Criminology

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Through Criminology at Wilkes, you’ll examine the causes, effects and prevention of crime to prepare for a variety of careers in law enforcement, probation, parole, counseling or the legal profession.

Program Snapshot

Program Type	Format	Credit Hours
Major, Minor	On Campus	120 (18 for minor)

Why Study Criminology at Wilkes?

At Wilkes, you’ll be part of the most innovative criminology program in the region. Take courses in a variety of disciplines — sociology, psychology, economics, and political science — so you can face future professional challenges from a variety of perspectives.

As a criminology major, you’ll have the chance to develop your own research project. This provides a significant advantage after graduation should you continue your study of crime.

With upper-level, cross-disciplinary work and hands-on experience, you’ll be well-prepared for graduate school, law school or a career in criminology.

What Will You Learn as a Criminology Major?

Learn how to translate theoretical concepts into actionable policy ideas.
Explore the history of the criminal justice system and related policies.
Develop solutions to multiple justice issues and present complicated material to elected officials in easily accessible ways.
Interact with local organizations and work toward real change in the campus community.

Program Highlights

Criminology Capstone

Our rigorous three-semester capstone sequence allows you to develop research, writing and statistical skills while working with specialized software and numerous data sets on crime and delinquency.

Real-World Experience

We encourage our criminology majors to put classroom learning to work in an internship setting. Our students have interned with local service agencies, the district attorney’s office, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Cocurricular Activities

You can learn while having fun serving the campus and local community through organizations like the Criminology and Sociology Club and the Pre-Law Society. You can raise funds, raise awareness and bond with your classmates.

Being a criminology major at Wilkes has provided me the tools to develop profound critical-thinking and writing skills while opening my eyes to new passions for the law and the criminal justice system.
Karlie Gorall '22 - Criminology

Behavioral Social Sciences

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Andrew Wilczak

Professor

andrew.wilczak@wilkes.edu

Dr. Andy Wilczak is a specialist in adolescent violence and victimization and has recently branched out into historical criminology and the sociology of revolutions. He completed his PhD in sociology at Bowling Green State University in 2011. His first book, Gender, Crime, and Justice: Exploring the Dynamics is an accessible text that aims to make criminological theory more student-friendly. In addition to this, Dr. Wilczak has also worked extensively in public scholarship, organizing multiple online conferences and running a public scholarship podcast, Untenured Tracks, highlighting the scholarship of junior faculty and graduate students from around the world.

Bryan Stevenson Talks Racial Advocacy and Criminal Justice Reform

While at Wilkes, you’ll have the opportunity to meet world-renowned guests like Bryan Stevenson. Stevenson, an attorney, human rights activist and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, visited campus in the spring of 2019.

The author of the memoir “Just Mercy,” was a guest of the annual Max Rosenn Lecture in Law and Humanities. He spoke on his advocacy work and personal experiences and participated in a Q&A.

The Rosenn Lectures are open to the public, but as a Wilkes student, you’ll have exclusive access to small group sessions. Past guests have included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Deavere Smith.