Undergraduate Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice major here was started in the 1970s by Sister Esther Heffernan, O.P., Ph.D., a Sociologist who authored a ground-breaking book about women in prison. The program was formed with the purpose of creating ethical leaders in criminal justice careers with dedication to social justice and crime prevention, and a focus on human rights. 

A focus on ethics and a sociological critical perspective grounds the Criminal Justice major at Edgewood College, making it very different from more ‘traditional’ Criminal Justice programs.  

Our program is also unique in that it offers a Human Services Concentration, which allows you to become a licensed Social Worker, opening up many more employment options. 

With a degree in Criminal Justice, you can go into a variety of careers in policing, probation, law, corrections, crime prevention, and working with at-risk youth. You can also go on to Law School to become a Criminal Prosecuting or Defense Attorney or go on to further education to become a Paralegal. You may also consider attending graduate school in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Sociology or Social Work. 

Because we are located in Madison, there are many opportunities for Criminal Justice majors to learn from community experts through guest lectures, tours of criminal justice agencies, and internship opportunities. Our graduates have held internships in recent years in many Madison organizations including the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, the Madison Police Department, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Investigation Unit, Madison-Area Urban Ministries, and the DEA.