Prospective Students
If you are interested in a major or minor in Criminal Justice Studies, please see the links to the left for information about department requirements and available courses. Also see below for information related to applying and transferring as a Criminal Justice major. If you still have specific questions please contact the department office.
Declaring a Major or Minor in Criminal Justice Studies
Requirements
Off-Campus Applicants: Incoming freshmen and transfer students may select Criminal Justice Studies as their major or minor when applying to SFSU. Please note: all courses are upper division, so students must have junior standing before taking any CJ courses.
Change of Major Applicants: Undelclared majors and students enrolled in other disciplines at SF State who seek to change their major or minor to Criminal Justice Studies must have junior standing; must have completed a minimum of 52 units with a grade of C- or better; ENG 214 (or equivalent); and one GE Segment I critical thinking course with a grade of C or better before applying for a change of major. To change or declare a major or minor in Criminal Justice Studies, please bring a completed change of major form along with unofficial transcript or DARS report to the CJ office in HSS 210.
Dates / Deadlines
Fall: August 1 - October 1
Spring: January 1 - March 1. Change of major applicants only, we are not accepting off-campus enrollments in Spring.
Transfer Policy
Criminal Justice students coming from California community colleges may transfer up to 6 units towards the CJ major. For SF State’s Department of Criminal Justice Studies, successful completion of CAN AJ 2 (Introduction to Criminal Justice) will substitute for 3 of the minimum of 6 units students must complete in the elective category Administration of Justice. Also, successful completion of CAN AJ 4 (Concepts of Criminal Law) will substitute for 3 of the minimum of 6 units students must complete in the elective category, Legal Studies. See Major Requirements for information about the elective categories.
Provides information on applying to the University, deadlines, fees, and more.
Financial Aid
Information on paying for college including grants, scholarships, work study, and student loans.
Career Outlook
The major and minor provide training for students who hope to be active in their communities regarding issues of crime, law, and justice as well as those seeking careers in government, law, and higher education. Career opportunities include those in law enforcement, diversion, corporate security, crime analysis, probation, parole, corrections, juvenile justice, victim advocacy, community development, and justice research. Students who intend to pursue graduate education in Criminal Justice, Justice Studies, Criminology, and related fields as well as those planning to apply to law school are encouraged to consider the major and minor in Criminal Justice Studies.
To discuss potential careers options, please contact one of our faculty advisors during their office hours or visit the Career Center in room 206 of the Student Services Building on campus.
