The Criminal Justice Certificate is an interdisciplinary certificate in which you take courses from a variety of departments.
Please refer to the list below for the most accurate list of courses offered that fulfill certificate requirements. If a course is listed below and it does not appear on your dars report, please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu
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Fall 2025 CJ Cert Courses-Declared Before Fall 2025
Group 1: Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Group 2: Theories of Crime and Deviant Behavior
Psychology 526: The Criminal Mind
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 446: Juvenile Delinquency
Group 3: Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
**AfAm671: Topic: Race & Mass Incarceration in US Hist (ethnic st) (dars exception needed)
Civil Soc & Community Studies 410: Human Trafficking (dars exception needed)
**English 182: Doing Time: Race, Labor, Incarceration (Lit) (honors only)
Legal Studies 135: Disability and the Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Ed Pol 250: Incarceration and Education (dars exception needed)
Legal Studies/GWS/Soc 425: Crime, Gender, Justice
Legal Studies 426: History of Punishment
**Legal Studies 400: Criminal Injustice in America
**Legal St. 400/Soc 496: Incarceration and Inequality
Legal St. 400/Soc 496: The Penitentiary in Global Perspective (dars exception needed)
Legal St/LIS 460: Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers
Political Science 314: Criminal Law & Justice
Political Science 401: Politics and Crime
Psychology 401: Psychology, Law, & Social Policies
Psychology 626: Issues in Prisoner Re-Entry (dars exception needed)
Group 4: Broader Psycho/Socio/Economic Processes Related to Criminal Justice
Legal Studies/English 160: Truth and Crime (Lit)
**History/Ed Pol 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America (Ethnic St) (Comm b)
**HDFS 474: Racial Ethnic Families in U.S. (Ethnic St)
Legal St. 400: Criminal Justice & Popular Culture
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Legal Studies 641: Sociology of Law
Psychology 405: Adult Psychopathology
Social Work 453 Substance Use Disorders
Social Work 462: Child Welfare
Social Work 623: Interpersonal Violence (dars exception needed)
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
Group 5: Ethnography-Internship Prep
Counseling Psych 225: Intersectionalities, Self -Awareness, And Social Actions For Social Change (ethnic studies)
Counseling Psych 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities (ethnic studies)
Counseling Psychology 620: Interviewing (dars exception needed)
Counseling Psychology 655: Clinical Communication Skills
Com Arts 260: Communication and Human Behavior (dars exception needed)
Com Arts 262: Argumentation and Debate (Comm B) (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)
Com Arts 565: Communication and Interethnic Behavior (Ethnic Studies)
History 300: History at Work
Inter-HE 202: Careers and Leadership Dev (SOHE Majors only)
Inter-LS 210: L&S Career Development (1 credit)
Inter-LS 215: Communicating about Careers (Comm B)
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
Watch this Short Video About the Fieldwork Requirement
Legal St 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
- 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. The Fall 2025 process began on March 14th. Please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu to be added to the process.
Legal Studies 400: Tribal Court of Appeals Project (Application required)
Legal St. 473: Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs (Find more information & application here)
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.
HDFS 592: Research Experience in HDFS
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship (If you are interested in enrolling in PS 315, once you have an internship in place, please email Amy Gangl at agangl@wisc.edu with the name and email contact info of your internship office supervisor, the number of hours you will be working each week during the semester (a minimum of 7-9 hours required), and your campus ID number.
Pub Affr 327: Administrative Internship
Pub Affr 360: Workshop in Health Policy (pre-req is PA 200, find more info here)
Pub Affr 369: Workshop in Public Policy (pre-req is PA 200, find more info here)
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed (Contact Rebecca Bradbury, rebecca.bradbury@wisc.edu, for questions regarding requisites and course permissions.)
Social Work 400: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I
**For students who declared Fall 2023 and later, one course of the above should focus on race/justice studies. This is marked by **
Fall 2025 CJ Cert Courses-Declared Fall 2025 or After
Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Race & Justice Studies
AfAm671: Topic: Race & Mass Incarceration in US Hist (ethnic st) (dars exception needed)
English 182: Doing Time: Race, Labor, Incarceration (Lit) (honors only)
Legal Studies 400: Criminal Injustice in America
Legal St. 400/Soc 496: Incarceration and Inequality
History/Ed Pol 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America (Ethnic St) (Comm b)
HDFS 474: Racial Ethnic Families in U.S. (Ethnic St)
Fieldwork/Internship/Research Seminar
Legal Studies 400: Tribal Court of Appeals Project (Application required)
Legal St. 473: Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs (Find more information & application here)
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.
HDFS 592: Research Experience in HDFS
Inter-HE 601: Internship
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship (If you are interested in enrolling in PS 315, once you have an internship in place, please email Amy Gangl at agangl@wisc.edu with the name and email contact info of your internship office supervisor, the number of hours you will be working each week during the semester (a minimum of 7-9 hours required), and your campus ID number.
Pub Affr 327: Administrative Internship
Pub Affr 360: Workshop in Health Policy (pre-req is PA 200, find more info here)
Pub Affr 369: Workshop in Public Policy (pre-req is PA 200, find more info here)
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed (Contact Rebecca Bradbury, rebecca.bradbury@wisc.edu, for questions regarding requisites and course permissions.)
Social Work 400: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar
Electives
Counseling Psych 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities (ethnic studies)
Counseling Psychology 655: Clinical Communication Skills
Legal Studies 135: Disability and the Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/English 160: Truth and Crime (Lit)
Legal Studies/Ed Pol 250: Incarceration and Education
Legal St. 400/Soc 496: The Penitentiary in Global Perspective (dars exception needed)
Legal St. 400: Criminal Justice & Popular Culture
Legal Studies/GWS/Soc 425: Crime, Gender, Justice
Legal Studies 426: History of Punishment
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Legal St/LIS 460: Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers
Legal Studies 641: Sociology of Law
Political Science 314: Criminal Law & Justice
Political Science 401: Politics and Crime
Psychology 401: Psychology, Law, & Social Policies
Psychology 405: Adult Psychopathology
Psychology 526: The Criminal Mind
Psychology 626: Issues in Prisoner Re-Entry (dars exception needed)
Social Work 453 Substance Use Disorders
Social Work 462: Child Welfare
Social Work 623: Interpersonal Violence (dars exception needed)
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 446: Juvenile Delinquency
Summer 2025 Criminal Justice Certificate Courses
Group 1 – Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Group 2 – Theories of Crime and Deviant Behavior
Social Work 612: Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice
Sociology 441: Criminology
Group 3 – Crime and Justice/Operations of the Justice System
Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender & Justice
Legal St/Hist 426: History of Punishment
Group 4 – Broader Psycho/Social/Economic Process Related to Criminal Justice
Legal Studies 160: Truth and Crime (dars exception needed)
Legal Studies/GWS 422: Women and the Law
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Psychology 405: Adult Psychopathology
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
Group 5 – Ethnography – Internship Prep
Coun Psy 225: Intersectionalities- (Ethnic St)
Coun Psy 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities
Coun Psy 655: Clinical Communication Skills
Inter-HE 202: Careers and Leadership Dev (SOHE Majors only)
Inter-LS 210: L&S Career Development
Group 6 – Field Work/Internship Seminar: (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 Summer 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:
Legal Studies 473 (application required: link to website)
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Psych 621: Mentored Research and Seminar
Public Affairs 327: Administrative Internship
**For students who declared Fall 2023 and later, one course of the above should focus on race/justice studies. This is marked by **
Spring 2025 Criminal Justice Certificate Courses
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 **