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Criminology Major, Minor

Undergraduate Program On Campus

What You'll Learn

Gain the skills and knowledge to become an agent of justice and renewal.

As a criminology major at Calvin, you'll focus on more than scientific inquiry into crime and the criminal justice system. You'll think analytically about crime, deviance, and harm—learning about their root causes and evaluating efforts to address them.

You'll engage directly with the real-world pursuit of justice through opportunities like tutoring at Michigan's Handlon Correctional Facility, volunteering at rehabilitation facilities, interning at a police department, or working with community-based violence prevention organizations. You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to global conversations about crime by partnering with faculty in research projects and presenting at professional conferences.

What Makes This Program Great

  • Unique learning opportunities: Calvin’s Prison Initiative provides inmates at the Handlon Correctional Facility (Ionia, MI) with the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree. Students from the Grand Rapids campus are able to serve as tutors in this program and participate in a club on social justice involving students from both campuses.
  • Practical skills: Students will complete an internship at places such as local courts, victim services, police departments, mental health organizations, rehabilitation facilities.
  • Real-world research: Each professor in the department is an active researcher in their field. Students can take advantage of mentorship opportunities through faculty-student research projects.
  • Experts on campus: Calvin is renowned for hosting lectures, workshops, and conferences on important contemporary issues. Events on topics such as race and policing, restorative justice, and nonprofit anti-violence programs provide students with examples of applied criminology.
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Faculty

Elisha Marr

Associate Professor, Director of Gender Studies, Director of Criminology