The Criminal Justice Certificate Program (CJCP) is an undergraduate certificate (also known as a minor). The Certificate offers a critical examination of the many facets of the criminal legal system, including law enforcement, courts, and corrections. The Certificates takes an interdisciplinary approach based on the understanding that “criminal justice” consists of multiple, interdependent sub-systems. Courses from several disciplines and an intensive fieldwork/internship/research experience offer students the opportunity to learn about the dynamics of this field. Students engage in practical experiences in a variety of areas including those focused on mental health, social justice, substance abuse disorders, youth initiatives, prevention programs, legal representation, policing, community corrections, and programs that focus on people who have been victimized. These experiences develop skills transferable to future professional, community and educational pursuits.
The Criminal Justice Certificate consists of a minimum of 6 courses. Students are required to take one course from each of the 6 defined groups. Of the six courses, one course should be related to race and justice studies. This certificate allows students to explore the criminal legal system through many different lenses including psychology, social work, sociology, and law. Students have the flexibility to focus the certificate from a field they are interested in.
Below are the six defined groups:
- Criminal Justice System– all students are required to take Legal Studies 131- Criminal Justice in America.
- Theories of Crime & Deviant Behavior
- Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
- Broader Psycho/Socio/Economic Processes Related to Criminal Justice
- Ethnography-Internship Prep
- Fieldwork/Internship
- Legal St 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies–> Please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu if you are interested in enrolling in Spring 2025 and have not attended an orientation.
- This course is 3 credits and offered every semester. Students are enrolled in legal studies 694 at the same time they are interning.
- In order to get permission to enroll in legal studies 694, students must participate in a pre-internship process that typically begins the semester before a student wants to enroll in legal studies 694 and intern.
- This is one option to complete the Group 6 requirement. Scroll down to courses to earn the criminal justice certificate to see other courses in other departments that may fulfill group 6.
- Here are examples of the pre-internship process per semester:
* please note the assignments, deadlines, and guidelines change from semester to semester. These are just examples. Please contact cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu for more information.
Courses that Fulfill Criminal Justice Certificate Requirements
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Spring 2025 Courses
The Criminal Justice Certificate is an interdisciplinary certificate in which you take courses from a variety of departments. Because of this, not all courses are listed on the “select from section” of your dars report. Please refer to the list below for the most accurate list of courses offered that fulfill certificate requirements. If a course indicates a dars exception is needed, it means that the course will not automatically show up on your dars report if enrolled. Advisors will process dars exceptions for the courses below on November 19, 2024. If you add a course after this date that needs a dars exception, please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu
Group 1 – Criminal Justice System
Legal St./Soc 131: Criminal Justice in America
Group 2 – Theories of Crime and Deviant Behavior
Psych 526/586: The Criminal Mind
Psych 601: Psych of Juvenile Delinquency—Seniors only, Capstone Psych Course (dars exception needed)
Social Work 612: Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 496: Serial Killers in America (dars exceptions needed)
Group 3 – Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
Legal St./Hist 235: Prisons: From Antiquity to Supermax (dars exception needed)
**Legal St. 400/Soc 496: Race, Family and the State
Legal St./Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender & Justice
**Legal St./Af.Am. 435: Civil Rights
**Legal St.400/Soc 496: Incarceration and Inequality (dars exception needed)
Psych 601: Issues in Prisoner Re-Entry (dars exception needed)
Group 4 – Broader Psycho/Social/Economic Process Related to Criminal Justice
Econ 690: Economics of Crime (ECON 301 or 311 pre req) (dars exception needed)
**History 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
**Human Development & Family St 474: Racial Ethnic Families in U.S. (Ethnic St)
Legal St. 135: Disability and the Criminal Justice System
Legal St. 422: Women and the Law
**Legal St./ChicLa/Soc 443: Immigration, Crime & Enforcement (Ethnic St)
Legal St. 444: Law in Action
Legal St. 477: History of Forensic Science
Psychology 405: Adult Psychopathology
**Pub Affr 520: Inequality, Race and Public Policy (Ethnic St.) (dars exception needed)
Social Work 375: Pwr Poss, SJ and Social Change (dars exception needed)
Social Work 453: Substance Use Disorders
Social Work 627: Sex Trafficking and Sex Trading
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
**Sociology 578: Poverty and Place
Group 5 – Ethnography – Internship Prep
Com Arts 260: Communication and Human Behavior (dars exception needed)
Com Arts 266: Theory and Practice of Group Discussion (Comm B) (dars exception needed)
Comm Arts 272: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (Comm B) (dars exception needed)
Coun Psy 110: Human Resources Development: Career Strategies (dars exception needed)
Coun Psy 225: Intersectionalities- (Ethnic St)
Coun Psy 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities
Coun Psy 525: Dimensions of Latin@ Mental Health Services
Coun Psy 655: Clinical Communication Skills
CSCS 125: Community and Social Change
ESL 200: Academic and Professional Speaking Skills for Undergraduate students
History 300: History at Work
Inter-HE 202: Careers and Leadership Dev (SOHE Majors only)
Inter-LS 210: L&S Career Development
Inter-LS 215: Communicating about Careers (Comm B)
Group 6 – Field Work/Internship Seminar:
Please note: these courses require advance preparation/permission to enroll per department
Legal St 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
- Only available to students currently enrolled in pre-internship canvas site. If you have an internship for Spring 2025 and you are not enrolled in pre-internship canvas site, please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu
- This course is 3 credits and offered every semester. Students are enrolled in legal studies 694 at the same time they are interning.
- In order to get permission to enroll in legal studies 694, students must participate in a pre-internship process that typically begins the semester before a student wants to enroll in legal studies 694 and intern.
Below are opportunities in other departments that will fulfill the Group 6 requirement. Please refer to each program’s requirements for admission:
ChicLa 329: Community Based Research
GEN&WS 660: Internship in Gender & Women’s Studies
GWS/Psych 322: Sexual & Relationship Violence Research & Activism (dars exception needed)
LACIS 440: Spanish: Immigration Law Clinic
Legal Studies 400: Tribal Court of Appeals (application required)
Legal Studies 473 (application required: link to website)
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Public Affairs 327: Administrative Internship
Social Work 401: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar
**For students who declared Fall 2023 and later, one course of the above should focus on race/justice studies. This is marked by **
Summer 2024 Courses
Major and Certificate overviews
Group 1 – Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Group 2 – Processes of Order and Disorder
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Group 3 – Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
Legal St/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
Legal St/History 426: History of Punishment
Legal St 450: History of Prison
Political Science 400: Global Politics of Policing
Group 4 – Broader Psycho/Socio/Economic Processes Related to Criminal Justice
Legal Studies 400: American Constitutional Law
Legal St/GWS 422: Women and the Law
SW 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
Group 5 – Ethnography/Internship Prep
Communication Arts 371: Communication and Conflict Resolution
Counseling Psych 225: Intersectionalities, Self-Awareness, and Social Actions for Social Change
Counseling Psych 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities
Counseling Psych 655: Clinical Communication Skills
SW 375 Social Welfare Self-Care: Cultivating Resilience
Group 6 – Fieldwork/Internship Seminar
Legal St 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
- This course is 3 credits and offered every semester. Students are enrolled in legal studies 694 at the same time they are interning.
- In order to get permission to enroll in legal studies 694, students must participate in a pre-internship process that typically begins the semester before a student wants to enroll in legal studies 694 and intern.
- Here are examples of the pre-internship process per semester:
* please note the assignments, deadlines, and guidelines change from semester to semester. These are just examples. Please contact cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu for more information.
Below are opportunities in other departments that may fulfill the Group 6 requirement. Please refer to each program’s requirements for admission. Internships must be criminal/juvenile justice/legal related.
Gender & Women’s St 660: Internship in Gender & Women’s Studies
Human Development & Family Studies 601: Internship
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Public Affairs 327: Administrative Internship
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed
Social Work 401: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I
Fall 2024 Courses
Major and Certificate overviews
Group 1: Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Group 2: Theories of Crime and Deviant Behavior
Legal Studies 400: Punishment and Society (dars exception needed)
Psychology 526/586: The Criminal Mind: Forensic & Psychobio Perspect
Sociology 441: Criminology
Group 3: Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
Legal Studies 135: Disability and the Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/GWS/Soc 425: Crime, Gender, Justice
Legal Studies 426: History of Punishment
**Legal Studies 400: Criminal Injustice in America
Political Science 401: Politics and Crime (dars exception needed)
**Legal Studies/ChicLa/Sociology 440: Ethnicity, Race and Justice (ethnic st)
Psychology 401: Psychology, Law, & Social Policies
Psychology 601: Prisoner Re-Entry (dars exception needed)
Group 4: Broader Psycho/Socio/Economic Processes Related to Criminal Justice
**AfAm 671: Origins of Black Movements (Ethnic St)
**AfAm 671: Criminalizing Blackness (Ethnic St)
Legal Studies/English 160: Truth and Crime
**History 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America (Ethnic St)
**Human Development & Family St 474: Racial Ethnic Families in U.S. (Ethnic St)
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Legal Studies 641: Sociology of Law
Political Science 349: Global Access to Justice (dars exception needed)
Psychology 405: Adult Psychopathology
Social Work 420: Poverty and Social Welfare
Social Work 453 Substance Use Disorders
Social Work 523: Family Violence
Social Work 623: Interpersonal Violence
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
**Sociology 633: Social Stratification
Group 5: Ethnography-Internship Prep
Counseling Psych 225: Intersectionalities, Self -Awareness, And Social Actions For Social Change – (restricted to students with first or second year standing)
Counseling Psych 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities
Counseling Psychology 620: Interviewing
Counseling Psychology 655: Clinical Communication Skills
Inter-HE 202: Careers and Leadership Dev (SOHE Majors only)
Inter-LS 210: L&S Career Development
Inter-LS 215: Communicating about Careers (Comm B)
Political Science 316: Careers in Political Science
Sociology 205: Intercultural Dialogues
Social Work 441: Generalist Practice; Individuals, Families & Groups (SW Majors only)
Group 6: Fieldwork/Internship Seminar- All Internships must be Criminal/Juvenile Justice/Law/Policy Related
Legal St 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
- This course is 3 credits and offered every semester. Students are enrolled in legal studies 694 at the same time they are interning.
- In order to get permission to enroll in legal studies 694, students must participate in a pre-internship process that typically begins the semester before a student wants to enroll in legal studies 694 and intern.
Below are opportunities in other departments that will fulfill the Group 6 requirement. Please refer to each program’s requirements for admission. Internships must be criminal/juvenile justice/legal/policy related.
Sociology 320: Community-Engaged Research for Solving Urban Problems
Gender & Women’s St 660: Internship in Gender & Women’s Studies
Human Development & Family Studies 601: Internship
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Psychology 412: Field Experience in Psychology. More information can be found here.
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed
Social Work 401: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I