Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies
Program Overview
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies
The multidisciplinary program in Criminal Justice Studies explores the conception and implementation of law, crime, and justice systems and ideas. The program emphasizes critical thinking about law, crime, and justice systems and their entanglement with larger political-economic processes.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze how systemic inequality shapes and is shaped by crime, law, and justice systems.
- Examine how people and groups impact, engage, contest, and remake legal institutions and ideas.
- Analyze the history and politics of criminological knowledge.
- Critique and analyze claims, data, and knowledge about crime, law, and justice systems.
- Design and implement a senior capstone project that demonstrates effective written communication, ethical reasoning, and critical analysis.
Steps to Change Major
Undeclared majors and students enrolled in other disciplines at SF State who seek to change their major to criminal justice studies must have junior standing, have completed a minimum of 52 units with a grade of C- or better, and have taken one GE Area A3 Critical Thinking course with a grade of C or better before applying for a change of major.
Assistance to Enhance Writing Competence
Criminal Justice Studies majors who complete C J 330GW will have satisfied the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).
Degree Requirements
- Core Courses (18 units)
- C J 200: Construction of Crime and Justice
- C J 230: Crime, Data, and Analysis
- C J 300: Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective
- C J 330: Research Methods in Criminal Justice Studies Activity
- C J 330GW: Research Methods in Criminal Justice - GWAR
- C J 680: Field Course in Criminal Justice
- Elective Courses (18-22 units)
- Power and Inequality (3 units): Select one from the list of approved courses.
- Criminal Justice Law and Administration (3 units): Select one from the list of approved courses.
- Additional Electives (12-16 units): Select from the list of approved courses.
Complementary Studies
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of Complementary Studies outside of the primary prefix for the major.
General Education Requirements
Students must complete the SF State GE requirements, which include:
- Oral Communication
- Written English Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Physical Science
- Life Science
- Lab Science
- Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
- Arts
- Humanities
- Social Sciences
- US History
- Lifelong Learning and Self-Development
- Ethnic Studies
- SF State Studies (American Ethnic and Racial Minorities, Environmental Sustainability, Global Perspectives, Social Justice)
Roadmaps
- First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
- SF State Scholars Roadmap
- Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation: a course in U.S. History and a course in U.S. & California Government.
Previous Bulletins
Students following earlier "Bulletin" requirements can access the appropriate year using the provided link.