The Department of Criminology is nationally and internationally recognized for its cutting-edge approach to a variety of criminal justice issues.

Word from the chair

In 1968 the University of Ottawa’s Department of Criminology was founded to train correctional professionals. The ensuring decades have born witness to significant social, economic, political, and institutional upheavals; unsurprisingly criminality has evolved alongside as it endeavoured to “make sense” of our ever-changing world. The Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa has been at the very forefront of these disciplinary changes! Unsurprisingly, while one important thing remains the same – we are still the only bilingual criminology department in Canada – uOttawa’s Department of Criminology  is very different from what our founders envisioned fifty odd years ago.

I had the opportunity to witness many of these changes firsthand, initially as a student and then as a professor. I am confident that criminology at the University of Ottawa has never been better! We are a dynamic, engaged, and proudly interdisciplinary department. We are also a space for the kinds of discussions and debates that are the hallmark of the academy. Indeed, that the thirty-four full-time professors and more then twenty part-time professors do not agree on theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, or appropriate interventions is precisely our strength. In real terms, this means we are a vibrant department where students are exposed to a wide range of ideas, encouraged to develop critical thinking skills, and challenged to reflect on pressing social issues in new ways.

Chris Bruckert, Chair of the Department of Criminology
Chris Bruckert, Chair of the Department of Criminology

At the Department of Criminology, we are committed to ensuring our students have the best educational experience possible and believe in providing them with opportunities to tailor their learning to their interests and future goals. Not only are there an astounding range of courses and ample opportunity to get involved in fighting injustices (e.g., Innocence Ottawa) but students can elect to follow specific learning streams. For example, undergraduates who aspire to academic and/or research-focused careers may want to consider enrolling in the research stream while the field placement option is a great choice for those who want “hands on” experience or envision themselves as member of the Ordre professionnel des criminologues du Québec.

In these times of growing inequity, evermore entrenched oppressions, and rampant discrimination, the professors in the Department of Criminology are interrogating policies, practices, social interactions, and relations of power and in the process forging new ways to think about, and respond to, urgent social issues. Robin Williams once said, “words and ideas can change the world.” We invite you to join us as we work towards that change.

Meet your Chair

Contact us

Department of Criminology

Faculty of Social Sciences
Social Sciences Building 
120 University Private, Room 14002
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5
Canada (map)

Tel.: 613-562-5303

[email protected]

Office hours

September 1 to May 31:
Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

June 1 to August 31:
Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Note

Please note our services and our personnel are available by MS Teams and by email.

The Social Sciences (FSS) and Vanier (VNR) buildings are open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.