Criminology and Criminal Justice (BS)

What is A Criminology and Criminal Justice (BS) Degree?

Are you wondering about the difference between Criminology and Criminal Justice?  It’s pretty simple actually.  Criminology is the behavioral study of crime—that is, criminal activity and how the laws are made to control it.  Criminal Justice looks at the legal system itself—how laws are applied and how alleged criminals are brought to justice.  As a behavioral science that is a subset of Sociology, Criminology looks at the sociology and psychology of the lawmakers, the alleged criminals, and how the public reacts to crime.

Criminal Justice, as a more hands-on, skilled-based field, is more focused on the whole law enforcement system: how laws are enforced and how criminals are rehabilitated.  There’s definitely an overlap in these fields.  That’s why some college degree programs combine the two into one degree.  The BS degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice introduces students to both the behavior sciences and to various enforcement techniques and also promotes critical thinking to solve problems in society and to enhance public safety.  This degree will open doors to local, state, and even national opportunities in law enforcement positions and can be a good step toward master’s level study or even law school.

The video below discusses a “typical” program, so it should help regardless of which school you are considering.