Criminology Degrees

Detailed profiles of schools for Criminology from the EdRef college search portal.

Criminology programs give students the chance to examine a variety of issues related to crime and criminal justice that are of central importance to modern life. Students learn to approach these themes from a perspective that is sociological in nature. They study the causes of criminality and the response from the criminal justice system. Programs focus on giving students the skills they need to collect, interpret, and evaluate information in the field. Students can choose from undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Ph.D. Undergraduate programs give students a solid background in the basics of the discipline, while graduate programs allow students to pursue more specialized study.

Study in criminology typically includes a combination of theoretical and empirical methods used to examine crime. The mechanisms of criminal justice are also studied in an in-depth manner, as well as the link between criminal justice and social institutions. Undergraduate study in criminology is also good background for pursuing graduate studies in such fields as public administration, urban planning, business, sociology, and community planning.