How I Declared Criminal Justice As My Major

When I was 17 and applying to college, I only knew one thing for sure: I was applying everywhere as an undeclared major. When I decided to come to Northeastern, I was about as undecided as you could be. I was in the Explore Program. I chose “Fusion” as my LLC in my dorm. I changed my class schedule 4 times before the add/drop period was over. I began my first semester taking classes in three different colleges (CSSH, COS, KCCS). I quickly decided Fundies 1 (Foundations of Computer Science) was not for me and switched it out for Foundations of Psychology. I was also taking a history class, American Government, and Criminology. 

I’ll admit, I initially decided to take Criminology because it sounded fun and fit into my schedule. I figured if I didn’t like it, at least it would count for my Societies and Institutions (SI) NU path requirement. It ended up being one of the best classes I’ve ever taken at Northeastern. I loved how engaging the course was. The professor was so encouraging and excited about the material he was teaching. We discussed sociological theories of crime and criminal justice policies, like the death penalty and felon disenfranchisement. From 1:35 – 2:40 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I could so easily envision myself studying Criminal Justice for the rest of my college career. 

Towards the end of my first semester, I thought I was ready to declare Criminal Justice as my major. I even emailed my academic advisor from the Explore office, Tiffany, and titled it “Ready to declare!” Unfortunately, between deciding I was ready to declare my major and the actual appointment to declare, I got cold feet. Insecurities ran through my mind on a loop. 

What if there was another major out there that I loved, but I’d never know because I’d never tried it (there wasn’t)? There’s no money in Criminal Justice careers anyway (there is). What if I can’t find a job (I did)? Maybe I’ll just minor in Criminal Justice and major in something more ‘secure’ (I didn’t).

During my second semester, I took two Criminal Justice classes, CS1100, and a business class. I decided to try out business as a last-ditch effort to find a more ‘secure’ major for myself. But learning about market capitalization and opportunity cost didn’t inspire me the way criminal justice did. When given a chance to write a paper on any business concept, I chose to write about the ethics of private prisons. Ultimately, staying undeclared for another semester solidified my interest in Criminal Justice. 

In retrospect, it was obvious that Criminal Justice was an ideal choice for me. I’d always been passionate about social justice and advocacy – but I didn’t know I could make that into a career. After several panicked appointments with the Explore advisors, I finally declared Criminal Justice as my major during my second semester of freshman year! While declaring came with a much-needed sense of relief and security, the Explore Program allowed me to take my time and choose the best possible major for me. Even though I’m declared now, I’ll always be an Explore student.