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 5/22/2009 The Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice Spring 2009 graduation ceremony will be May 22, 2009 at 12:30 in the Comcast Center. Please visit http://www.bsos.umd.edu/for-students/commencement-information.aspx for line-up times, departmental contacts and other important information. 5/13/2009 UM Alum Named to TIME List of Top Influencers ~ University of Maryland alumnus Jeff Kinney, Class of 1993, has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME. Kinney, who earned a degree in Criminology from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, is the author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a series of childrens books starring Greg Heffley, a middle schooler who brings the hazards of growing up to life through his journal. 4/23/2009 Since January 2005, The US News and World Report ranks the University of Maryland - Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice doctoral program number one in the field. Congratulations to our faculty, staff, and students on this outstanding accomplishment. 12/1/2008 As of Fall 2008, The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is not accepting any new applications for the Professional Masters program in the College Park, MD U.S. location at this time. More>>

View all deadlines 7/17/2009 Master’s Students (thesis and non-thesis): Final date to submit Approved Program Form and Nomination of Thesis Committee Form to the Office of the Registrar, 1113 Mitchell Building. (Please note: Committee form must be submitted 6 weeks before scheduled defense) 8/7/2009 Doctoral Students: Final date to electronically submit Dissertation to the Registrar and send Report Examining Committee Form to the Office of the Registrar, 1113 Mitchell Building. 8/14/2009 Master’s Students: Final date to electronically submit Certification of Masters Degree without Thesis Form and Report of Examining Committee form to the Registrar, 1113 Mitchell Building. Master’s Students (non-thesis): Final date to electronically submit Certification of Master’s Degree Without Thesis form to the Registrar, 1113 Mitchell Building. More>>