Only a few months into its first year, Bridgewater College’s new criminology major has become one of the top five most popular majors among BC applicants to the Class of 2028.
Word has spread among current BC students as well. Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Tim Brazill, who has advised students in the College’s crime and justice minor, says students began inquiring about the major soon after it was announced by the Department of Sociology and Criminology in August.
“As we were coming back to campus and settling back in, we already had students who told us they were switching to the criminology major,” Brazill says. “It came as a surprise. People got interested quickly.”
Designed for students interested in careers in law enforcement, corrections and rehabilitation, the court system or victim services, BC’s criminology major offers an approach that Brazill says is firmly rooted in the liberal arts. The major is structured for students to develop a foundational knowledge in sociology—including an understanding of the larger structures and systems at play in the criminal justice field—while engaging with perspectives from other disciplines like political science, communication and psychology.
The major prioritizes both theory and practice, and it emphasizes gaining practical field experience by requiring upperclass students to participate in one of two practicums. For students pursuing careers in law enforcement, one practicum offers a unique opportunity: law enforcement training through a partnership with the Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Training Academy (CSCJTA). Taken during the spring of a student’s senior year, the law enforcement practicum allows BC students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and professional certification as a police officer.
Although many police departments do not require recruits to obtain a bachelor’s degree, having one may prove helpful when advancing to higher ranks or pursuing a career with a federal agency like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Brazill says he believes that BC seniors also have the skills the CSCJTA is seeking in prospective trainees, making them more likely to be accepted into the program and succeed.
“Our students have the desirable soft skills from a liberal arts education, and what they’ve learned at BC helps them prepare for the training and have a solid grasp of what to expect,” Brazill says.
After graduation, Brazill says that BC students who participated in CSCJTA’s training program have a leg up when searching for regional jobs as well. “We graduate fully certified police officers. From a department’s perspective, they like this because they don’t have to put our recruits through training.”
For students interested in pursuing criminal justice career paths outside of law enforcement, an alternate practicum enables criminology students to obtain 120 hours of practical experience in their desired field, such as law or community-based rehabilitation.
Students preparing for careers in forensics or forensic accounting may choose to double major in the sciences or business administration, respectively. As a major consisting of 37-38 credit hours of coursework, Brazill says that the criminology major is well-positioned to facilitate these connections to other disciplines.
To learn more, visit the Department of Sociology and Criminology website.
– Eli Quay ’20
11/07/24
