The University of Maryland’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJS) is a national and international leader in research and criminal justice education. A 1998 study of the quality of faculty in doctoral criminology and criminal justice programs reported that CCJS faculty were the most frequently cited of American criminal justice programs while a more recent study reported that more than a third of the 22 most accomplished new scholars in criminology and criminal justice received their Ph.D. degrees from CCJS (Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 1998; 2001). According to a 2005 U.S. News and World Reports ranking of the quality of Criminology and Criminal Justice Doctoral programs, the Maryland program is number one out of the thirty-two programs ranked.

      The mission of the department is to lead in the development of criminological and criminal justice research and theory; the training of graduate students to conduct and understand basic and applied research; and the provision of undergraduate education of the highest quality including internships and international experiences. Department members guide the highest levels of government, nationally and internationally, on the development of research based policies to prevent and control delinquency, crime, and terrorism. The department serves the campus, the local community, and the state as consultants and advisors on issues of critical importance.

View all announcements 1/23/2012 Professor Kiminori Nakamura, Ph.D., has had a thoughtful and informative op-ed published in the New York Times on January 10, 2012 titled "Paying a Price, Long After the Crime". It can be found online at the New York Times website. 12/23/2011 Congratulations to CCJS Professor Terrance Thornberry, Ph.D., who has been named by President Loh as a Distinguished University Professor. This title was awarded in recognition of Dr. Thornberrys internationally recognized work in the scientific examination of antisocial behavior, which has had an enduring impact on the field of criminology and criminal justice. 12/23/2011 Dr. Gary LaFree has been named a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher (DST) for the 2012-13 Academic Year. Please join us in congratulating Dr. LaFree, and be certain to stay tuned for information on his DST which will tak place next year. 10/24/2011 Dr. John Laub, CCJS Distinguished University Professor, has just been awarded the 2012 Hans Mattick Award from his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Award is given to a person of national prominence who is committed to improving the criminal justice system through research, policy, and service. Congratulations Dr. Laub! 10/20/2011 Dr. Gary LaFree, CCJS Professor and Director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), was just named the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences (DBASSE) Coordinator for the forthcoming "Crime, Law, and Justice" report on deterrence and the death penalty. Congratulations Dr. LaFree! More>>

View all deadlines 1/25/2012 All Graduate Degree Candidates: 2-7-12 Last day to electronically submit the Application for Graduation to the Registrar’s Office for Spring 2012 graduation via testudo. More>>