Criminology and Criminal Justice Fellowships

Graduate fellowships in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program are highly competitive opportunities that build and enhance your professional skills and defray tuition costs.

Fellowship Types

The School of Education and Social Policy offers a wide range of graduate fellowship opportunities, including internal (on-campus) positions of the following types:

Presidential Fellowships provide 100% of your graduate tuition and include a 9-month, unpaid fellowship placement of 25 hours per week.

Provost Fellowships provide 50% of your graduate tuition and include a 9-month, unpaid fellowship placement of 15 hours per week.

2025-2026 Criminology and Criminal Justice Fellowship Opportunities

Location: North Andover, MA

Job Description

The Center for Advising and Student Support (CASS) is a one-stop location for students to receive both academic and career advising. The career advising fellow will play a key role in guiding students through their early career development journey, helping them unlock their potential and explore diverse career pathways within our five academic schools:

Girard School of Business
School of Arts & Sciences
School of Education & Social Policy
School of Engineering & Computational Sciences
School of Nursing & Health Sciences

Working under the supervision of the school’s career advisor, this fellow will meet with undergraduate students to help them with career-related questions, with topics including but not limited to 1) giving advice on career paths and professional development; 2) reviewing resumes and cover letters; 3) helping students find jobs and internships; 4) interview preparation; and 5) demonstrating resources provided by the O’Brien Center for Career Development. The fellow will be trained on these topics as well as academic majors and the college’s general education curriculum so they have an understanding of areas of study and coursework.

This position also works in conjunction with the academic advising team to support students holistically and determine internships, careers, or professional development opportunities that may be a good fit for students. They will also work with the O’Brien Center for Career Development by assisting with their on-campus events as needed.

The Fellow does not need to have prior knowledge or experience with career advising, but simply a desire to gain hands-on experience in advising and take an active role in working with students."

Position Responsibilities

Provide individual and small group advising sessions on career exploration, major selection, and personal development.
Facilitate career assessments and use exploration tools to help students understand their values, interests, strengths and career options.
Assist students with resume and cover letter writing, networking, LinkedIn, internship and job searches, interview preparation, and other career-related needs.
Lead career workshops on topics such as resume writing, personal branding, networking and LinkedIn, internship/job search strategies, collaborating with faculty when needed.
Assist in tracking students’ experiential learning activities through an online platform.
Work closely with full-time advisors to support programming and outreach initiatives.
Track student engagement and provide targeted outreach to students.
Participate in departmental meetings, professional development workshops, and events as appropriate/as schedule allows.
Take initiative on self-directed projects based on personal interests and professional goals.
Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Position Requirements

Interest in student advising, career development, and relationship building.
Ability to adapt to change, problem-solve, and work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
Excellent communication and public speaking skills; excellent organizational and time management skills.
Ability to lead by example and act as a mentor.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and remain non-judgmental when addressing student problems and concerns.
Flexibility and ability to multitask in a fast-paced and changing environment.

Location: North Andover, MA

Job Description

The Graduate Resident Director (GRD) reports directly to the Area Coordinator (AC) in their assigned area. The GRD will co-supervise a Resident Advisor (RA) staff. In conjunction with their supervisor, they are responsible for the overall administration and daily operation of the assigned area. In addition, the successful candidate will be required to live in on-campus housing provided by the Office of Residence Life. Estimated percentage of work that involves in-person contact with students: 75%

GRDs are placed in a specific residential area on campus based on their skills and the needs of the department. On campus housing is provided to GRDs. The style of housing varies between residential areas, but all GRDs have a single bedroom to themselves and access to a private bathroom. GRDs are provided a full meal plan during the academic year while the dining hall is open.

This position would begin in July.

Position Responsibilities

Be available and visible to the residential population, and engage residents on a regular basis.
Supervise the RA staff in conjunction with the AC.
Serve as part of the on-call duty rotation; GRDs are considered emergency personnel during campus emergencies and are expected to be available to work outside regularly-scheduled hours during campus emergencies.
Conduct regular facilities walks and report maintenance issues.
Contribute to Residence Life processes including: opening, closings, RA Training, RA Selection, and Housing Selection.
Support students through interpersonal conflicts through mediations, room changes, and CARE.
Serve as part of a Residence Life Committee (such as RA Training, RA Selection, Professional Staff Selection, Housing Selection).
Lead critical RA training sessions based on experiences and interests.
Attend weekly professional and RA staff meetings and July professional staff training.
Develop, track, and assess RA programming as well as RA duty schedules.
Assist in the Office of Residence Life Programming.
Serve as an administrative hearing officer for cases of student conduct violations.
Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

Availability to begin working in July
Strong organizational skills
Student-centered philosophy
Superior communication skills

Location: North Andover, MA

Job Description

The Graduate Fellow for Operations and Logistics in the Campus Services Department will be primarily responsible for managing our internal logistics schedule to coordinate daily operations, and event support. This detail-oriented person will also assist with developing recommendations to improve the student employment and event operations experience based on analytics. The fellow will contribute to the success of leadership and programming initiatives within student organizations and recreational programs, and will support programs planned by campus partners, and external groups alike.

Position Responsibilities

Assist with our campus event management by using the EMS software platform with regular use of the system, and creating a dynamic schedule and plan to support event activity.
Coordinate setup diagrams to accompany EMS details to facilitate room setup.
Liaise with other departments to assist in the logistical planning of campus events.
Advocate for changes, and improvements to operations efforts based on both qualitative and quantitative data points.
Collaborate with the Associate Director and Assistant Director with hiring, training and supervision of the Building Manager staff.
Help with the planning and execution of signature and traditional programs sponsored by the colleges such as Week of Welcome, Block Party, Macktober Fest, Pumpkin Palooza, Light & Hope, Spring Concert, and Spring Weekend, Open Houses, Admitted Students Days, Commencement and more.
Advise and assist students in programming, event operations, marketing and social media, group dynamics, goal setting and leadership development.
Assist with the development of policies, procedures, and how-to guides to document and retain knowledge bases.
Collaborate with other offices including but not limited to: Residence Life, International Student Support, Campus Ministry, Wellness Education, Community Standards, and more on programming efforts.
Support multicultural initiatives within the Office and in collaboration with Intercultural Initiatives.
Update and maintain Campus Services Involvement Social Media channels and departmental email accounts.
Assist with other offices including but not limited to: Residence Life, International Student Support, Campus Ministry, Wellness Education and more on programming efforts.
Provide onsite management and support for events which include some evenings and weekends.
Assist the Building Manager staff with troubleshooting challenges encountered at the time of room setup or event start.
Participate as a member of the Student Affairs division in campus wide events such as commencement, orientation, move-in, and other campus-wide events throughout the year.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

Experience planning or executing events on a college campus.
Enthusiasm for working in a diverse, team-centered, high paced, student-focused, event-centric, and friendly fun office environment.
Willingness to leave the campus better than you found it.
Understanding of and attention to high quality customer service skills.
Ability to professionally handle a variety of situations simultaneously in a busy office setting.
Motivation to increase and share in the community building at Merrimack College.
Strong customer-service, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
Ability to positively represent the Campus Services Department and the College.

Location: North Andover, MA

Job Description

The Graduate Assistant Coach is responsible for assisting with all phases of an NCAA Division I program including recruiting, retention, player training and development and other duties as assigned by the Head Coach.

Position Responsibilities

Assists in identifying and recruiting prospective student-athletes.
Responsible for practice preparation and setup of game day field.
Assists with the organization of team meals.
Utilizes ARMS software system.
Attends regularly scheduled department meetings.
Responsible for the care and maintenance of sport equipment.
Maintains a professional relationship with student-athletes, colleagues, and administrators.
Willingness to accept other duties for the program as assigned.

Position Requirements

Applicants must be able to work an untraditional work schedule (i.e. frequent nights and weekends).
Able to lift and move athletic equipment.
Able to travel with team, by vehicle or plane.
Previous college playing experience.
Committed to and an articulate supporter of the college's mission and identity.

Location: North Andover, MA

Job Description

Position Responsibilities

Assists in identifying and recruiting prospective student-athletes.
Responsible for practice preparation and setup of game day field.
Assists with the organization of team meals.
Utilizes ARMS software system.
Attends regularly scheduled department meetings.
Responsible for the care and maintenance of sport equipment.
Maintains a professional relationship with student-athletes, colleagues, and administrators.
Willingness to accept other duties for the program as assigned.

Position Requirements

Must have played for 4 years of college lacrosse in their undergrad at least.
Applicants must be able to work an untraditional work schedule (i.e. frequent nights and weekends).
Able to lift and move athletic equipment.
Able to travel with team, by vehicle or plane.
Committed to and an articulate supporter of the college's mission and identity.

Criminology and Criminal Justice Fellowship Process

How To Apply

Click the “Apply Now” button below or go to gps.merrimack.edu/apply to begin or resume your graduate application.
Within your app, select “Yes” for “Are you applying to a fellowship?”
Submit your application. Be sure to complete the required Fellowship essay.
Receive your admission decision. If admitted to the master’s program, you’ll receive further instructions about the fellowship process.

Important Information for the Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduate Fellowships

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis!

Priority Fellowship Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
Initial Rankings Form Available: February 5, 2025
Initial Rankings Deadline: February 14, 2025
Fellowship Interviews: March 3-6, 2025
Post-Interview Rankings Deadline: March 7, 2025
Match Decisions: Late March 2025
First Day of Fellowship Training: August 2025
Duration of Fellowship Placement: August 2025 to late May 2026

We strongly encourage you to apply as soon as possible for your best chance at a preferred placement. Applications will be accepted until all fellowship positions have been filled.

The process is as follows:

Submit your online application. Be sure to indicate your fellowship interest within your application.
Submit your initial ranking form. Students who are accepted for admission and invited to interview for a fellowship will be eligible to review and rank their preferred positions. If you are invited, your invitation will include a deadline for submitting your selections. Please note: we do not guarantee that you will be invited to interview for your top selections.
Complete your site interviews. Speak directly with site representatives to learn more about the position and responsibilities.
Submit your post-interview rankings. After the interviews, both students and sites must complete and submit their post-interview ranking forms, ranking their preferences for final placement.
Receive your match notification. Match letters will be sent to all students and supervisors.

Please note:

Participation in the fellowship placement process does not guarantee a fellowship. Sites will independently decide which candidates to invite for interviews. Please note that interviews are not guaranteed with your selected sites.
Deposits are due five business days after matches are sent to students.
If you are granted a fellowship, you will not be eligible for any other discounts or scholarships.
If you are admitted into the traditional program but not offered a fellowship, you will automatically be considered for a Dean scholarship.
If you are originally awarded a scholarship and then are given a fellowship placement, you will no longer receive the merit scholarship. The fellowship will replace any other discounts.

Questions? All interested students should email Sarah Perry in Graduate Admissions for further information.

Dean and Alumni Scholarships

Dean and Alumni Scholarships are available to students who are not receiving a fellowship. No additional application is needed.