TCNJ Home / Explore Programs / Criminology
Criminology
Degree
BA in Criminology
Department
At a Glance
Study crime and its social contexts at TCNJ, which Niche ranked among the top 10% of the nation’s best colleges for criminal justice. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the social science of criminology as well as the tools, methods, and institutions deployed across the criminal justice system. Our innovative curriculum is led by faculty who offer close mentorship and bring expertise and experience — in areas ranging from policing to policymaking — to the classroom. When you graduate, you’ll be more than ready to succeed in a range of criminal justice careers or at a top graduate school.
Undergraduate Program Options
MAJOR
THREE-YEAR OPTION
Criminology Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree
MINORS
Accelerated/Dual-Degree Program Options
Get a jumpstart and enter the workforce with a master’s or professional degree. Accelerated options get you there faster and more affordably through fewer semesters of classes. Dual degrees offer a streamlined path to earning two degrees, often with direct admission to the graduate portion.
LAW
Criminology + Law, BA/JD
Third-year juniors may follow a six-year (3+3) accelerated pathway, and graduating seniors may follow a seven-year (4+3) traditional pathway to gain direct admission to law school in this highly selective dual-degree program with Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law.
You’ll Benefit From:
- Exposure to graduate-level course content
- Advanced instruction in the analysis of geospatial crime and data management
- A flexible curriculum to customize your studies and earn a dual degree if desired
- The option to pursue a second major in biology, chemistry, psychology, international studies, or statistics
- Experiential learning and real-world application
- Opportunities for internships, study abroad, and community engagement
- Small classes and engagement with expert faculty
Careers
As a TCNJ criminology graduate, you’ll have the critical thinking, communications, and analytical skills to pursue a breadth of criminal justice careers in the public and private sector — or to further your studies through the nation’s top law or graduate criminology programs.
If your goal is a legal career, you’ll also benefit from TCNJ’s prelaw program and the outstanding advising and curricular/extracurricular opportunities it offers.
Recent Employers
- Critical Response Group
- FBI
- Isles
- New Jersey Reentry Corporation
- New Jersey State Commission of Investigation
Recent Graduate Schools
- California State University, Chico
- George Mason University
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- University of Delaware
- University of Pennsylvania
Internships
TCNJ criminology students have interned with impressive federal, state, and local government organizations as well as with nonprofits and private companies.
The possibilities are wide-ranging; students have recently interned at the likes of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Centurion County Prosecutor’s Office; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; ISLES Local Law Enforcement Agencies; the New Jersey Department of Corrections; the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; the New Jersey State Police; and the U.S. Marshals.
Experiential Learning
In addition to internships and hands-on classroom learning, you can pursue an independent study or engage in faculty-led research. You might even have the opportunity to publish in a peer-reviewed journal or present at a conference.
Faculty
TCNJ criminology faculty are committed to supporting our students and their future paths by bringing their expertise, wisdom, and experience — in areas ranging from policing to policymaking — to the classroom and beyond. Each student has a faculty mentor to help guide and advise them throughout the program.
