Criminal Justice Studies
Bachelor of Arts, Accelerated Master's, Minor
About this program
The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies looks at how crime, law, and justice work in society. You’ll explore who shapes these systems, how they impact people, and why they matter. The program helps you think critically about justice and fairness, especially around race, class, gender, and age. You’ll learn how to question ideas, assess evidence, and explore new ways to solve problems in the justice system.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
From Our Community
I am honored for the education I was able to obtain at SF State. I would like to give my dearest thanks and respect to my professors, friends, and most importantly my parents who have supported me through it all.
Program Scope
The multidisciplinary program in Criminal Justice Studies explores the conception and implementation of the law, crime and justice systems and ideas. The program emphasizes critical thinking about law, crime and justice systems and their entanglement with larger political economic processes. In particular, the program explores how ideas and systems of crime, law and justice shape broader issues of social justice, especially those related to the experience of race, class, gender, sexuality and age inequity in the U.S. The program teaches students the skills of critical analysis and ethical reasoning such that students can challenge structures and assumptions and innovatively contribute to the assessment of alternative solutions to problems associated with the identification, control and prevention of crime and delinquency.
Areas of Emphasis
Administration of Justice
Students explore central features of criminal justice systems. Courses include treatment of distinguishing features of the U.S. criminal justice system and comparative perspectives of systems around the globe. Attention is given to recurring problems including abuse of authority, community conflict and discrimination in case processing. Students have opportunities to learn methods and applications for studying criminal justice systems and processes.
Crime & Delinquency
Courses in this area expose students to major explanations of what brings about different forms of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. Students have opportunities to explore biological, feminist, economic, international, psychological, racial and sociological perspectives of crime and delinquency. In addition to addressing street crime, courses are available for learning about hate crime, organized crime, terrorism, and white collar crime.
Legal Studies
Attention is given to legal doctrine relevant to criminal justice, the practice of law by criminal justice agents and the experience of law by defendants, family members and victims. Courses include distinctive disciplinary perspectives of law as well as issues faced by particular populations. Students have the opportunity to learn and apply legal analysis, including case law and development of legal briefs.
Work in Diverse Communities
Working in the criminal justice system in any capacity requires interacting with individuals from diverse family, cultural, social and economic backgrounds. Courses in this area expose students to a deeper understanding and appreciation of individuals and groups from backgrounds other than their own. These courses help students develop communication skills to bridge cultural differences.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze how systemic inequality shapes and is shaped by crime, law, and justice systems.
- Examine how people and groups impact, engage, contest, and remake legal institutions and ideas.
- Analyze the history and politics of criminological knowledge.
- Critique and analyze claims, data, and knowledge about crime, law, and justice systems.
- Design and implement a senior capstone project that demonstrates effective written communication, ethical reasoning, and critical analysis.
SFSU Accelerated Bachelor's + Master's
The SFSU Accelerated Bachelor's + Master's program blends the B.A. in Criminal Justice and M.A. in International Relations to allow students to bridge the two degrees to better position them for recruitment and rapid advancement in careers that will make meaningful change. Students will fulfill complementary studies of the two degrees, allowing them to graduate in five years. With the IR graduate program's internship option, this program is particularly well-suited to career-oriented students; since alumni have been especially successful in earning internships that have resulted in job offers. The CJ background would be well-positioned to take advantage of those opportunities.
Minor in Criminal Justice Studies
The Minor in Criminal Justice Studies gives you tools to better understand how justice systems work and how they affect different communities. You’ll study crime, law, and conflict through a critical lens. This minor supports many majors and helps you build skills in analysis, communication, and problem-solving. It can also strengthen your job or grad school applications while allowing some courses to count toward general education requirements.
Learn more about the Minor in Criminal Justice Studies