The complex and controversial issues of crime, law and justice remain at the forefront of public policy debates at the local, national and international levels. While serious crime rates have steadily declined in recent years, the nation continues to struggle with such issues as gangs, racial profiling, capital punishment, terrorism, drugs and growing rates of imprisonment.

Research and scholarship into the causes of crime, as well as the most equitable means of controlling it, have evolved at a rapid pace. UIC’s Criminology, Law, and Justice program has been one of the national leaders in undergraduate and graduate instruction over the past thirty years. Its interdisciplinary faculty is recognized for its research, teaching and public service in the fields of criminology, criminal justice and law and society.

Apart from its longstanding bachelors and master programs, the Department has one of the top PhD programs in the field.