The Department of Criminal Justice offers curriculum and practice experiences that are designed to help develop students and practitioners with critical and analytical skills to promote the administration of justice and crime prevention and control in a diverse and global society.
Degree Programs
The Department of Criminal Justice offers courses leading to both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Criminal Justice. The undergraduate curriculum introduces students to the criminal justice system, the theories underlying criminal behavior and the research methodology required to analyze current criminal justice issues. The graduate curriculum broadens and refines students' understanding of criminal justice in preparation for supervisory, investigatory and research careers. The department seeks to educate traditional students and promote workforce development by targeting persons currently working in the criminal justice field.
The Criminal Justice B.S. degree provides students with an understanding of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems, their agencies, personnel, and historical foundations and offers concentrations in law enforcement, corrections, homeland security, and juvenile justice. The department seeks to educate traditional students as well as promote workforce development by targeting persons currently working in the criminal justice field.
The Department of Criminal Justice offers 16-week and 8-week accelerated online programs. Our undergraduate, graduate and certificate online degree programs offer the same quality and engaging learning experience as our classroom programs, but with flexibility and convenience to fit your schedule.
The Accelerated Baccalaureate/Master’s (A.B.M.) degree program (Criminal Justice B.S. and M.S.) allows students to complete the requirements for both a B.S. and an M.S. degree within an accelerated timeframe.
The primary goal of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (M.S.C.J.) program is to help prepare students for research, policy development, administrative and supervisory positions within the various sectors of the criminal justice field. Conditions and needs in criminal justice are always changing; therefore, the program attempts to acquaint students with the most current perspectives and substantive knowledge, technical skills and analytic methodologies.
The Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University created the Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development to help communities educate emergency personnel and citizens about homeland security and disaster preparedness.
Executive Director: Dr. Harvey McMurray
Contact: [email protected]
The Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) at NCCU was established in 1999 by the General Assembly (Senate Bill 399). Located within the Department of Criminal Justice, JJI was founded to promote the exchange of information and human resource development to help facilitate the prevention of juvenile crime and delinquency. The mission of the JJI is to influence juvenile justice policy and practice by providing and supporting quality research, information and technical assistance to juvenile serving agencies, policymakers, the juvenile justice research community and community stakeholders.
Meet North Carolina Central University's Criminal Justice faculty and staff.
The University Honors Program (UHP) prepares NCCU students to be world changers through co-curricular activities, faculty and peer mentorship, internship and fellowship opportunities and professional and academic enrichment experiences on-campus and off-campus.
The Accelerated Bachelor to Master (ABM) Program allows students to earn their bachelor's and master's degrees while studying at NCCU. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, be classified as a junior, have passed CRJU 2000-level courses and have passed the CRJU 3000 Criminal Justice Theory course to be eligible for enrollment in the ABM program. Students admitted to the ABM program will take three graduate courses while they are undergraduate students, leaving 21 hours to complete their master’s degree.
Faculty ABM Coordinator: Dr. Jessica Ganao
Contact: [email protected]
With an online degree from NCCU, you are not only investing in your career; you are investing in your future. A top-ranked degree from a reputable institution opens doors to inspiring career opportunities. At North Carolina Central University, we believe education has no boundaries. Our undergraduate, graduate and certificate online degree programs offer the same quality and engaging learning experience as our classroom programs, but with flexibility and convenience to fit your schedule. As part of the University of North Carolina (UNC) system, NCCU offers affordable undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Department Distance Education Coordinator: Dr. Pia Duncan
Contact: [email protected]
Alpha Phi Sigma is the only nationally recognized honor society for Criminal Justice. Founded in 1942, Alpha Phi Sigma has grown to over 400 chapters at colleges and universities in 48 states, Guam and Canada. The mission of Alpha Phi Sigma is to promote analytical thinking, rigorous scholarship and lifelong learning; to keep abreast of the advances in scientific research; to elevate the ethical standards of the criminal justice professions and to sustain in the public mind the benefits and necessity of education and professional training.
National Website: https://alphaphisigma.org/
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lorna Grant
Contact: [email protected]
Justice, Empowerment, Wisdom, Excellence, Leadership and Service (JEWELS) is a social justice organization for women interested in mentorship, service and leadership. Founded in 2019, JEWELS aims to provide young women with the personal and interpersonal skills that will prepare them to be tomorrow’s leaders in the criminal justice field.
Website: www.thejewelsorg.com
Contact: [email protected]
The National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) seeks to focus attention on relevant legislation, law enforcement, prosecution, and defense-related needs and practices, emphasizing law enforcement, courts, corrections, and the prevention of crime. Among its chief concerns is the general welfare of and increasing the influence of African Americans and people of color related to the administration of justice. NABCJ is designed to serve the needs of African Americans and people of color at all levels, including nonprofessionals, paraprofessionals and professionals.
National Website: https://nabcj.org/
Faculty Advisor: Dr. George Wilson
Contact: [email protected]
Undergraduate Practicum
Practicum is a service-learning course where students complete 80 hours of field experience.
Top Internship Placements
The department offers over 75 internship placements.
Job Opportunities
According to the NCCU First Destination Survey, 43.74% of CJ students are employed full-time after graduation.
The purpose of the Department of Criminal Justice's Override Form is to collect information related to override requests when students receive an error term during the registration process. Submitting this form will send the override request to the student’s advisor for approval and processing.
Fill out this contact form to share your contact information with the Criminal Justice department. Submission of this information enables the Department to better serve students in career planning.
The Student Academic Progression Plan Form is used to assist students in navigating their matriculation at North Carolina Central University.
Graduate students with at least one year of full-time work experience in criminal justice may be eligible for a waiver. To be considered, please submit this waiver request form and the required documents requested within it. Please note that any student granted an exemption must fulfill the credit requirement by enrolling in an alternate criminal justice course.
Dr. Carol Huynh, assistant professor, publishes textbook on policing entitled “Policing: The Essentials”.
Dr. Lorraine Taylor, executive director of the Juvenile Justice Institute at NCCU, featured on the News and Observer discussing incarceration patterns in jail trends in Durham, NC.
Dr. Hunter Boehme published an article in Police Quarterly entitled “Female Officers in Use-of-Force Encounters: An Examination of Potential Correlates.”
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