The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at University of Gondar is one of the newly commenced programs at the university. The School of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Gondar initiated the opening of the program to fill the needs and demands of the Ethiopian justice system and bring holistic and sustainable societal development. Thus, the program was developed after a need assessment research in various regions involving a range of stakeholders in the justice system. In addition, the school has considered international and local curriculums in the field of study through the involvement of both international and local academicians. Furthermore, the school also undertook a curriculum workshop with various stakeholders before launching the program. Moreover, the curriculum development endeavor went through several revisions and substitution of courses in light of the critical needs of the nation’s justice sectors and the current developmental goals of the nation, as well as the advanced professional training of prospective students. Finally, the culmination of these efforts brought forth the commencement of a four-year Bachelor of Arts curriculum in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
The department started its regular training program in September 2016 by enrolling 29 students. Currently, the department has a total of 40 students in the regular program under two batches. The department is also preparing to launch extension and summer programs in 2022/23 academic year.