General Information: Undergraduate, Criminology & Criminal Justice

There is perhaps no field as interesting as the study of crime and justice. The curriculum in Criminology and Criminal Justice utilizes a small classroom setting environment to offer both full and part-time programs leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. Some students link their degrees in other disciplines with a minor in Criminal Justice. Niagara University combines a challenging faculty, balanced curriculum, fascinating outside speakers, and stimulating internships while providing a broadly based educational experience. Whether the person begins as a Freshman or is one of the many transfer students, the program is designed to provide the student with an education in the liberal arts as well as a comprehensive background in the field of criminal justice. The primary goal of the program is to assist the student in gaining employment upon graduation. The second goal is to prepare the qualified student for graduate work in the social sciences or law school.

Students attending Niagara University are exposed to a variety of experiences including participation in the honors program, community service, and cooperative education programs. Students also have a chance to participate in various extracurricular activities including intramural sports, clubs, and activities organized by the student government association. Many students participate in the NUCAP program which is a volunteer program geared toward helping the disadvantaged. With over 40 percent of the student body participating in this effort, Niagara University is one of the nation's leaders in this area. We are very proud of this fact.

For further information on the Niagara University Masters of Science Program in Criminal Justice Administration, Call (716)286-8080, or Fax (716) 286-8061, E-Mail tharmon@niagara.edu, or write Graduate Program Director, Criminal Justice Program, Timon Hall, Niagara University, NY 14109.

Career placement of our graduates is a top priority for our program. The department keeps close tabs on current employment listings by subscribing to Law Enforcement Employment Monthly and the Protective Services Information Center Listings. The department also receives regular announcements of civil service examinations offered by various federal and state agencies. To ensure that our graduates have the very best chance for employment, the department provides many opportunities for internships and cooperative education experiences. We have placed students in federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies, including the Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Customs, Federal Probation, Buffalo Police Department, Niagara County Probation, and the New York State Division on Consumer Fraud. Students may also take advantage of semester long internships in Washington, DC, and with the New York State government in Albany. To keep track of the success in placing students , the program distributes an annual newsletter to all of our graduates. The newsletter provides students with the latest Niagara University news ,while surveying the student's career choices. Our graduates currently hold positions within the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Naturalization Service, New York State Police, the District Attorney's Office and various city, county, and state police agencies, drug rehabilitation programs, youth shelters, probation departments, sheriff's departments, and private security agencies in the United States and Canada.

Our program has several student organizations including the Criminal Justice Association, Criminal Justice Student's Advisory Council, Criminal Justice Women's Association, the Beccaria Society, and Alpha Phi Sigma (the national criminal justice honors society). Each of these organizations is active in providing a variety of inputs into the program, guest speakers, field trips, and excursions to national conferences.

A number of graduates have gone on to pursue opportunities in law school and paralegal certification. In the last few years our graduates were accepted at Albany Law School, St. John's University, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of Dayton, DePaul University, University of New Brunswick, Capital University, University of California at Berkeley, and George Mason University. Graduates in Criminal Justice have been accepted to various other programs including those granting master's degrees or doctorates in Criminal Justice, Public Policy, Sociology, and Public Administration. Graduates from our bachelaurate program may obtain accelerated acceptance into our master's program. In furthering their higher education students have attended Boston University, University of London, Rutgers University, State University of New York at Albany or at Buffalo, Carnegie-Mellon University, Adelphi University, Georgetown University, American University, Syracuse University, Northeastern University, University of North Carolina - Charlotte and many others.

Niagara University provides many support services which are available to all students. The university has a counseling center, job placement office, writing center, learning center, and tutoring for students who seek help in special areas. The university also has many computer terminals available to students in various campus locations. Students will learn basic statistics and computer usage including how to correspond on e-mail and how to use the world wide web. Due to an increasing demand for graduates who speak foreign languages, Niagara University also offers a variety of courses in the more popular languages.

The program's faculty is comprised of outstanding scholars who are have experience working in corrections, courts, community based corrections, criminal justice planning, and law enforcement. One member of the department has received recognition for their research and scholarship. All tenure track faculty have doctorates in Criminology or Criminal Justice. We believe that there are few similar schools.

For additional information regarding the programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice please visit the contact us page or contact: