Criminology

Criminology Overview

Criminologists use concepts and methods from social and behavioral sciences—social work, sociology, psychology, political science, legal studies, history, and criminal justice—to explore the causes and consequences of criminal behavior. Our program is based on principles of social justice and will challenge students to analyze data on crime perpetration and victimization, to examine the impact of social inequality on definitions and control of human behavior, to examine the impact of legal and social policies on criminal behavior, and to examine and evaluate crime prevention, control models, and treatment offender programs.

Program School

College of Arts & Sciences

At Chatham, we teach criminology from a broader perspective of understanding that includes how cultural, emotional, physiological, and experiential differences contribute to violence and victimization.

鈥� CHRISTINE SARTESCHI, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work and Criminology

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Alumna Profile: Hannah Gross '16

“I wanted to pursue medical school and my double major in biology and criminology set me apart from other applicants. As a future doctor, I believe having knowledge of how society and culture impact and drive crime is crucial to understanding various populations. My criminology courses stimulated my interest in forensic medicine and these passions have carried through my first year of medical school.” —Hannah Gross ‘16

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Courses & Curriculum

The Chatham criminology major is based on social justice principles. All students complete a capstone seminar, channeling the knowledge they’ve accumulated into a discipline-specific project under close faculty guidance. Click the button below to explore sample courses and curriculum.

Explore Criminology Curriculum

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Real Life Experience

Chatham is involved with two nationally recognized cold case groups in which students have the opportunity to work on real, unsolved murder and missing person investigations.

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Making a Difference on Campus

Students in the Integrative Capstone course have worked on research with direct impact on the Chatham campus community—including an evaluation of gendered language in University policy/documents, design and implementation of data collection strategies for a campus climate survey, and design of a campus survey on gender and sexual violence prevalence.

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Program Faculty

In the criminology program, students will work closely with faculty members who have had long and successful careers in social work, research, law enforcement, and corrections. Click the button below to meet our faculty members.

Meet the Faculty

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Internship Opportunities

Students have completed internships at organizations including the FBI, , , , , , , and.

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Research Opportunities

Students can apply for the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, an eight-week program that funds students to work directly with faculty on their research.

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Faculty in the News

Faculty in the criminology program are frequently consulted by local and national media.

Graduate Studies

Students have entered graduate programs at , , and .

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