Overview
Criminal justice comprises a set of policies, realized in the institutions of courts, corrections, and policing, that promote and seek to sustain control, order, and justice. Students are required to take courses in criminal justice, public policy, public administration, sociology, research methods, and statistics. The goal is to produce graduates who understand crime and criminal justice policy and who embody the highest academic, professional, and ethical standards in their work and careers.
The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at WSU blends theory and practice, affording students the opportunity to learn from leaders in the field while developing their own scholarship. Our undgergraduate curriculum provides students a solid grounding in the field of criminal justice. Our graduate curriculum builds on this and challenges students to develop a deeper understanding, fostering their skills as scholars.
Faculty Addressing Real-world Problems
Department faculty have a wide range of research and teaching interests, and the department is nationally and internationally recognized for scholarship with a focus on problem-driven research that confronts both traditional and emerging challenges in the U.S. and throughout the world. Faculty members routinely lend their expertise to a broad range of local, state, national and international government agencies and nongovernmental groups. This involvement on the 'practitioner-side' of policy serves to enrich both faculty research and teaching.
Hands on Teaching and Learning
Our award-winning faculty place great emphasis upon providing exceptional undergraduate and graduate programming, with a unique emphasis on research collaboration at the graduate level. These hands-on teaching strategies reflect the problem-driven approach to research and instruction emphasized by our faculty and their ability to bring real-world perspective to students in the classroom.
A Proud History
The department is the second oldest in the United States. It was established in 1943 as the Department of Police Science by V.A. Leonard. Dr. Leonard founded Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society, and was one of the founding members of the organization that later became the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
The department's name was changed in 1975 to the Department of Criminal Justice. The criminal justice department merged with the Department of Political Science in 1982 (becoming the Criminal Justice Program), and was granted autonomous department status in 2011 as the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Contact Us
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Washington State University
Johnson Tower 701
P.O. Box 644872
Pullman, WA 99164-4872
Ph: 509-335-8611
Fax: 509-335-4513
Chair:
Dr. David Brody
Graduate Advisors:
Dr. Otwin Marenin (Pullman)
Dr. Zachary K. Hamilton (Spokane)
Graduate and Student Records Coordinator:
Dee Dee Torgeson
Undergraduate Academic Advisors:
Sisouvanh Keopanapay
(cerified majors, 2nd degree students)
Mary Ohnemus
(non-certified majors, 2nd majors, minors)
2012–2013 Handbook (pdf)
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