Department of Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Major
The Fannie Angelos Program for Academic Excellence finds qualified students and alumni at Maryland’s four HBCUs and prepares them for law school. Learn more about the program.
Bowie State’s Department of Criminal Justice provides educational opportunities for a diverse student population of Maryland citizens and the global community. The program provides students with access and research opportunities in areas like law, forensic science, social justice and community advocacy. Our expert faculty are guiding the next generation of community servant leaders, who are socially, politically, and globally conscious practitioners and problem solvers.
Online degree option
Off-site degree option: University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland
Our curriculum is designed to give students an invaluable foundation in law, social justice, community advocacy and forensic science. You’ll engage a multidimensional approach to studying crime, from its causes, offenders and victims to the corrective processes, agencies and laws working to control it. Our intensive course track introduces students to applied methods of sociological research to help them develop a pragmatic knowledge of corrections and criminal justice. Inside our full-service SMART classrooms, you will:
- Investigate the cause and effect of crime and criminal behavior in society
- Explore the history of justice practices and efficacy of existing anti-crime policies
- Apply and critique major theories and ethical issues in the field
- Examine how law enforcement and police organizations have evolved
- Learn the inner workings of courts, criminal law and legal decisions
- Use quantitative and qualitative research methods to scale criminal activity
To foster a comprehensive understanding of crime as well as the most equitable methods to prevent and control it, our internships give students the opportunity to both earn field-specific experience and be servant leaders in the community. Demonstrating the early ability to be practitioners and problem-solvers enhances our students’ employment opportunities and shapes them into strong competitors in the job market. Major in criminal justice and join thousands of current students and graduates affecting definitive change on the way the law operates around the world.