School of Criminal Justice Homepage

We study all aspects of crime and societal reactions to crime.

Study the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that influence definitions of crime, individual offending and crime rates, policy choices about how society responds to crime, and all aspects of the criminal justice system.

School of Criminal Justice

Evidence-based judgments and prudent policy choices about crime and justice require an understanding of crime, criminal behavior, criminal justice processes, and the law. The study of criminal justice at the University at Albany addresses these phenomena.

The internationally renowned UAlbany School of Criminal Justice is home to the 5th ranked PhD program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. We were the first program in the nation to offer a PhD in Criminal Justice, virtually inventing the discipline when a star-studded group of faculty embarked a wholly new endeavor, bringing together scholars from law, public administration, psychology, sociology, and related fields to create a program that looked beyond the offender to explore the nature of crime and the entire criminal justice system.

Since its inception, the School has remained interdisciplinary in its approach. Our graduates have been highly successful as academics and as practitioners. Graduates find opportunities in the expanding academic field of criminal justice research and teaching, all the operating agencies of criminal justice, and in the many private and non-profit organizations that provide services or make policy recommendations.

Research

The School of Criminal Justice administers externally funded research through the renowned Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center. Funding for projects in the Center in recent years came from myriad sources, including federal agencies like the National Institute of Justice, National Science Foundation, and National Institutes of Health, and New York State agencies like the Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, State Police, and Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Faculty, research staff, and students work on research projects, develop policy recommendations in the field of criminal justice, disseminate research results through publications in leading scholarly journals, sponsor lectures and other colloquia, and provide opportunities for graduate students to learn research skills and develop dissertation topics. Over its 30-year history, the Hindelang Center has employed more than 100 Graduate Research Assistants and administered tens of millions of dollars in grants and contracts.

Frankie Bailey conducting research with a student

UAlbany Criminal Justice Majors Enter a World of Possibilities

Recent News

UAlbany R&E Week panelists discuss the state of AI in the Capital Region during R&E Week in October, 2024 at ETEC.

R&E Week Highlights AI, Innovation and Creative Works

November 7, 2024

UAlbany's second annual Research and Entrepreneurship Week brought together scholars from throughout New York and beyond to put the spotlight on the explosive growth of artificial intelligence in the Capital Region, along with highlighting the substantial scholarly work of UAlbany researchers and inventors.

A man speaks from a podium next to a projection of mathmatical images.

Lightning Talks: 23 New Faculty Introduce Themselves at 2nd Annual Pecha Kucha

October 11, 2024

Provost Carol Kim said the event is designed to be “fun, quick and informative” and boost collaborations among faculty in different disciplines.

A student participates in the quick pitch competition during the 2023 R&E Week activities at UAlbany.

UAlbany Hosts 2nd Annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week

October 8, 2024

Artificial Intelligence, climate science, research excellence and fostering inventions are just some of the topics in store for the second annual Research and Entrepreneurship Week, Oct. 21-24 at ETEC building.