Welcome to the Department of Criminology and Social work. The mission of the department is to produce graduates capable of bringing to bear their critical thinking skills upon diverse problem solving situations in social work and criminal justice. The Department strives to provide students with knowledge, skills and values that are relevant and adequate to enable them to serve in social service and criminal justice systems, prepare them for professional careers as well as advanced study.
The two programmes in Social work and criminology address themselves to understanding and dealing with the impact of social problems that emerge at the interface of people with their environments, whether these are crimes, poverty, marginalization, discrimination, criminal victimization etc.
The department offers a rigorous,broad-based graduate and undergraduate programs in criminology and criminal justice centered on the scientific study of crime, criminals, and society’s reaction to both, and structured to foster the development of students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical, abilities. Our bachelor of criminology program, among the pioneers in the country, has continued to attract increasing numbers of students from the country and beyond. It prepares graduates for careers specifically in security and forensic investigations, correctional services, criminal justice and a variety of other agencies related to the field. For students already working in the criminal justice field, the degree is designed to lead to career advancement.
The Bachelor of Social Work programme is designed to meet the current demand for generalist practitioners in the field of social work who would be actively involved in the transformation of injustices in social institutions and in the struggles of individuals and communities to maximize control over their own lives while informed by a central concern for human rights, empowerment, sustainable community change and social justice. The program provides a wide menu of courses geared to producing graduates with a repertoire of skills, adaptable to diverse environments and with demonstrable ability to help solve problems and provide hope for people relying on social services for support. It integrates a self-reflective balance between theory and practice and places a premium on a critical self-awareness and practice. Graduates are expected to competently serve in diverse fields ranging from social services, criminal justice and social development in both governmental and nongovernmental sectors locally, regionally and globally.