Suffolk University's Criminal Justice Program Emphasizes Critical Thinking

The criminal justice program at Boston’s Suffolk University is both practical and comprehensive, and its graduates have gone on to pursue interesting careers.

Suffolk offers a Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree that focuses on community-based alternatives to the present reliance on court systems, imprisonment, and traditional policing models. The emphasis is on using community resources and treatment programs.

Suffolk’s MSCJ provides a solid foundation in law, criminology, and applied research. The program offers courses in victim advocacy, restorative justice, and other community-based approaches, and hosts the Center for Restorative Justice. It thus makes the link from academia to the real world, enabling offenders, crime victims, and members of the community to come together to mediate conflicts.

With a criminal justice degree that emphasizes critical thinking, Suffolk graduates are prepared for a variety of career paths. Christina Bermingham, a 2005 graduate, is manager of a research project focused on analyzing the status of women in the science technology, engineering, and math fields. Don Aviv, also class of 2005, is chief operating officer at Interfor Inc., an international investigation and security consulting firm.

The MS in Criminal Justice is offered through Suffolk’s Sociology Department on a full- or part-time basis, with late afternoon and evening courses. For more information, attend a Graduate Information Session on Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Omni Parker House Hotel, Boston.