Sociology

Concentration in Criminology

What is the Concentration in Criminology?

What are the Field Internships like?

What are the admission requirements for the Concentration in Criminology?

 

For more information, see the sociology major with a concentration in criminology course requirements.

 

What is the Concentration in Criminology?

The concentration in Criminology is a rigorous program that teaches students how to critically think, engage, and understand how crime and the criminal justice systems impact society. Within Sociology, the Criminology concentration is best suited for those students who have a particular interest in how crime is defined and responded to within our society. Students interested in social justice, community engagement, criminal justice reform, youth and victim advocacy, critical criminology, law, and law enforcement will benefit from this concentration. In addition to taking the required courses expected of all sociology majors, criminology students have access to additional classes that include Criminological Theory, Crime and Society, Gender and Crime, Race/Crime and Punishment, Fieldwork in Criminology, and Senior Seminar. Criminology students are also expected to take at least two classes from other departments, known as cognates, that are related to crime or law. 

Graduates of the concentration of criminology have entered a variety of careers and opportunities. Criminology students have found work in careers such as law, community advocacy, civil rights, criminal justice reform, youth justice/advocacy, mental health practitioners, problem solving courts, victim advocacy, social work, education, security, probation, corrections, and law enforcement. Additionally, criminology graduates leave the concentration as very competitive candidates for graduate school and have been accepted to prominent Law, Masters, and PhD programs around the country.  

 

What are the Field Internships like?

The Concentration in Criminology faculty works with each student to find an internship that is aligned with their personal interests. Students do their criminology field education internships in a variety of agencies, including criminal justice reform agencies, immigration agencies, civil rights, victim advocacy, foster care system, mental health agencies, district attorney offices and other law offices, courts (Family Court, Drug Court, Domestic Violence Court etc.), U.S Supreme Court, youth programs, County Sheriff's Office, prisons/jails, juvenile facilities, law enforcement, probation, and domestic violence shelters.

Students must complete a minimum 104 hours (8 hours a week for 13 weeks) while also attending the Fieldwork in Criminology course. During this course, students will also build a modern professional skill-set. This course work includes career-oriented topics such as : successful resume and cover letter construction; how to do well at job interviews; personal finances, budgeting, future planning, and a introduction to understanding employment benefits such as health care and retirement. 

 

What are the admission requirements for the Concentration in Criminology?

Criminology Concentration Application

Students interested in majoring in Sociology with the Concentration in Criminology must submit an application by October 7th. The Concentration in Criminology consist of courses offers consecutively during the student's junior and senior year. The first course in the concentration, Crime and Society, is offered Fall and Spring, and can be taken during the freshman, sophomore or junior year. The student must be currently taking or already taken Crime and Society by the time they apply to the concentration. The core courses in the sequence begin in the spring semester of the student's junior year. In order to apply, students must already have been accepted to or be a currents student and SUNY New Paltz and have completed a minimum of 30 credits of college level courses. A GPA requirement of 3.0 is expected, however, GPAs below 3.0 will also be considered, but may require additional conversations with the student before acceptance. 

A note to Transfer Students: Transfer students beginning at New Paltz in the Fall with 30 or more credits should apply by the normal Fall deadline. Transfer students that begin attending New Paltz in the Spring should send application materials directly to Assistant Professor Anna Gjika; Interim Program Director of the Concentration of Criminology at gjikaa@newpaltz.edu by March 15th. If you have not taken Crime & Society, you should enroll in that course immediately. You should also take Criminological Theory as soon as possible, when appropriate.  

 

The Application must include the following:

  • Uploaded Progress Report for current SUNY New Paltz students and official or unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended for transfer students.
  • The names, department(s), email addresses, and office phone numbers of two professors who you have taken a class with (if possible, at least one from the Sociology Department) that can speak to your performance as a student. Those professors do not have to write a recommendation but should be made aware that they may be contacted to speak on your behalf.