January 25, 2023

Nick Clark, professor and chair of the Department of Political ScienceSusquehanna University will offer a new criminal justice major beginning in the fall 2023 semester. Students who major in criminal justice will gain the foundational knowledge, methodological training and practical experiences to pursue careers related to the criminal justice system.

“Susquehanna University has always offered courses relevant to careers in law, but the creation of a criminal justice major allows us to expand our course offerings for students who are interested in a wider range of careers,” said Nick Clark, chair and professor of political science. “Susquehanna’s criminal justice major was designed for students who are interested in careers in law, social work, law enforcement and nonprofit management.”

The criminal justice major is an interdisciplinary program between the departments of political science and sociology and anthropology. Students will take courses in criminology, law, political science, psychology, public administration and sociology as they examine different aspects of the criminal justice system, including:

• The socio-economic foundations of criminal behavior.
• The laws and policies that seek to prevent and respond to criminal acts.
• The political, social, economic and legal institutions that been created around the system.
• The social, economic and racial biases that are embedded in that system.

Students will also learn to utilize geographic information system (GIS) for crime mapping and other investigation software for crime analysis.

“The popular conception is that a criminal justice major is a pathway to careers in law enforcement,” Clark said. “While that is true, this interdisciplinary program will also prepare students for careers in politics, government and nonprofit administration, and for work in schools and the policy sector.”

Learn more about the Department of Political Science.