numerous opportunities for networking and excellent placements for field research and internships.

Types of jobs:

• Juvenile justice counselor
• Police officer
• Probation/parole officer
• Social justice advocate
• Victim assistance advocate
• Private detective
• Federal law enforcement agent
• Forensic analyst
• Loss/prevention specialist
• College teaching

Attend graduate school for:

• Criminology/sociology
• Criminal justice
• Forensic science
• Public administration
• Law
• Paralegal
• Addiction counseling

Options for the major:

• B.A. in criminology
• Double major in sociology/criminology
• Required internship; recent internships include:
  • Raleigh Police Department, general patrol program and Family Violence Unit
  • Durham Sheriff’s Department
  • Department of Public Safety, NC — Central Prison Psychological Services
  • US Marshalls, Eastern Region
  • Local Bank, Cybersecurity unit
  • Public Defender’s Office of Wake County
  • Teen Court
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving
• Participation in CSI Week
• Community experiential opportunities (police ride along, criminal court, etc.)
• Criminology career toolkit
• Job fairs
• Sociology/Criminology Club

Professional associations:

• Alpha Kappa Delta, International Honor Society of Sociology
• American Sociological Association www.asanet.org
• Southern Sociological Society www.southernsociologicalsociety.org
• North Carolina Sociology Assocation www.ncsociology.org
• North Carolina Criminal Justice Association www.nccja.org/
• The American Society of Criminology www.asc41.com
• Edwin H. Sutherland Criminology Honor Society

Career outlook:

Police officer
Probation officer
Counselor

Additional information:

Meredith’s criminology major »

Each year the department hosts CSI Week. This is a week each fall, where about 10 different professionals in the criminal justice field speak about their work and network with students. Past speakers came from various agencies including the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Internal Revenue Service, private detective agency, local police departments, City-County Bureau of Identification, State Bureau of Investigation and the Wake Country District Attorney.