The Online Criminal Justice Master's program is now admitting for Fall 2024. Learn more here.
Seattle University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensics offers study in leading-edge interdisciplinary social sciences involving the study of crime and the societal responses to crime. Our department offers undergraduate, graduate, certificate and continuing education programs that apply theory and research to inform initiatives, policies and practice with a laser focus on ethics, diversity and leadership.
All of our programs provide you with conceptual and empirical knowledge to enhance your study of Criminal Justice, while also offering valuable hands-on experience through opportunities for applied field learning such as police ride-alongs, prison tours courtroom observations and academic/criminal justice collaborative research opportunities. With our campus located in the heart of Seattle, we help foster these professional relationships for students throughout all the local halls of justice.
The graduate and undergraduate curricula include criminal justice and criminology, organizational theory and criminal justice ethics, and research methods and statistics with focused coursework in a particular specialization area.
Ours is the only program west of the Rockies certified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
Our Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, with more than 100 members, includes key professionals from more than 50 agencies in local, state, federal and private criminal justice agencies. All members make important contributions to our Department through assisting with program development, internships and collaborative research and service initiatives, preparing for employment trends, and determining the best ways to serve your needs as student.
Governor Jay Inslee recently appointed Toshiko Grace Hasegawa as executive director of the Washington State Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs. Prior to this, she served as communications manager for King County’s Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, where she engaged diverse stakeholders in conversation around social justice issues related to policing. In 2016, Inslee appointed her to represent CAPAA upon the Statewide Task Force on Deadly Force in Community Policing.
A lot of what I learned in my CJ classes at SU is directly applied to what I do almost every day in this business. With my time at SU I learned how to work hard and gained the essential disciplines needed to be successful not only in my career, but in life. I am currently married to my wife Sarah and I have one son named Tyson who I hope will be a Redhawk someday too!
Associate Professor: research specialization in ideological violence, domestic terrorism and extremism, homicide victimization, media social construction of criminal justice issues, and mixed methods research.
Professor: research specialization in criminal behavior, psychopathy, copycat crime, corrections and offender reentry, forensic psychology, and community/restorative justice.
Adjunct Faculty: teaching courses in corrections and offender reentry. A Seattle U graduate, he received his MA from Washington State University. He is currently an Assistant Secretary with the Washington Department of Corrections.
Professor and Director, Master of Arts in Criminal Justice: research specialization in criminology, female offending, life-course criminology, persistence and desistance in offending, and corrections and offender reentry.
Welcome to Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics from Department Chair Matthew Hickman, PhD.
Recognizing that crime and its prevention, response, and reparation are community concerns, we bring together researchers, academics, law enforcement personnel, judges, psychologists, sociologists, and others involved in the study of crime and the administration of justice. We also conduct public events, engage in service initiatives, and serve as a referral resource for individuals affected by crime.
For Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Graduates
Drs. Jackie Helfgott and William Parkin report the results of the Seattle Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice-Seattle site.
Read More about Trends in Misdemeanor Arrests, Referrals, and Charges in Seattle
The combination of case studies and “behind the scenes” contributions create a comprehensive look at insights gained from ethnographic research and choices researchers make.
SU Criminal Justice and the Seattle Police Department's ongoing collaboration to help local law enforcement and increase community engagement.
AP and UPI wire service stories included mention of a 2015 study by SU professors, including CJ faculty Peter Collins, Matthew Hickman.
Read More about Senate Votes to Repeal Death Penalty in Washington State