B.A. Pathway Fall 2021

 

This pathway is for CJS students who have enrolled at SF State during or after Fall 2021 and intend on completing a Bachelor's Degree. An overview of the course curriculum is available on Youtube. In addition, this pathway offers a sample roadmap for both first year and transfer students, as well as available course selections. 

Students begin with foundation courses followed by an elective course in crime justice law and administration, an elective course in in power and inequality, and an additional 2-4 elective courses. 

 

Major Requirements and Applicable Courses

35-44
Minimum Units Required
1
Culminating Experience Course
5
Core Courses

First Year SFSU Students

First Semester:

CJ 200: Construction of Crime and Justice (3 units) 

Second Semester: 

CJ 230: Crime, Data, and Analysis (3-4 units) 

First Semester:

  • CJ 300: Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective (UD-D, SJ) (4 units) 
  • University Writing Requirements/GWAR CJ 330: Research Methods (4 units) 
  • CJ elective course in Power and Inequality

Second Semester:

  • CJ elective course(s) in Criminal Justice Law and Administration (3-4 units) 
  • Additional CJ elective course
  • Upper Division GE course (3-4 units)

First Semester: 

  • Apply for Graduation – see Registrar’s website for procedure and deadlines at: https://registrar.sfsu.edu/gradapp  
  • See CJ Advisor to review and check graduation progress (bring degree progress report/unofficial transcript)
  • 3 CJ Electives (9-12 units)
  • Upper Division GE course (if necessary) (3-4 units)

Second Semester: 

  • 1 CJ Elective (3-4 units) 
  • Culminating Experience - Field Course CJ 680 (4 units) 

Transfer Students

First Semester:

  • CJ 200: Construction of Crime and Justice (3 units) 
  • CJ 230: Crime, Data, and Analysis (3 units) 
  • CJ elective course(s) in Power and Inequality (3 units)
  • Upper Division GE course (3-4 units) 

Second Semester:

  • CJ 300: Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective (UD-D, SJ) (4 units) 
  • University Writing Requirement/GWAR CJ 330: Research Methods (4 units) 
  • CJ elective course(s) in Criminal Justice Law and Administration (3 units) 
  • Upper Division GE course (if needed) (3-4 units) 

First Semester:

  • Apply for Graduation – see Registrar’s website for procedure and deadlines at: https://registrar.sfsu.edu/gradapp  
  • See CJ Advisor to review and check graduation progress (bring degree progress report/unofficial transcript)
  • 3 CJ Electives (9-12 units)
  • Upper Division GE course (if necessary) (3-4 units)

Second Semester: 

  • 1 CJ Elective (3-4 units) 
  • Culminating Experience - Field Course CJ 680 (4 units) 

Core Courses (18 Units)

C J 200 Construction of Crime and Justice (Units: 3)

Critical analysis of the images, realities, and mythological construction of crime, as well as the criminal justice system in the U.S. [Formerly C J 520]

C J 230 Crime, Data, and Analysis (Units: 3)

Introduction to practices of knowledge production related to crime and criminal justice. Analysis of the practices of "crime speak": what we say, why we say it, and what consequences talking about crime and criminological data have in society today. Exploration of how crime is defined, measured, and analyzed; how the definition of crime shapes the practices of data collection and dissemination; and the impact of knowledge production on people.

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences

C J 300 Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Analysis and critique of the contemporary criminal justice system. Includes field observation and guest lecturers. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

C J 330GW Research Methods in Criminal Justice - GWAR (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Criminal Justice majors; GE Area A2; C J 300 (may be taken concurrently).

Heuristics refers to data gathering. How and by what basic procedures is data gathered in criminal justice? Data gathering strategies and techniques, the nature of data gathered by an official, governmental agencies, and alternatives to the present arrangement. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit. (ABC/NC grading only)

Course Attributes:

  • Graduation Writing Assessment

Electives (18-22 Units)

Choose classes from any of the categories below. 

Select One:

C J 435 Race, Crime, and Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Ethnic studies methods and cross-cultural perspectives examine the rise of institutions of law enforcement, juvenile and criminal justice, case studies, life histories, and community service learning internships. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 430 and C J 435. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

C J 485 Latina/o Youth, Crime, and Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Examination of Latino juvenile justice, the myths and realities, and the over-incarceration of Latino youth: its sources, costs, and consequences; and impact on individuals, families, and communities. Latino experiences with schooling, police, gangs, drugs, "juvie," and caseworkers. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 485 and C J 485. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

C J 530 Geographies of Social Control and Urban Diversity (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.

Geographical distribution of crime, law and justice systems. Informal and formal mechanisms of social control in urban space.

C J 605 Criminalization of Gender and Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Examination of the criminalization of gender and sexuality utilizing feminist and queer perspectives on criminality; understanding of how laws, policing practices, courtrooms, and institutions regulate gender and sexuality; and examination of effects on labor market opportunities, life chances, and gendered ideas of protection and punishment.

Select One:

C J 400 Police and Public Policy (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.

The scope of police activities, police administration, discretion, accountability, affirmative action, public relations, new technologies, and changing criminal procedure. Issues that the police can and should accomplish, by what rules, and under whose control.

C J 450 Jails and Prisons (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.

The political economy of the prison industry in the U.S. with a focus on the jail as well as the prison. Field study at the San Quentin and San Francisco jails.

C J 480 California Corrections System (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.

Development of California's correctional system, among the ten largest in the world. Critical junctures, including the introduction of the convict labor system, good time, progressive penology and the prison building boom.

C J 501 Criminal Law (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; a GWAR course; or permission of the instructor.

Substantive criminal law: legal adjudication within the criminal justice system and the criteria according to which guilt is established. Types of crime: homicide, rape, theft, and business crimes. Disposition of convicted offenders. [CSL may be available]

C J 502 Criminal Procedure (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; a GWAR course; or permission of the instructor.

The salient norms of criminal adjudication as they have developed in case law reflecting 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment issues incorporated via the 14th Amendment. Reasonableness, probable cause, privacy, penumbral rights, the assistance of counsel, and federalism.

 

Select an additional four courses from Criminal Justice Studies Electives (12-16 Units). Transfer students who completed AJ2 and AJ4 need to select only TWO general CJS electives. 

Course List
Code Title Units
AA S 595 Asian American Communities and Public Policy 3
AFRS 375 Law and the Black Community 3
AFRS 376 Government, the Constitution, and Black Citizens 3
AIS 330 American Indian Law 3
AIS 460 Power and Politics in American Indian History 3
COMM 503 Gender and Communication 4
COMM 525 Sexualities and Communication 4
COMM 531 Conflict Resolution 4
COMM 541 Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication 4
COMM 543 Dialogues Across Differences 4
COMM 561 Social Semiotics 4
COMM 564 Issues in Free Speech 4
COMM 571 The Rhetoric of Terrorism 4
COMM 573 The Rhetoric of Criminality and Punishment 4
COUN 630 Legal Center Training I 3
COUN 631 Legal Center Training II 3
C J 306 U.S.-Central American Relations  4
C J 320 Literature in Criminal Justice - Crime Control, Due Process, and Class Justice 3
C J 323 Ethics in Criminal Justice  3
C J 335 Legal Writing and Research 4
C J 340 Comparative Criminal Justice 4
C J/IR 360 Intelligence and Intelligence Agencies  4
C J/IR/PLSI 362 The Making of US Foreign Policy   4
C J 400 Police and Public Policy 3
C J 401 Criminal Profiling 3
C J 405 Organized Crime 3
C J 410 Crime Scene Investigation 3
C J 420 Introduction to Forensic Science 3
C J 435/LTNS 430 Race, Crime, and Justice 3
C J 450 Jails and Prisons 3
C J 451 The Architecture of Incarceration 3
C J 452/SOC 451 Criminological Theory 4
C J 460 Community Corrections and Sentencing 3
C J 461/I R 361 Terrorism and Covert Political Warfare 4
C J 470/SOC 452 Juvenile Justice 4
C J 471 Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice 3
C J 475 Intervention Policies in Juvenile Justice 3
C J 480 California Corrections System 3
C J/LTNS 485 Latina/o Youth, Crime, and Justice 3
C J 490 Immigration, Criminalization, and Justice 3
C J 501 Criminal Law 3
C J 502 Criminal Procedure 3
C J 510 Analysis of the Felon in Society 3
C J/SOC/USP 511 Critical Analysis of Re-entry and Housing 3
C J 515 Extremism as Crime 3
C J 525 Global Restorative Justice and Corrections 3
C J 530 Geographies of Social Control and Urban Diversity 3
C J 535 Alternatives to Criminalization 3
C J 550 School Violence and Discipline 3
C J 570 Urban Violence 3
C J 600 Youth Gangs in Community Context 3
C J 605 Criminalization of Gender and Sexuality 3
C J 690 Criminal Justice Studies Internship 1-4
HIST 465 American Ethnic and Racial Relations II: 1890-Present 3
HIST 470 The U.S. Constitution to 1896 3
HIST 471 The U.S. Constitution Since 1896 3
HIST 472 The Courts, Politics and Social Change in U.S. History 1880-2000 3
IR 306 U.S.-Central American Relations  4
IR 341 Comparative Criminal Justice  4
I R 360 Intelligence and Intelligence Agencies 4
LABR 650 Labor Law: An Introduction and Overview 3
LTNS 415 Economic Progress of Latinos in the U.S. 3
LTNS 470 Latina/o Immigration to the U.S. 3
PHIL 335 Law and Society 3
PHIL 378 Philosophy of Criminal Law 3
PHIL 380 Philosophy of Law 3
PLSI 478 Judicial Process 4
PLSI/USP 512 Urban Politics and Community Power 4
PLSI 552 Individual Rights and the Constitution 4
PSY 472 Introduction to Legal Psychology 3
PSY 475 Psychology of Policing 3
PSY 547 Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution 3
RRS 330 Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.: Class, Gender, and Nation 3
RRS 571 Women, Class, and Race 3
SOC 455 Punishment and Social Control 3
SXS 455 Sex, Power, and Politics 3
SXS 569/PHIL 455 Sex and the Law 3
WGS 513 Gender, War, and Militarism 3
WGS 514 Women and the Prison Industrial Complex 3
WGS 554 Gender and Global Migration 3

 

Culminating Experience (4 units)

C J 680 Field Course in Criminal Justice (Units: 4) 

Prerequisites: Upper division standing; C J 300, GWAR course; or consent of instructor.

Data gathering, organization, and presentation of research to students engaged in field studies in any criminal justice system setting. [CSL may be available]

 

Note: Total 35-44 units are required for the major, but 120 units are required for graduation. 

 

General Education and Transfer Student Information

Courses offered through this major program allow students to obtain specialization according to their academic interests and career goals. In addition, many of the courses offered through this major program fulfill Upper Division GE requirements. It is advised that all prospective major students meet with a CJS advisor to review unofficial transcripts and degree progress report to better inform major course selections. Also, ASSIST is a great resource to help determine applicable transfer courses. 

All Students Must Complete Upper Division GE requirements 

Upper Division GE Requirements: 9 units minimum (three courses) with one course in each of the following groupings: (1) UD-B--Upper Division Physical and/or Life Sciences, (2) UD-C--Upper Division Arts and/or Humanities, and (3) UD-D Upper Division Social Sciences.  Students must also complete SF State Studies requirements of AERM—American and Ethnic Racial Minorities, ES—Environmental Sustainability, GP—Global Perspectives and SJ—Social Justice.  Students can complete SF State Studies through lower or upper division coursework.  Transfer students with a verified AS-T or AD-T do not have to complete SF State Studies requirement; transfer students without an AS-T or AD-T are encouraged to choose upper division coursework in order to ensure completion of SF State Studies.  Please note: CJ 300 is certified as a UD-D course, with the SJ SF State Studies attached. By completing this course, you satisfy both a major requirement, and the university UD-D and SJ requirements.

Note: Up to a total of six transfer units in the following criminal justice courses completed at a community college may be counted toward meeting distribution requirements for the major:

  1. Introduction to Criminal Justice 
  2. Concepts of Criminal Law in the “Legal Studies” category. For applicable courses, go to the ASSIST website: http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html.

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements
Requirement Course Level Units Area Designation
Oral Communication LD 3 A1
Written English Communication I LD 3 A2
Critical Thinking LD 3 A3
Physical Science LD 3 B1
Life Science LD 3 B2
Lab Science LD 1 B3
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning LD 3 B4
Arts LD 3 C1
Humanities LD 3 C2
Arts or Humanities LD 3 C1 or C2
Social Sciences LD 3 D1
Social Sciences: US History LD 3 D2
Social Sciences: US & CA Government LD 3 D3
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) LD 3 E
Physical and/or Life Science UD 3 UD-B
Arts and/or Humanities UD 3 UD-C
Social Sciences UD 3 UD-D
SF State Studies
Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective.
American Ethnic and Racial Minorities LD or UD 3 AERM
Environmental Sustainability LD or UD 3 ES
Global Perspectives LD or UD 3 GP
Social Justice LD or UD 3 SJ

Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.

Complementary Studies

Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of Complementary Studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.)

Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the Complementary Studies requirement. Additional ways to complete Complementary Studies for students in the Criminal Justice Studies major is to meet with an advisor to identify 12 units of courses complementary to the major. With advisor approval, up to 12 of these units may be used to satisfy units in the major. Consult with your major advisor for assistance.

Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement to ensure degree completion within 60 units.

Transfer students should utilize ASSIST and meet with a CJS advisor.

Transfer students should check transfer policy for CAN AJ 2 (Intro to Criminal Justice) & CAN AJ 4 (Concepts of Criminal Law). In addition, transfer students with a verified AS-T or AD-T do not have to complete SF State GE requirement; transfer students without an AS-T or AD-T are encouraged to choose upper division coursework in order to ensure completion of GE requirement. Please meet with a CJS advisor for more information.  

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

  1. Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
  2. The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
    • a course in U.S. History
    • a course in U.S. & California Government

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 units/90 quarters required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division general education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.

Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (GE A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit http://bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.

All Students Must Meet the Transfer Eligibility Requirements Outlined Below for Admission.

For more information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions section.

  • Complete 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 or more quarter units.
  • Earn a college grade point average of 2.0 or better in all transferable courses. Non-local area residents may be held to a higher GPA standard.
  • Be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
  • Complete 30-semester units (45-quarter units) of General Education, including four basic skills courses:
    1. One course in oral communication (same as CSU GE Area A1)
    2. One course in written composition (same as CSU GE Area A2)
    3. One course in critical thinking (same as CSU GE Area A3)
    4. One course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning (same as CSU GE Area B4)
  • The four basic skills courses and a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90-quarter units) must be completed by the spring semester prior to fall admission, or by the fall semester prior to spring admission. Earn a C- or better grade in each basic skills course.

Complete US History & Gov’t & CA State and Local Gov’t requirements.

Transfer students with a verified AS-T or AD-T do not have to complete SF State Studies requirements; transfer students without an AS-T or AD-T are encouraged to choose upper-division coursework in order to ensure completion of SF State Studies.

Explore Gator Resources

Already part of the Gator community? Learn more about declaring Criminal Justice Studies as your major!  

You can now declare a major online!  

To Meet with a Criminal Justice Studies advisor, please contact:

Available Advising Centers 

  • Advising Hub
    The Advising Hub is a one-stop-shop of all advising needs to ensure students are on a successful path to graduation with support from General Education and minor advisors. 
  • Undergraduate Advising Center
    UAC is the home base for freshmen during their first year and undeclared students at Sf State.
  • Student Resource Center
    Student Resource Center (SRC) is designed to help students in the development of an educational plan that is compatible with their academic and life goals.

Review where you are at in your pursuit of a degree.

Review degree progress report for completion of SF State Requirements.

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Visit Future Students to learn more about campus life at SF State and explore campus. Receive information on admissions, tuition and aid. Whether you’re a freshman, transfer international or graduate student, find everything you need to know about applying to SF State. 

Apply for Graduation

Total 120 Units Required for Graduation

See Registrar’s website for the procedure and deadlines.

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