Criminal Justice

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joel Kassiola

Criminal Justice Program
HSS 336
415-338-2055
Director: John Curtin

Faculty

Professors—Curtin, Matthews, C., Walsh

Programs

B.A. in Criminal Justice
Minor in Criminal Justice


Program Scope

Students will be asked to recognize distinctive institutional components as well as the systematic unity reflected in the overlapping stages of criminal process: investigation, accusation, adjudication, sentencing, and disposition. Criminal justice systems, throughout the United States and in other countries, are worthy of scholarly attention both for their intrinsic social significance and as vehicles by means of which to enhance the verbal and critical skills of students. A network of criminal justice agencies and personnel in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area serves as a powerful asset to students. Simultaneously, that network participates in the fulfillment of the urban mission of the university. The curricular importance of that network is reflected in the fact that direct field study is an integral dimension of the curricula and a partial requirement in every course.

The undergraduate major has been designed for students who want their primary scholarly emphasis placed upon a critical appraisal of law enforcement, the courts, and jails and prisons, whether for the purpose of liberal arts, graduate study, professional schooling, careers, or any combination of those aims. The major includes work in three colleges and ten departments throughout the university.

The undergraduate minor has been designed for students seeking exposure to policing, criminal courts, and corrections, as a complement to their respective major fields of study. The minor includes work in at least two colleges and four distinct curricula.

The Segment III cluster in General Education has been designed to broaden the perspectives of students by exposing them to some of the issues reflecting the significance of criminal justice systems. The cluster encompasses work in three distinct curricula in two colleges.

The pedagogy throughout these curricula is predicated upon a demand that students learn to examine, analyze, and synthesize cases and events from multiple perspectives; in particular, the perspectives of crime control, due process, and class justice. As a vehicle to that end, students will be required to read case law and to become familiar with the rudiments of the legal brief and analysis.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Online course descriptions are available.

Program

Units

Core course

 

 CJ 300

The Criminal Justice System 4

Foundation--units selected from the following:

8

 CJ 320

Literature in Criminal Justice (4)

 CJ 330

Heuristics in Criminal Justice (4)

 CJ 340

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (4)

Political Economy--units selected from the following:

6-8

 ECON 515

The Economics of Crime (4)

 ECON 516

Law and Economics (4)

 HIST 428

History of the U.S. Since 1945

 HIST 471

Legal and Constitutional History of the U.S.

 PLSI 551

Judicial Power in Public Policy Making (4)

 PLSI 552

Individual Rights in the Constitution (4)

Interdisciplinary Courses--units selected from the following:

3-4

 SOC 362

Social Construction of Deviance and Conformity (4)

 SOC 451

Criminological Theory (4)

 SOC 454

White Collar Crime (4)

 SOC 455

Punishment and Social Control (4)

 SOC 457

Sociology of Law (4)

 SOC 459

Criminal Law and Social Process (4)

 PHIL 335

Law and Society

 PHIL 380

Philosophy of Law

 AIS 310

American Indian Religion and Philosophy

 AAS 300

Asian Americans in California

 ETHS 665

Asian American Community and Public Policy

 BL S 375

Law and the Black Community

 BL S 376

Government, the Constitution, and Black Citizens

 LARA 415

The Socio-economics of La Raza

 LARA 430

La Raza and the Law

Administration of Justice--units selected from the following:

8

 CJ 400

Police and Public Policy (4)

 CJ 420

Community Policing (4)

 CJ 430

Women in Policing (4)

 CJ 450

Jails and Prisons (4)

 CJ 460

Community Corrections and Sentencing (4)

 CJ 470/ 
 SOC 452

Juvenile Justice (4)

Legal Studies--units selected from the following:

8

 CJ 501

Criminal Law (4)

 CJ 502

Criminal Procedure (4)

 CJ 550

Current Issues in Criminal Justice (4)

Culminating Experience--units selected from the following:

4

 CJ 680

Field Course in Criminal Justice (4)

 CJ 681

Internship in Criminal Justice (4)

 CJ 685

Special Projects in Teaching Criminal Justice (4)

 CJ 699

Independent Study in Criminal Justice (4)

 

Total for major

41-44

MINOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Online course descriptions are available.

Introduction Units
CJ 300 Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective 4
Substantive Core
One course from each of the following three sets on advisement, with courses in at least 
two disciplines:
Criminology 4
CJ 450 Jails and Prisons (4)
SOC 362 Social Construction of Deviance and Conformity (4)
SOC 451 Criminological Theory (4)
Legal Studies 3-4
CJ 500 Criminal Law (4)
PHIL 380 Philosophy of Law
PHIL 335 Law and Society
PLSI 552 Individual Rights in the Constitution (4)
PLSI 561 Jurisprudence (4)
SOC 457 Sociology of Law (4)
SOC 459 Criminal Law and Social Process (4)
Administration of Justice 4
CJ 400 Police and Public Policy (4)
SOC 455 Punishment and Social Control (4)
Electives
One or more related course(s), chosen on the basis of individual interests with adviser approval
3-4
Culminating Seminar and Field Activity
CJ 680 Field Course in Criminal Justice 4
Total 22-24