Criminology is the study of crime and the criminal justice system. The criminology major exposes students to the dimensions of the crime problem, explanations of the prevalence of various types of crime, and the various agencies and programs designed to prevent and control crime and delinquency. The agencies and programs include the police, courts, probation and parole systems, and correctional institutions. Attention is also given to such issues as women and crime, youth and crime, and the place of control agencies in the larger societal context.
Some criminologists teach in universities or colleges.
Research positions are another common career path for criminologists. In universities and many colleges, faculty are involved in both teaching and research. However, research is conducted in a variety of other employment settings, including government bureaus and agencies, research institutes in the nonprofit or advocacy sector, and through self-employment or consulting. Thus, some students seeking teaching and research positions use the undergraduate criminology major as preparation for graduate work in criminology or in a related field such as sociology. Criminology also helps to prepare students for a variety of other careers and for further graduate or professional education.