Criminology

Criminology is an exciting, multidisciplinary field that studies the causes and consequences of crime as well as the procedures and policies that govern the institutions designed to address it. Hofstra’s Criminology Program offers an undergraduate major and minor, and it is designed to provide students with a broad-based liberal arts education that draws from a variety of disciplines, including sociology, forensic science, linguistics, philosophy, political science, and psychology.

The Criminology Program’s objective is to provide students with sound methodological and analytical skills, leading to critical understanding of criminal behavior and the operation of the criminal justice system. The goal of the program is to prepare students for further studies and decision-making and leadership positions in the fields of law, criminal justice administration, policy development, and national security.

Students with a criminology degree will be able to work in governmental criminal justice agencies, nonprofit foundations, and community organizations that deal with various issues in criminal justice, such as rehabilitation, uniformity in sentencing, prison overcrowding, recidivism, gun control, community policing, treatment of drug offenders, and human rights violations.

Many students who major in criminology decide to double major or minor in sociology.

Additional Faculty Information

Since Criminology is a multidisciplinary science, professors in many academic fields teach in the program. 

Liena Gurevich, PhD Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology; Program Director, BA in Criminology
Margaret Abraham, PhD Professor of Sociology
Amy Baehr, PhD Professor of Philosophy
Robin Flaton, JD, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology
Paul Fritz, PhD Associate Professor of Political Science
Tammy Gales, PhD Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics
Robert Leonard, PhD Professor of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics; Program Director, Forensic Linguistics (BA and MA)
Linda Longmire, PhD Professor of Global Studies and Geography
Kristen Maziarka, MS Instructor in Criminology
Paul Meller, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology
Christopher Niedt, PhD Associate Professor of Applied Social Research; Academic Director, National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University
William Schaefer, JD Adjunct Professor of Political Science
Deborah Silva, PhD Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Director of Forensic Science

Internships

Offered during the Fall and Spring semesters, Criminology internships involve working with a variety of organizations in law, social work and community service. There are credited positions available in the specialized courts of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties, such as the mental health and drug courts, as well as in the domestic violence and sex crimes prosecutorial units, and in the Department of Probation. Students may also be placed with local nonprofit and community organizations that deal with issues like rehabilitation, advocacy, immigration, and domestic violence. Students interning for these organizations learn valuable organizational and presentation skills, as well as insight into advocacy, counseling, and mentoring - all crucial for the nonprofit and social work sectors.

Recent internship opportunities for our students include:

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York
• Mental Health Association of Nassau County
• Mount Sinai Health System
• Nassau County District Attorney's Office
• Northwell Health
• New York City Civil Court
• Queens Supreme Court
• Village of Hempstead Community Development Agency

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