Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

What Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice does

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) is an academic department within Northeastern University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities, founded in 1977 as the College of Criminal Justice and later reorganized under its current name. It offers undergraduate, Master of Science, and PhD programs in criminology and criminal justice, with the PhD program providing a five-year year-round funding package including stipend, tuition remission, and health insurance. The school's core academic products are degree programs supported by four dedicated research units: the Violence and Justice Research Lab (co-directed by Amy Farrell and Carlos Cuevas, focused on human trafficking and criminal justice system responses), the Race and Justice Lab (directed by Kevin Drakulich, focused on racial disparities), the Crime Prevention Lab (co-directed by Brandon Welsh and Eric Piza, focused on evidence-based crime prevention), and the Center on Crime, Race, and Justice (co-directed by Natasha Frost).

The school's business model is academic rather than commercial, with revenue derived from tuition and fees (undergraduate and graduate programs billed annually), research grants from federal agencies (notably the National Institute of Justice, including grants of $955,786 in 2021 and $664,690 in 2020 for human trafficking research), and philanthropy and endowments supporting scholarships and faculty positions. Its go-to-market is integrated into Northeastern University's admissions infrastructure, with experiential learning — particularly the co-op program placing students at organizations such as the MA Inspector General's Office, MassDOT, MBTA, and Boston Police Department across more than 80 countries — serving as the primary differentiator and student acquisition mechanism. Primary customer segments are undergraduate and graduate students (the primary personas), with secondary segments including law enforcement and government agencies engaged through research and policy partnerships.

Name

Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Legal name

Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Website

https://cssh.northeastern.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is an academic department at Northeastern University offering undergraduate, MS, and PhD programs in criminology, supported by four research labs and a research center, serving students, law enforcement agencies, and policymakers through tuition, federal grants, and experiential co-op programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Criminology and Criminal Justice

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Law Enforcement & Police Academy Training (EDAOAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE), Crime Prevention & Community Policing Programs (EDALAEAG)

Keywords

• Criminology education
• Criminal justice research
• Graduate degree programs
• Undergraduate education
• Violence prevention research

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate degree programs in criminology and criminal justice, including MS in Criminology and PhD programs
2. Research Grants and Funding: External funding from federal agencies including National Institute of Justice grants for research on human trafficking, crime prevention, and criminal justice system studies
3. Philanthropy and Endowments: Donations and endowed funds supporting scholarships, faculty positions, and research programs including Master's Student Scholarships and CSSH Dean's Fund

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice delivers undergraduate (BA) and graduate (MS, PhD) degree programs in criminology and criminal justice, with co-op-based experiential learning embedded throughout. It also operates four research centers/labs (Violence and Justice Research Lab, Race and Justice Lab, Crime Prevention Lab, Center on Crime, Race, and Justice) that produce externally funded research on human trafficking, racial disparities, and evidence-based crime prevention.

Product overview

Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is an academic department within the College of Social Sciences and Humanities offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in criminology and criminal justice. The school operates multiple research labs (Violence and Justice Research Lab, Race and Justice Lab, Crime Prevention Lab) and a Center on Crime, Race, and Justice. The educational offerings include BA, MS, and PhD programs, integrating experiential learning through co-op opportunities. Research focuses on human trafficking, hate crime, bias victimization, criminal justice system responses, and crime prevention strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Violence and Justice Research Lab: Research laboratory focused on studying violence, crime, and justice system responses, co-directed by Professor Amy Farrell and Professor Carlos Cuevas.
• Center on Crime, Race, and Justice
• Crime Prevention Lab

Products and services

• BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice Undergraduate degree program in criminology and criminal justice within the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, preparing students for careers in law enforcement, legal studies, and criminal justice reform with integrated co-op experiences.
• MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice Master of Science degree program offering advanced training in criminology and criminal justice research, with opportunities for specialization across the school's research labs and centers.
• PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice Doctoral degree program providing advanced research training, with admitted students receiving a five-year year-round funding package including stipend, tuition remission, and health insurance.
• Violence and Justice Research Lab Research laboratory co-directed by Amy Farrell and Carlos Cuevas, conducting research on criminal justice system responses to violence and human trafficking including victim needs and prosecution studies.
• Race and Justice Lab Research lab directed by Kevin Drakulich examining racial disparities and discrimination in criminal justice system processes including charging, adjudication, and sentencing.
• Crime Prevention Lab Research lab co-directed by Brandon Welsh and Eric Piza focused on evidence-based crime prevention strategies including early childhood education and environmental design approaches.
• Center on Crime, Race, and Justice Research center examining the intersection of crime, race, and justice outcomes in the criminal justice system, offering co-op research positions including placements at the Library of Congress.

Quantifiable outcome

• PhD program provides five-year year-round funding package including stipend, tuition remission, and health insurance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Massachusetts Attorney General Human Trafficking Policy Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Amy Farrell serves on the Massachusetts Attorneys General Human Trafficking Policy Task Force, contributing to state-level policy development on human trafficking identification and prosecution strategies.
• Governor's Working Group on Human TraffickingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Amy Farrell serves on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governors Working Group on Human Trafficking, providing expertise on criminal justice system responses to trafficking.
• U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Amy Farrell testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on police identification of human trafficking, informing federal legislative efforts.
• Justice George Lewis Ruffin SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, this organization supports and uplifts minority professionals in the criminal justice system and legal profession.
• Center on Crime, Race, and JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal research center providing research opportunities on crime, race, and justice topics with co-op positions at organizations like the Library of Congress.
• Justice George Lewis Ruffin SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization sponsored by SCCJ that works to diversify the judiciary at all levels through training programs and scholarship opportunities for minorities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Maryland Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Top-ranked research criminology department within a public R1 university. Direct peer in offering MS/PhD research degrees and competing for federal justice research grants.
• Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice: One of the largest and oldest standalone criminology colleges in the U.S., offering BA, MS, and PhD programs with major federal research funding. Direct peer in scale, structure, and federal grant profile.
• Indiana University Department of Criminal Justice: Long-established IU criminology program with substantial federal research funding and PhD output. Direct peer in research and graduate training.
• Sam Houston State University College of Criminal Justice: Texas-based standalone College of Criminal Justice with large enrollment and major research centers. Direct peer as a criminology-dedicated college within a larger university.
• George Mason University Department of Criminology, Law and Society: Research-active criminology department offering PhD, MS, and undergraduate programs with strengths in policing and crime analysis. Direct peer to Northeastern SCCJ.
• Penn State Department of Sociology and Criminology: Major R1 university criminology program offering graduate degrees and conducting federal-funded research. Direct peer at the intersection of sociology and criminology.
• Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice: Standalone School of Criminal Justice at a major research university with significant grant activity. Direct peer to SCCJ in structure and disciplinary focus.
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice: CUNY's senior college entirely dedicated to criminal justice, forensic science, and related social sciences. Most direct peer to Northeastern SCCJ as a standalone criminology-focused institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees with strong research output.
• University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice: Long-established UC criminology program with strong research profile in policing, corrections, and crime analysis. Direct peer offering comparable graduate degrees and research labs.

Regional players

• UMass Lowell School of Criminology and Justice Studies: New England-based criminology school and Northeastern regional competitor for students, faculty, and federal grants. Comparable programmatic structure with strong applied research focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nucssh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/northeasterncssh
• Facebookfacebook.com/nucssh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northeastern-university-school-of-criminology-and-criminal-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/nucssh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice