Students sometimes think that the only ones who enroll in Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts are those who want to work in law enforcement. The truth is that those enrolled in these programs learn more about the criminal justice system as a whole. They learn what the professionals in this field do, the theories of criminal behavior and even what treatment and rehabilitation methods work best on criminals. Massachusetts is home to many schools that offer bachelor’s programs in criminal justice. Welcome to the next article in our series of bachelor’s degrees in Massachusetts. For the first part of our list, see Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Programs in Massachusetts (A-C).
Eastern Nazarene College
Academics
Eastern Nazarene College, also called ENC, understands that students have different interests, which is why it offers one of the only Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts that allows students to customize their degrees. While other schools simply let students pick the electives they want to take, this college lets students sign up for one of five criminal justice tracks. One is a general track for those who do not want to pick a specialization. Students can also enroll in an advocacy, law enforcement, legal or psychology and social relations track when they sign up for the program.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
Picking a track is an important step in finishing a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Eastern Nazarene College. Not only will this dictate the classes that students take, but it can also determine the internships they qualify for and where they will work once they graduate. The psychology and social relations track focuses closely on the connections between people, while the legal track can prepare students for attending law school. ECU recommends the law enforcement track for those who want to become police officers. Finishing this track can help students get accepted to one of the top police academies.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
23 East Elm Ave.
Quincy, MA 02170
(617) 745-3000
Emmanuel College
Sociology Department
When developing a criminal justice program, Emmanuel College wanted to emphasize all the important fields of study in this subject. Students learn how to look at criminals and their behaviors and activities in different ways. They can use their skills to look at whether environmental factors affect people and lead them to commit crimes or whether they behaviors are already inside those individuals. Though the college does not offer a standard criminal justice degree program, it does offer a sociology degree with a concentration in criminology. This program teaches students how to conduct research in the social sciences.
B.A. in Sociology with a Concentration in Criminology
As one of the top Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts for those with an interest in sociology, this Emmanuel College program requires that students take sociology classes as well as some required courses relating to the concentration. Students must take an introduction to sociology course that teaches them how to look at different societies from around the world and a research course to learn how to conduct effective research. The college encourages students to take other courses such as crimes against humanity, social class and inequality, deviant behavior and social control and introduction to law and the judicial system.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
400 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 735-9715
Endicott College
School of Arts and Sciences
Endicott College offers a criminal justice program designed to help students succeed in a variety of different careers. Graduates of this program work in a range of fields. Some work for local or state law enforcement departments, but others enlisted in the military and work for private research institutions. The college also sees a large number of graduates enroll in graduate programs or go on to law school. Endicott is one of the few schools in Massachusetts to emphasize the importance of internships. The college can help place students in organizations such as the Salem Juvenile Court or United States Marshals Service.
Criminal Justice Program
One of the only Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts designed to help students work for the Department of Homeland Security is the program that Endicott College offers. Students can enroll in a five-year version of the program that lets them earn a Master of Science in Homeland Security in a single year after finishing a bachelor’s degree. The bachelor’s program requires that students complete 125 credits, but some of the courses they take are general education courses. Required criminal justice classes include police process, corrections, and forensic science. Students must do at least two internships too.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
376 Hale St.
Beverly, MA 01915
(800) 325-1114
Fisher College
Undergraduate Programs
The most common reason why students choose Fisher College is that of the small size of the school. Classes in the criminal justice program meet in rooms that have space for no more than 30 students. Those low classes sizes give students the confidence to share their opinions and to speak up and ask questions of their professors. Though the college has a small size, it works hard to provide students with all the opportunities that a larger school and a big city campus would. Fisher College encourages students to do their own research projects and to sign up for internships.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
One of the opportunities that Fisher College offers that other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts do not is the chance to volunteer and work at its Center for Leadership in Public Service. This Center does research on sexual crimes as well as hate crimes. Past students worked on published papers and took part in major research projects. The college also helps students attend national conferences and events that take place in Boston and other parts of New England. Students can take courses on emerging topics too such as cybercrime, ethics in the criminal justice system and sex crimes.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
118 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 236-8800
Fitchburg State University
Undergraduate Day Programs
Though some students find work immediately after finishing a criminal justice undergraduate program, others decide to go to graduate school to increase the opportunities available to them. Fitchburg State University decided to create a 4 + 1 Program to meet the needs of all prospective criminal justice students. New students have the option of earning a bachelor’s degree in just four years or spending another year at FSU to finish a graduate degree too. FSU offers one of the only Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts designed to help students work on a criminal justice master’s degree.
Criminal Justice 4 + 1 Program
One feature that the FSU criminal justice program has that others programs lack is that it lets students attend the police academy at the same time that they work on their degrees. When they graduate, they can use their academy diplomas and college degrees to work for almost any law enforcement agency in the state as well as agencies in other states. Students have the chance to choose between going to the police academy or earning a master’s degree in their fifth years. The BS program includes some unique classes like mock trial, juvenile justice, and women in crime.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
160 Pearl St.
Fitchburg MA 01420-2697
(978) 665-3000
Framingham State University
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Though many colleges encourage students to take courses in social and behavioral sciences, Framingham State University is one of the only schools with its department dedicated to social and behavioral sciences. Students in its criminal justice program will take a number of courses through this department, which gives them a better idea of why certain types of people engage in criminal activities and why some populations are more at risk of acting in deviant ways. Unlike other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts that deal with different criminal justice subjects, this program focuses more on criminology and criminal behaviors.
Criminology Major
The criminology program that FSU offers includes just six required courses such as quantitative methods, uncovering meaning in the social world and criminology theory. The university also requires that students do an internship in the field and will help students select the best internships for them. Those studying criminology must also take courses in law and the legal system, social and structural dimensions of crime and criminal behavior and individual and behavioral dimensions of crime and criminal behavior. Courses in those disciplines can include immigration in the United States, the culture of punishment and drugs, social control and the law.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
100 State St.
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 620-1220
Lasell College
Academic Programs
Lasell College takes an interactive approach to learning that encourages students to become activists and to take part in activities on campus that will teach them more about criminal justice before they graduate. Many students previously worked on projects to bring attention to and awareness of sexual harassment and other sex crimes on the campus, but other students worked with instructors on papers published in national journals. The college also brings in guest lecturers to talk with students. Past lecturers included the head of government agencies and departments. Students also participate in The Clothesline Project to bring attention to domestic violence.
Criminal Justice Major
Though students will enjoy taking part in activities on the Lasell College campus, they’ll also enjoy some of the classes that they take too. This program features courses similar to those found in other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts and some unique classes too. Classes can include research methods in criminal justice, political theory, state and local government, criminal law and special topics in crime and public policy. The college has connections with departments and organizations across the state and can help students find internships working for those groups, including the Boston Police Department.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
1844 Commonwealth Ave.
Newton, MA 02466
(617) 243-2000
Merrimack College
School of Education & Social Policy
Students enrolling in the criminology and criminal justice major at Merrimack College will find that the school has several outcomes it hopes students will meet. The college wants students to learn about the relationship between people and society, to find out how outside forces can impact the way people think and act and develop critical thinking skills when looking at criminal justice issues. To ensure that students develop all the necessary skills and that they actually have some practical experience, the college requires that all criminal justice students do at least one internship. They’ll spend a full semester working in the field.
Criminology and Criminal Justice Major
Graduates of the Merrimack College criminology and criminal justice program work for major government agencies like the FBI, CIA, and Department of Homeland Security. Other graduates work in law enforcement and as security specialists, but some of its students also further their studies in graduate or law school. The program features an internship and four required courses that include statistics in criminology, research methods in criminology and society and law. Students will also need to choose at least five electives from courses such as ethics and criminal injustice, forensic criminal investigation, forensic behavioral analysis and drugs, and society.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
315 Turnpike St.
North Andover, MA 01845
(978) 837-5000
Mount Ida College
School of Social Sciences & Humanities
Each student who enrolls in the BS program that Mount Ida College offers will work with an adviser who also works for the program. That adviser will help the student apply for internships and sign up for the right classes, but the adviser can also help students decide whether to double major or pick a minor. Some students pick a minor in social work because they want to earn an MSW later, but students also double major in criminal justice and business administration, forensic science or psychology. Mount Ida believes that those programs complement each other and can better prepare students for the future.
Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science
The criminal justice program at Mount Ida requires that students take 120 credits of classes before they graduate, which is similar to how other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts operate. Students take 36 credits of general education courses, 24 credits of electives and 60 credits of criminal justice classes. The electives they take can include criminal justice courses and those from other disciplines. Those classes may count towards a double major or a minor too. Mount Ida offers courses like critical issues in criminal justice, criminal profiling strategies, and investigative methods and procedures.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
777 Dedham St.
Newton, MA 02459
(617)928-4500
Newbury College
School of Applied Science & Social Services
Newbury College has its own School of Applied Sciences & Social Services that offers courses designed to make students think in critical ways. Its Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program teaches students how to communicate with others via speaking and the written word, to learn the common theories used in the critical justice field and to clearly explain to others some of the subjects and issues in this field. Unlike other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts that limit some of the social and behavioral sciences courses that students take, this program encourages students to take more of those classes.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Though Newbury College gives all incoming students a sequence of courses to take, this is just a recommendation. The college allows students to go at their own paces and to take the classes that appeal to them when they want to take those classes. Students typically take an introduction to criminal justice class and a class on criminal law as a freshman to ensure that they want to study this program. As students advance through the program, they can take more advanced courses, including constitutional law, critical issues in criminal justice and criminal procedure and rules of court.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
129 Fisher Ave.
Brookline, MA 02445-5796
(617) 730-7000
Website
Nichols College
Degrees and Programs
Nichols College hires professors with a strong background in criminal justice because the school wants its students to learn from the best. Those working in the program include former police officers, those who worked for government agencies and instructors with years of experience doing research in the field. The department includes both adjunct and part-time professors who currently work in the field as well as those who teach full-time. This gives students the chance to learn more about current issues and the issues that might affect them when they finish school and go to work, including both ethical and legal issues.
Criminal Justice
Like other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts, the Nichols College program has an internship component that allows students to get more experience as they work for a criminal justice organization or agency. The required courses in this program are a little different than those in other programs and include classes like emergency planning and disaster management, security investigations: concepts, principles and practices and advanced issues in criminal justice management. Some of the electives that might interest students include homeland security and terrorism and cybersecurity. There is a course available on forensic analysis and interpretation too.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
129 Center Rd.
Dudley MA 01571
(800) 470-3379
Northeastern University
School of Criminology & Criminal Justice
One thing that students should seriously consider when choosing a college or university with a criminal justice program is what department offers that program. Northeastern University has its own School of Criminology & Criminal Justice that allows students to work closely with their professors. This department also gives them resources that they may not find at other schools. Northeastern offers a few different combined programs that allow students to study both criminal justice and a subject like computer science, political science or human services. Students can also enroll in a standard CJ program and earn a Bachelor of Science degree.
Criminal Justice, BS
As one of the top Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts, the Northeastern University CJ program requires that students take all the university’s general education courses but that they also take a variety of criminal justice classes. The program features five required classes, an integrated learning core, and some electives. Its integrated learning core consists of seminars that students take in their later years that will require them to do research and write papers. They’ll also take classes like the psychology of crime, special topics in criminal justice and criminology, criminal justice organization and management and human trafficking.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
(617) 373-2000
When looking for the perfect college or university, students need to consider factors like the courses and other opportunities that each school offers for criminal justice students. Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Massachusetts provide students with all the opportunities they want and need while in school.
Continue here: Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Programs in Massachusetts (O-Z)