Make communities safer. Build a better and more just system. Be an agent of organizational change.
Prepare for a career that lifts up communities and makes them safer. When you study Criminology & Criminal Justice at Champlain College, you’ll explore professional opportunities in highly needed fields including law enforcement, criminology, corrections, or any one of a number of careers in criminal justice policy. You’ll also develop deep ethics and empathy, strong values, and a broad perspective to make a difference in the world.
Champlain’s Criminology & Criminal Justice program’s dynamic curriculum combines foundational and skills-based courses such as criminal law, criminology, and police operations with a focus on social justice that addresses the changing nature of law enforcement and the larger criminal justice system and prepares you to become an ethical, service-minded leader.
The study of criminology and criminal justice focuses on crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. It is concerned with the sociological and psychological reasons behind crime and the best ways society should respond to it.
You’ll learn by doing, right away. Thanks to our Upside-Down Curriculum, you’ll take criminal justice courses in your first year that set you up for later internships or field work. As you continue, you’ll gain practical professional experience within the local Burlington community—a national leader in forward-thinking criminal justice reform. You can work with current prison inmates through our Prison Law Initiative, helping them to learn to navigate some of the legal issues they face. You can also intern with local police departments, prosecutors, defense attorneys, or other social service agencies, gaining a wide perspective on the whole criminal justice field. And your training will be up-to-date: select classes are cross-listed with our Computer and Digital Forensics program, making sure you have a modern take on crime and safety.
In this interdisciplinary program that brings together both theory and practice, graduates will come away with a greater understanding of the role the criminal justice system plays throughout all facets of society, and they’ll be ready to get to work to make communities safer and effect lasting change to the system.
Through our Prison Law Initiative and under the guidance of faculty, you’ll have the opportunity to teach incarcerated individuals about their rights. It’s a unique experience that broadens perspectives and understanding about life inside prisons, while also empowering others.
In the spring semester of senior year, students who wish to be law enforcement officers can complete an intensive 15-week program at the Vermont Police Academy—while at the same time earning 15 credits toward their degree.
You can gain first-hand professional experience within the local Burlington Community—a national leader in forward-thinking criminal justice reform. You might even be taught by a State’s Attorney, a judge, or a police officer.
of Criminology & Criminal Justice majors in the Class of 2023 were employed within six months of graduation. That’s success you can see.
Champlain College was listed among the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report in 2024.
Student to Faculty ratio ensures you can always get the help you need.
Check out some of the engaging and hands-on courses in our program. Our Upside-Down Curriculum will put you in your major right away.
Based on your interest in the Criminology & Criminal Justice major, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.
Study law as an undergraduate at Champlain College and start your legal education right away, during your first semester. Go on to law school afterward or choose a different path; either way, you’ll be ready.
Uplift families, empower individuals, and heal communities with Champlain’s Social Work major.
Design your own major through Champlain’s Degree Design Lab. You’ll combine courses and real-world learning experiences to personalize your own education.
Release your digital investigation skills. Adopt the investigator’s mindset, solve mysteries, and master artifact discovery with Digital Forensics at Champlain College.
For our digital future to be secure, information must be safe. Earn real-world experience in computer networking and cybersecurity at Champlain College, and prepare yourself for a vital role protecting society from cyber threats.
See your work through the lens of social justice. Learn how social, economic, and political issues influence each other and affect an individual’s or community’s essential rights.
Develop a fundamental understanding of human behavior, and learn how to apply this knowledge to increase your interpersonal communication skills in your personal life and in the office.
Develop a practical way of mediating conflict in your workplace, community, and personal life with Champlain College’s Conflict Management Minor.
Study environmental issues and the politics surrounding them to discover the action-oriented practicalities of what people and organizations can do to change the world for the better.
Uphold a system of justice through meaningful public service.
The born educator, the team player, the change maker, the advocate.
Learn what you love, and love what you learn.
Criminology & Criminal Justice graduates are ready to enter the workforce and act as change-makers. 100% of Criminology majors in the Class of 2023 were employed within six months of graduation.
The Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Academy offers students an in-depth learning experience in the field of cybersecurity and digital forensics. Students work together to solve real digital forensics problems faced by law enforcement agencies all over America and gain hands-on learning experience from veterans of the cybersecurity industry in this pre-college summer program.
This program is designed for students entering grades 10–12 and recent high school graduates.
Learn More on the Pre-College Summer Program WebsiteMake communities safer. Build a better and more just system. Be an agent of organizational change.
Our Criminology & Criminal Justice curriculum focuses on restorative and social justice, with flexibility that can take you into a variety of careers.
Our Criminology & Criminal Justice faculty go above and beyond to inspire your curiosity, learning, and growth. Small class sizes foster personal connections and mastery.