Inside Iowa State

March 10, 2006

Coming this fall: Four-year criminology program

by Dave Gieseke, LAS Public Relations

Interest in criminal justice has exploded. There's hardly a night of network programming that doesn't include some version of CSI or Law and Order -- shows that highlight crime prevention and solving crime cases.

The American public's fascination with criminology knows no one age group or geographic locale.

But prospective students are particularly interested, said Matt DeLisi, assistant professor of sociology and coordinator of the criminal justice program.

"When I talk with parents and students about the program, they all talk about watching Court TV or CSI, and they find it interesting and a potentially rewarding career," he said.

"In my courses, students mention a television program that relates to what we're talking about. They can't seem to get enough of true crime shows and books," he noted.

Beginning this fall, Iowa State will attempt to meet some of that demand when a degree program in criminology and criminal justice will be offered for the first time.

ID studies option

The program will be offered under the interdisciplinary (ID) studies major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and the sociology department. The degree program in criminology and criminal justice was approved by the LAS college in February. (Degree programs within the college's interdisciplinary studies major are overseen by a faculty review board and the dean's office.)

"This emphasis offers an opportunity for students to learn about the components of the juvenile and criminal justice systems," DeLisi said. "Students will then apply that knowledge to an academic or professional career in criminology and criminal justice."

Although the ink is hardly dry on the documents creating the new program, word has gotten out. DeLisi said he has received requests for more information about the program from both on and off campus.

At the recent Major Fair held on campus, DeLisi's booth was one of the most heavily visited with current students looking either to switch majors to the criminal justice option or add it as a second major.

DeLisi is well aware of the allure criminal justice has held on students for quite some time. Since his arrival five years ago on campus, he has coordinated the college and sociology department's cross-disciplinary minor in criminal justice.

The success of the minor is one reason DeLisi and others pushed hard for the new ID studies major. Enrollment in the program has increased from 100 to 280 students over five years.

"Since I walked in the door at Iowa State, I have gotten the same comment over and over from current students and prospective students: 'I sure wish criminal justice was a major,'" he said.

About half of the students who have graduated from Iowa State with criminal justice minors go into professional fields such as law enforcement, state or federal probation work, or social services. Academic venues include seeking master's or doctoral degrees in sociology, psychology, criminology or criminal justice and pursuing a law degree.

The program

"The new ID studies major is a versatile program that will contain both a professional and an academic track," DeLisi said. "About 75 percent of our minors are majoring in sociology, and we think most of the new criminal justice majors will still be double majors."

The ID criminology and criminal justice program is 40 credit hours with courses in 15 academic departments, including statistics, English, political science, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, women's studies, history and the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.

The primary courses will be taught in sociology, with three new courses offered in the fall on policing, corrections and white-collar crime.

The majority of students completing this program will receive a B.A. degree. Those who have another major or a minor in the biological, physical, or mathematical sciences may graduate with a B.S. degree.

Other faculty involved in the program include:

• Andy Hochstetler, associate professor of sociology
• Pete Conis, Iowa State lecturer, DMACC faculty member and former Ames police officer

A search is under way to hire a third full-time faculty member for the criminology and criminal justice program. A half-time academic adviser also will be assigned to the program later this year.

A full-fledged criminal justice program is also available at the University of Northern Iowa. The chair of the UNI department, Keith Crew, supports the addition of the interdisciplinary criminology and criminal justice major at Iowa State.

"His assessment is that there are so many students who want this degree," DeLisi said. "It's not like we're competing for only 25 majors."

In fact, DeLisi estimates it won't be long before there may be as many as 500 students studying criminal justice and criminology at Iowa State.

Andy Hochstetler (left) and Matt DeLisi are the faculty members involved full time in a new degree program in criminology and criminal justice. Photo by Dave Gieseke.

"Since I walked in the door at Iowa State, I have gotten the same comment over and over from current students and prospective students: 'I sure wish criminal justice was a major."

Matt DeLisi