Welcome to CLS
Welcome to the Department of Criminology, Law and Society (CLS). We are delighted that you will be teaching in our undergraduate or Master of Science program. In this section of the website, we want to introduce you to our department and students, provide you with some background information and suggestions for teaching at George Mason University, and direct you to resources that will assist you as a faculty member. If you would like a PDF copy of this handbook, please request one from the Administrative Support Specialist.
Department Background
The Criminology, Law and Society Department is a multi-disciplinary unit in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. We have 28 full-time faculty and over 75 part-time instructors who serve approximately 1400 undergraduate students and 70 graduate students. Courses in the Criminology, Law and Society department use the prefix “CRIM” within the university scheduling system. CLS offers several degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate level, including a:
- Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law and Society
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society
- Minor in Criminology, Law and Society
- Minor in Intelligence Studies
- Master of Science in Criminal Justice (which can also be completed through a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s pathway)
- Master of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society
- Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology, Law and Society
About Our Students
Our undergraduate students come from a variety of different backgrounds. Most are from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the vast majority work at least part-time. George Mason University is itself a diverse institution, and you may find many first-generation Americans as well as first-generation college attendees in your classes. In a university of this size and scope, talents and academic histories also vary. Over half of George Mason students transfer from another institution, most often Northern Virginia Community College, and others start here as freshmen. This can make teaching here an exciting challenge. Graduates of our undergraduate program go on to pursue careers in the fields of law enforcement, courts, corrections, security, intelligence, and the military. Many proceed directly to graduate, law school, or other professional schools.
Graduate students in our Master of Science in Criminal Justice program are preparing to acquire jobs or advance their careers in criminal justice policy and practice. Unlike a traditional research masters degree, the MS in Criminal Justice prepares students to be leaders and change agents in the field by providing the scientific foundations and practical insights required to evaluate, select, and implement effective, efficient, and fair policies and practices. In place of a traditional thesis, the culminating experience of the MS in Criminal Justice is a semester-long capstone project in which students identify a stakeholder agency or organization and focus on translating their research into practice. MS in Criminal Justice students also come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Many of them studied in our undergraduate program and others are career professionals seeking to obtain additional skills and qualifications. High-achieving undergraduate students enrolled in our Bachelor’s/Accelerated Masters (BAM) pathway also take classes in the MS program. Many of our MS graduates are seeking careers in federal law enforcement, the intelligence community, and various policy and advocacy organizations.
Graduate students in the MA/PhD program pursue a rigorous course of study that prepares them to conduct high quality scientific research that advances knowledge in the social sciences and helps make the criminal justice system fairer and more effective. MA/PhD students pursue careers as faculty members in academia or as researchers in government/policy positions, non-profit organizations, and the tech industry.