Criminal Justice

This option is great for students who wish to pursue careers in a variety of law enforcement and legal settings. 

The B.S./M.S. degree option makes it easier for students enrolled in the undergraduate program in Criminal Justice to graduate in five years with both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

Our Legal Studies minor/paralegal certificate program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). This is ideal for students who wish to increase their appreciation for the importance of law and prepare for legal careers in both the public and private sectors. Students who successfully complete the Legal Studies minor automatically earn an ABA-approved certificate in Paralegal Studies that is the educational requirement to work as a paralegal. This certificate is earned at no additional cost. 

A full time or part time 33 credit graduate degree program offered either online, face to face or hybrid. 

Graduate Program Director:

Dr. John Eterno

jeterno@molloy.edu

The Criminal Justice department offers a minor in Criminal Justice that will prepare you for a variety of law enforcement and legal careers. A minor in criminal justice introduces students to all aspects of the criminal justice system and an understanding of the origins of criminal behavior. For more information on the minor requirements click here:

Molloy University - Criminal Justice Minor

The Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business have co-developed a minor in Cybersecurity. It is built on a comprehensive understanding of the field that will have practical application. The program of study provides students with knowledge of computer security, basic information on computers, networking skills, understanding the internet, learning how to do investigations, knowledge of the law, understanding forensics and more. Students will develop the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to enter the field of cybersecurity. Students completing the minor will receive a certificate indicating their newly learned skill as well as having the notation of the minor on their transcripts.

For more information on the minor requirements click here:

Molloy University - Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Minor

A minor in forensic science from the criminal justice and legal studies department equips students with a fundamental understanding of the basic principles of forensic science, evidence-based critical thinking, and comprehensive knowledge of the ethical and practical considerations involved in case reports and testimony in this field. 

 For more information on the minor requirements click here:

The Legal Studies minor provides students with a foundation in law and its practical application. Individuals seeking to work in the legal professions or as a paralegal*, those pursuing law school and students whose careers will interact with the law can all benefit from this course of study. Successful completion of the minor automatically earns the student a Molloy Paralegal Studies Certificate. Students can be job ready when they graduate with the minor and certificate.

* Paralegals work directly under the supervision and direction of an attorney and may not give legal advice or otherwise engage in the practice of law.

For more information on the minor requirements click here:

Molloy University - Legal Studies Minor

Dr. Christine Barrow

Chair; Department of Criminal Justice

Dr. Christine Barrow is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at Molloy University.  She earned a PhD in Criminal Justice from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.  She has experience conducting qualitative research at neighborhood organizations in Brooklyn, NY. She has experience teaching Race, Neighborhoods and Crime, Critical Issues in Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, and Women and Criminal Justice at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Her recent publications include a book chapter entitled, Counting Crime in the Isle of Spice: A Review of The Royal Grenada Police Force. She is a co-author of a several publications including: A Convergence of Violence: Structural Violence Experiences of K-12 , Black, Disabled Males Across Multiple Systems”  in the special issue of Laws: Issues in K-12 School Violence in the United States and “Forcible Stops: Police and Citizens Speak Out About Unconstitutional Racial Profiling by Police”.  She is also co-editor of the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Race, Crime, and Justice: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic.

Deniese Kennedy-Kollar earned her PhD in Criminal Justice in 2008 from the City University of New York Graduate Center. She also holds a MA in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a BA in Psychology from SUNY Stonybrook. Before joining the faculty at Molloy she taught at Monroe College, Adelphi University, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In addition, she spent several years conducting research with a forensic psychiatric population at Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Hospital and with the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research at Manhattan Psychiatric Center. Her areas of academic and research interest include technology and crime, mass murder, crime theory, psychology and the law, and crime and gender.

John A. Eterno is a Professor in the Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Department at Molloy University.  He is also the Director of Graduate Studies in Criminal Justice.  He is a retired Captain from the New York City Police Department. Dr. Eterno received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany. He has penned numerous books, book chapters, articles, and editorials on various topics: democratic policing, human trafficking, data-driven policy, police management, policing within the law, investigations, combatting terrorism in democracies, global policing, and many other police-related topics.  His research has appeared on the front page of The New York Times and in many other media outlets. His research on stop and frisk is cited in the Floyd et al. v. City of New York federal district court case. He has also published op-eds in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and in numerous other places.

Dr. Eterno is recognized as an expert in policing by the federal courts.  His recent books include The Crime Numbers Game: Management by Manipulation (with Eli Silverman), The New York City Police Department: The Impact of Its Policies and Practices, The Detective’s Handbook and Global Issues in Contemporary Policing (with Arvind Verma, Aliedeo Mintie Das and Dilip Das). His most recent book is How Countries Count Crime: An exercise in police discretion with Arvind Verma and Eli Silverman. One of his recent peer-reviewed research papers appeared in Justice Quarterly (‘Police Manipulations of Crime Reporting: Insiders’ Revelations’ with Arvind Verma and Eli Silverman).  Another recent one appeared in Public Administration Review (‘Forcible Stops: Police and Citizens Speak Out with Christine Barrow and Eli Silverman). He is currently looking to work on an international project as a Fulbright Scholar and is studying crime numbers and information that should be released by public information officers.  All inquiries are welcome.

Wilson Marrero is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Department at Molloy University. He is also the Coordinator of the Legal Studies program.. He is a former New York City Police Officer and retired Detective of the Nassau County Police Department. Professor Marrero received his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice (Cum Laude) from Long Island University, C.W. Post, his Master of Professional Studies in Criminal Justice Leadership and Terrorism from St. John’s University (Summa Cum Laude), and his Juris Doctorate from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsburg Law Center. Professor Marrero is also a graduate of the 190th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. During his 38-year law enforcement career Professor Marreo was assigned to uniform patrol duties, precinct squad detective duties, Narcotics Bureau, Special Investigations Squad, Gang Investigation Squad, and as a Task Force Officer (TFO) with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Professor Marrero is recognized as a gang expert by the Florida Gang Investigators Association and has presented the following lectures on the subject. “Gang Identification”, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Mineola, NY, 2005, “Gangs 101A”, Presented at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, Nov. 2003, “Gangs 101”, Presented at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, Feb. 2003, “Gang Awareness”, SAJES Prejudice Reduction Conference, Touro Law Center, Long Island Hilton, 2000-2004, 2006, “Gang Identification”, Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network -Gang Conference, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, 2001, Joint Symposium, “Gang Issues Within the Correctional System”, Hauppauge, NY, 2000, Sex, Teens, and Violence- A Comprehensive Look at Teen Sexual Assault, “Teens at Risk – Gang Initiation and Violence” Kings County District Attorney, New York, NY, 2000, FBI National Academy-Street Gang Awareness, Hempstead, NY, 2000, New York State Juvenile Officers Association Conference on Youth Violence, “Gang Identification”, Ithaca, NY, 1998. He is currently working on a study related to male gang members and the school-to-gang pipeline. All inquiries are welcome.