Program Overview
The Criminal Justice Certificate Program includes an interdisciplinary sequence of classes and an internship, for students interested in the American criminal and juvenile justice systems. Certificate students select courses in legal studies and from the departments of Sociology, Political Science, Social Work, Psychology, Gender and Women’s Studies, Anthropology, History, Human Development and Family Studies, Rehabilitation Psychology, Integrated Liberal Studies, and Counseling Psychology. Students gain a broad understanding of the philosophy, theories, and operation of the adult and juvenile justice systems.
Declaring the Criminal Justice Certificate
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
How to Declare the Criminal Justice Certificate
There are no pre-requisites to declare the criminal justice certificate. Any student may declare the certificate, no matter what major or school they are in.
Students are encouraged to declare the certificate as early as possible within their college careers in order to prepare for field work/internship/research seminar courses.
To declare, please make an appointment with Martine Delannay or Micha Schwab via StarFish.
Please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu with any questions.
Courses to Earn the Criminal Justice Certificate
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Spring 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
Psychology 526/586: The Criminal Mind
Social Work 612: Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 446: Juvenile Delinquency
Group 3 – Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
Ed Pol 150: Incarceration and Education (dars exception needed)
Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender & Justice
Political Science 314: Criminal Law and Justice
Psychology 401: Psychology, Law, and Social Policy
Psychology 601: Prisoner Re-Entry (dars exception needed)
Rehab Psych 535: Forensic Rehabilitation (dars exception needed)
Group 4 – Broader Psycho/Social/Economic Process Related to Criminal Justice
**AfAm/GWS 625: Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement
**History 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
**Human Development & Family St 474: Racial Ethnic Families in U.S. (Ethnic St)
Legal Studies 135: Disability and the Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies 422: Women and the Law
**Legal Studies/ChicLa/Soc 443: Immigration, Crime & Enforcemt (Ethnic St)
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Legal St 450: Courts, Constitutionalism and Human Rights
Legal Studies 477: History of Forensic Science
Legal St 459: Rule of Law
Psychology 405: Abnormal Psychology
Social Work 453: Substance Use Disorders
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
**Sociology 578: Poverty and Place
Group 5 – Ethnography – Internship Prep
Communication Arts 373: Intercultural Communication and Rhetoric
Communication Arts 565: Communication and Inter-ethnic Behavior (Ethnic St)
Counseling Psychology 225: Intersectionalities- (Ethnic St)
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 (Ethnic St) (application)
Group 6 – Field Work/Internship Seminar: (these courses require advance preparation/permission to enroll per department)
Ed Pol 500: Participatory Action Research (dars exception needed)
Legal St/Soc 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal St (Application and internship required)
CSCS 601: Internship
Gender & Women’s St 660: Internship in Gender & Women’s Studies
Human Development and Family Studies 592: Research
Human Development & Family Studies 601: Internship
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed
Social Work 401: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I
Sociology 320: Research
**For students who declared Fall 2023 and later, one course of the above should focus on race/justice studies. This is marked by **
Summer 2023 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 400: Transitional Justice
Legal St/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
Legal St/History 426: History of Punishment
Legal St 450: History of Prison
Group 4 – Broader Psycho/Socio/Economic Processes Related to Criminal Justice
CSCS 410: Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives
Legal St/GWS 422: Women and the Law
Legal St/Hist 476: Medieval Law and Society
Psychology 405: Abnormal Psychology
SW 453 Substance Use Disorders
Soc 578: Poverty and Place
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/Soc 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies- 3cr- (Application and concurrent internship required]
*Internship programs in other departments may also be offered.
Options: Courses below may be limited to majors in those programs. 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 2023 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
Psychology 526/586: The Criminal Mind: Forensic & Psychobio Perspect
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 496: Serial Killers in America
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 435: Civil Rights
Legal Studies/ChicLa/Sociology 440: Ethnicity, Race and Justice (ethnic st)
LIS 340: Introduction to Internet, Computer and Cyberlaw
Political Science 314: Criminal Law and Justice
Psychology 401: Psychology, Law, & Social Policies
Psychology 601: Females and Crime
Psychology 601: Issues in Prisoner Re-entry
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)
English 174: 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)
Human Development and Family Studies 535: Family Perspective in Policy-Making
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Legal Studies 450: Courts, Constitutionalism, & Human Rights
Psychology 405: Abnormal Psychology
Social Work 453 Substance Use Disorders
Social Work 523: Family Violence
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
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 325: SEED
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/Soc 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal St (Application and internship required)
Sociology 320: Community-Engaged Research for Solving Urban Problems
Options: Courses below limited to majors in those programs. Internships must be criminal/juvenile justice/legal/policy related.
Gender & Women’s St 660: Internship in Gender & Women’s Studies
Human Development & Family Studies 601: Internship
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed
Social Work 401: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I
Program Requirement
Jump to the UW Undergraduate Guide
Program Advising
Jump to the Advising Hours and Appointments