The Criminal Justice certificate consists of a minimum of 6 courses.
Students who declare Fall 2025 or later will take six total courses for the Criminal Justice certificate: Legal Studies 131, a race/justice studies course, a fieldwork/internship/research seminar, and three elective courses.
Students who declared prior to Fall 2025 take one course from each of the 6 defined groups. Of the six courses, one course should be related to race and justice studies.
Summer 2026 Criminal Justice Certificate Courses
Declared Fall 2025 or after:
Criminal Justice System: Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Race & Justice Studies
Chicla 330: Immigrant Justice: Law & Rights (dars exception needed)
Fieldwork/Internship/Research Seminar
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 2026 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.
Below are opportunities in other departments that will fulfill the fieldwork requirement. Please refer to each program’s requirements for admission:
Legal Studies 473: Health of Unmet Social Needs- Requires application Linked Here
Political Science 315: Legislative Internship
Poli Sci 402: Wisconsin in Washington Internship Course
Pub Affr 327: Administrative Internship
Electives
Coun Psy 237: Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities
Coun Psy 531: Prevention & Intervention in Mental Health Across the Lifespan
Coun Psy 655: Clinical Communication Skills
Legal Studies 160: Truth and Crime (dars exception needed)
Legal Studies/GWS 422: Women and the Law
Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender & Justice
Legal St/Hist 426: History of Punishment
Psychology 405: Adult Psychopathology
Sociology 441: Criminology
Social Work 612: Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
Declared Prior to Fall 2025:
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
**Chicla 330: Immigrant Justice: Law & Rights (dars exception needed)
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
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 531: Prevention & Intervention in Mental Health Across the Lifespan
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 2026 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.
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: Health of Unmet Social Needs- Requires application Linked Here
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 **