The Criminal Justice certificate consists of a minimum of 6 courses: Legal Studies 131, a race/justice studies course, a fieldwork/internship/research seminar, and three elective courses.
Read more about these requirements in Guide.
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 is listed below and it does not appear on your dars report, please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu.
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Criminal Justice System
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Race and Justice Studies
HDFS 474: Racial Ethnic Families in the US
Hist/Ed Pol 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
Legal Studies 400: Criminal Injustice in America (dars exception needed)
Legal Studies 435: Civil Rights
Legal Studies 440: Ethnicity, Race and Justice
Pub Affairs 520: Inequality, Race and Public Policy
Social Work 420: Poverty and Social Welfare
Social Work 640: Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice in Social Work
Sociology 633: Social Stratification
Fieldwork/Internship/Research Seminar - All Internships must be Criminal/Juvenile Justice/Law/Policy Related
Learn More about the Fieldwork Requirement
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. The Fall 2026 process began on March 13th. Please email cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu to be added to the process.
Below are opportunities in other departments that will fulfill requirement. Please refer to each program’s requirements for admission. Internships must be criminal/juvenile justice/legal/policy related.
Inter-Ag. 473: Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs (application required- Find More Information Here)
Inter-He 601: Internship (for SoHE students)
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
Rehab Psychology & Special Ed 630: Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Ed
Sociology 320: Research Practicum
Social Work 400: Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I
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 160: Truth and Crime (Lit)
Legal Studies 235: History of Prisons
Legal Studies/Ed Pol 250: Incarceration and Education
Legal Studies/GWS/Soc 425: Crime, Gender, Justice
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
Legal Studies 641: Sociology of Law
Political Science 314: Criminal Law and 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 441: Criminology
Sociology 446: Juvenile Delinquency
Sociology 496: Serial Killers (dars exception needed)