Contributing to more just, equitable, and safer communities.
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Welcome
The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology has a long rich history. In 1935, the President of then, Washington State College, Dr. Ernest O. Holland, contacted the nation’s first ever FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, for guidance in creating a program for the sole purpose of training law enforcement officers (September 18, 1935 Letter, October 3, 1935 Letter- Part 1, and October 3, 1935 Letter- Part 2). In 1941, under Dr. Vivian Anderson Leonard, the Department of Police Science was formed. Since then it has expanded beyond training police officers to touch on every aspect of the criminal justice system.
Combining a passion for scholarship with a keen understanding of practical applications, the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology offers students the opportunity to learn, explore and develop in a substantive and expanding field. The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology is located on three campuses of Washington State University, at Pullman, Spokane, and Vancouver.
The department offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees; students may earn a minor, a bachelor of arts, a master’s degree, or a doctoral degree in criminal justice and criminology. We have degree options to suit today’s students, with our B.A. offered both on campus and online. With groundbreaking research, renowned professors, and students who are making a difference, WSU is an exciting place to pursue your education.
Undergraduate
Undergraduates benefit from a policy-focused curriculum that prepares them both for careers and future study, learning from leaders in the field.
Graduate
Graduate students work closely with faculty, pursuing a more comprehensive understanding of the field of criminal justice and developing as scholars and researchers.
Meet our faculty
Department faculty have a wide range of research and teaching interests, and the department is nationally and internationally recognized for its scholarship.
Statement on the arrest of Bryan Kohberger
(Updated 01/11/2023)
The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University was deeply saddened by the deaths of four young people in Idaho in November. We were equally shocked by the news that a student in our program is now a suspect in the case. Members of the department are cooperating with law enforcement officials to provide information pertinent to the ongoing criminal investigation. We look forward to the criminal justice process being carried out as this case progresses. Our hearts remain with the victims’ families.
Media Inquiries
(12/31/2022)
Media inquiries should be directed to Vice President for Marketing and Communications Phil Weiler (phil.weiler@wsu.edu).
CJC in the News
- Determined to Find Out What Works and Why: An Interview with NACDP’s new director of research Dr. Jacqueline van Wormer
- Analysis: No Systematic agency bias in WSP traffic stops
- Presidential Security Award
- An American Dream
- Meet the new faculty of 2021
- Never say never
- Most read article
- City of Pullman Washington: News Release
- Focus on criminal justice reform
- Five faculty to join WSU in the fall through new cluster hire program
Past Events
- Big Herc
- From Where I Sit
- The Impact of incarceration on Black families
- Queer Abolition CFP
- IREO on Dr. Makin and Dr. James’ police research
- Xenophobia, Anti-Asian Racism, and Intolerance: How to support Students, Faculty, and Staff during COVID-19
- Hollaback – Bystander Intervention Training
CAS in the Media
-
WSU Pullman student receives governor’s award for civic engagement
McNair scholar Areli Orozco, a psychology and criminal justice double-major, is the recipient of a Governor’s Student Civic Leadership award from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good (WCC). The award highlights student leaders for their work in civic engagement, community leadership, and social entrepreneurship.
“I was kind of shocked,” said Orozco, a first-year student at Washington State University who researches anxiety among first generation students that are people of color. “I thought the recognition was cool, but at the same time, I feel like there are other people who do a lot more.”
Ben Calabretta, director of the Center for Civic Engagement, says … » More …
Read Story -
Portland’s broken window epidemic: Who’s behind the vandalism and what is going to stop it?
Every 42 minutes there is a report of vandalism in Portland — often involving broken windows. Some storefronts have been hit repeatedly.
There were more reports of broken windows and vandalism in Portland last year than during the violent protests of 2020.
“It is a complex problem that really requires a complex solution,” said Laurie Drapela, a criminal justice professor at Washington State University Vancouver. Drapela explained that because there are fewer people living and working in downtown Portland, there aren’t as many eyes and ears around to help prevent crime.
“You have a lot of office complex space now where people are working from … » More …
Read Story -
Research: The operationalization of bodycam data
Washington State University researchers are working with police departments to objectively review videos to benchmark officer performance and inform training
An agency’s body-worn camera video contains multiple data points that can be operationalized to benchmark officer performance and inform training. Tapping into that wealth of knowledge is the mission of David A. Makin, Ph.D., an associate professor in criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University and director of WSU’s Complex Social Interactions Lab.
Through data analytics and machine learning, Makin and his team code and catalog key variables in bodycam videos associated with a range of outcomes as specified by the agencies participating … » More …
Read Story -
SURCA presents undergraduate research awards
Several students from across the College of Arts and Sciences were among WSU scholars who presented posters at the Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) 2022 on March 28.
SURCA is the unique WSU-wide venue for students from all majors, years in college, and all WSU campuses to share their mentored research, scholarship, and creative activities, and have judges evaluate their work shown on a poster. At this year’s event, around 140 students from four campuses were among those accepted to present 112 posters to 90 judges. Faculty, postdoctoral students, and community experts used a common rubric to evaluate and score presentations across nine … » More …
Read Story