Criminology is an exciting, multidisciplinary field that studies the causes and consequences of crime as well as the procedures and policies that govern the institutions designed to address it. Hofstra’s Criminology Program offers an undergraduate major and minor, and it is designed to provide students with a broad-based liberal arts education that draws from a variety of disciplines, including sociology, forensic science, linguistics, philosophy, political science, and psychology.

The Criminology Program’s objective is to provide students with sound methodological and analytical skills, leading to critical understanding of criminal behavior and the operation of the criminal justice system. The goal of the program is to prepare students for further studies and decision-making and leadership positions in the fields of law, criminal justice administration, policy development, and national security.

Students with a criminology degree will be able to work in governmental criminal justice agencies, nonprofit foundations, and community organizations that deal with various issues in criminal justice, such as rehabilitation, uniformity in sentencing, prison overcrowding, recidivism, gun control, community policing, treatment of drug offenders, and human rights violations.

Many students who major in criminology decide to double major or minor in sociology.

Programs and Courses

The Bachelor of Arts and minor program in criminology are interdisciplinary and strongly based in the liberal arts. They offer a broad array of courses from social and physical sciences, as well as humanities, in disciplines such as sociology, political science, philosophy, forensics, and linguistics. The program is designed to provide students with sound methodological and analytical skills, leading to critical understanding of criminal behavior and the operation of the criminal justice system. The goal of the program is to prepare students for further studies as well as leadership positions in the fields of law, criminal justice administration, policy development, and national security.

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South Campus students walking

BA in Criminology

Minor in Criminology

Course Information

In the Classroom

Learn from the Experts

Housed in the Department of Sociology, the criminology program features a diverse and experienced faculty of accomplished scholars and researchers who are deeply committed to teaching and mentoring. Their goal is to produce scholars and practitioners who are sensitive to the social, economic, and political issues that are critical to a deeper understanding of crime and criminal justice.

Additional Faculty Information

Since Criminology is a multidisciplinary science, professors in many academic fields teach in the program. 

Liena Gurevich, PhD Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology; Program Director, BA in Criminology
Margaret Abraham, PhD Professor of Sociology
Amy Baehr, PhD Professor of Philosophy
Robin Flaton, JD, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology
Paul Fritz, PhD Associate Professor of Political Science
Tammy Gales, PhD Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics
Robert Leonard, PhD Professor of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics; Program Director, Forensic Linguistics (BA and MA)
Linda Longmire, PhD Professor of Global Studies and Geography
Kristen Maziarka, MS Instructor in Criminology
Paul Meller, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology
Christopher Niedt, PhD Associate Professor of Applied Social Research; Academic Director, National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University
William Schaefer, JD Adjunct Professor of Political Science
Deborah Silva, PhD Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Director of Forensic Science

Outcomes

Among 2020-2021 Hofstra graduates who majored in criminology, 93% of survey respondents reported that they were employed and/or attending or planning to attend graduate school within one year of graduation. Among those Hofstra graduates who majored in social sciences and who reported salary, the mean annual self-reported salary was $44,000. Additional outcomes information

A degree in criminology prepares students for a variety of career paths, including:

  • Law and the Justice System

  • Criminal Justice Administration

  • Research and Policy Development and Evaluation

  • Criminal Investigation

  • Counseling and Victim Services

  • Forensics

  • Financial and Insurance Fraud Investigation

  • National Security

  • Private Investigation

Besides criminology, the program prepares students for graduate studies in many fields, including:

  • Law

  • Psychology

  • Sociology

  • Political Science

  • Forensic Linguistics

  • Criminal Justice Education

  • Social Work

  • Alzheimer's Association

  • Amazon

  • Columbia University

  • Department of Justice

  • Family Service League

  • Great Neck Union Free School District

  • Northwell Health

  • Queens Law Associates

  • Sanctuary For Families

  • Success Academy Charter School

  • Columbia University

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

  • George Mason University

  • New York University

  • Pepperdine University

  • Syracuse University

  • Teachers College, Columbia University

  • University of Chicago

  • University of Southern California

  • University of Washington, Seattle

Internships

Offered during the Fall and Spring semesters, Criminology internships involve working with a variety of organizations in law, social work and community service. There are credited positions available in the specialized courts of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties, such as the mental health and drug courts, as well as in the domestic violence and sex crimes prosecutorial units, and in the Department of Probation. Students may also be placed with local nonprofit and community organizations that deal with issues like rehabilitation, advocacy, immigration, and domestic violence. Students interning for these organizations learn valuable organizational and presentation skills, as well as insight into advocacy, counseling, and mentoring - all crucial for the nonprofit and social work sectors.

Recent internship opportunities for our students include:

  • Environmental Protection Agency

  • Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York

  • Mental Health Association of Nassau County

  • Mount Sinai Health System

  • Nassau County District Attorney's Office

  • Northwell Health

  • New York City Civil Court

  • Queens Supreme Court

  • Village of Hempstead Community Development Agency

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Student NYC internship

Contact Us

OFFICE INFORMATION
Room 205 Davison Hall
Department Phone Number: 516-463-5640 
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Senior Executive Secretary

Cathy Jenkins
Room 205 Davison Hall
516-463-5640
Email

Director, BA in Criminology Program

Liena Gurevich
Room 205E Davison Hall
Department of Sociology
516-463-5591
Email