Program Overview
Complement your major studies with a minor in Criminal Justice Studies, which will equip you with critical thinking and conflict resolution skills to better understand the administration of justice, crime and delinquency, legal systems, and working with diverse communities. In addition, a Criminal Justice Studies minor can help you achieve specialization in an area to help you stand out in a future job, internship, or graduate school application, while also having your courses count towards general education requirements.
“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt


Please note: SF State's diverse population includes individuals who do not identify as either female or male. The chart below uses data collected in compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Education criteria, which mandates gender reporting as either male or female.
Student Voices of Criminal Justice Studies

Thank you to all my professors for teaching me so much. Thank you, friends, for all the encouragement. Gracias Mamá, Papá, y abuelitos por su apoyo y gracias a mis dos hermanos por hacerme reír cuando estaba tan estresada.
Maria Guadalupe Hernandez Morales (2021 Graduating Class in Criminal Justice Studies)
Minor Requirements and Applicable Courses
Minor in Criminal Justice Studies Pathway
Foundation Course - CJ 300 Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective (UD-D, SJ) (4 Units)
2 Elective Courses (6-8 Units)
Apply for Graduation – see registrar website for procedure and deadlines.
1 Elective Course (3-4 Units)
Apply for Graduation – see CJ website for procedure and deadlines.
1 Elective Course (3-4 Units)
Foundation Course List
Foundation Course (4 units)
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
Electives
Choose any four classes from any of the categories below. (12–16 units)
C J 340 Comparative Criminal Justice (Units: 4)
Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Ways in which institutions of criminal justice in one society compare with those in other societies. Attention is given to U.S., British, European, Asian, and African systems. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as C J 340 and I R 341. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
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 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 451 The Architecture of Incarceration (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.
The connections between the architectural design and management of U.S. jails and prisons.
C J 460 Community Corrections and Sentencing (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.
Deinstitutionalization movement within the prison industry in the U.S. Development of the scale and reach of the prison industry, incarceration rates relative to violent and non-violent offenses, incarceration rates for drug offenses, development of decentralized, and community-related sentencing.
C J 475 Intervention Policies in Juvenile Justice (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.
A critical examination of juvenile justice treatment and intervention policies over the past 200 years. Special emphasis on contemporary systems of care and revolutionizing practices
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 490 Immigration, Criminalization, and Justice (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Survey of dynamics that drive immigration from the Global South, the political, cultural and economic, incorporation of immigrants, the criminalization of immigrants, the merger of criminal and immigration law enforcement, the impacts of detention and deportation, and the histories and social change produced by immigrant communities.
C J 510 Analysis of the Felon in Society (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Sociology and Criminal Justice majors; GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4; or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the process of Re-entry (post-incarceration) from the perspective of individuals who have lived it. Lecture, 1 unit; activity, 2 units.
(This course is offered as SOC 510 and C J 510. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
C J 525 Global Restorative Justice and Corrections (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; C J 323GW or C J 330GW.
Restorative justice practices as alternatives to incarceration, focusing on international practices.
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.
I R 360 Intelligence and Intelligence Agencies (Units: 4)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
The role of modern intelligence agencies such as the CIA and the KGB as information sources for foreign policy making. Analysis of intelligence successes and failures and proposals for improving the intelligence process.
PLSI 478 Judicial Process (Units: 4)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; PLSI 200; or consent of the instructor.
Introduction to American law and courts. Study of the various sources of American law, their interactions with each other, and of the structure, varieties, powers, and limits on the powers of American courts, both state and federal. [Formerly PLSI 551]
Course Attributes:
- Social Justice
PSY 475 Psychology of Policing (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Psychology and Criminal Justice majors; PSY 200 or C J 300.
Psychological study of organizational processes and management of police agencies. Topics include causes and effects of psychological factors affecting police, and implications of military and community-service models of police management on police selection, stress, training, organization development, technology.
SOC 455 Punishment and Social Control (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; completion of GE Areas A and B4.
Contemporary and historical methods of punishment and control are examined as reflections of broader trends in society.
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 405 Organized Crime (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.
Organized criminal enterprise recognizes no geographic, legal, or moral boundaries. Salient characteristics and impact of criminal organizations in various settings and crime control strategies.
C J 471 Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the punitive turn in juvenile justice and the impact on youth. Consideration of how changing concepts of childhood, criminal behavior, and moral development impacted the juvenile court system. Analysis of how courts have responded to the punitive turn with a focus on reform and decarceration.
C J 515 Extremism as Crime (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; a GWAR course; or permission of the instructor.
Domestic extremism in the U.S. (militia, hate crimes, terrorism).
C J 401 Criminal Profiling (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; or permission of the instructor.
Analysis of the application of personality studies in homicide, arson, rape, and terrorist cases.
C J 535 Alternatives to Criminalization (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300.
Examination of the causes and consequences of criminalization with a focus on alternative responses that improve safety and communities without the use of police, jails, or prisons. Study of the criminalization of drugs, poverty, immigrants, youth, sex work, and other communities or practices. Engagement with Bay Area organizations working on community organizing and redistributive policies as solutions to the problems of criminalization, incarceration, and harm such as harm reduction, restorative justice, etc. Reflexive, ethical practice of qualitative methods, focused on ethnography and Participatory Action Research.
C J 550 School Violence and Discipline (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; C J 330GW or C J 323GW; or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the perceptions and realities of contemporary public school violence; the range of school disciplinary efforts for their effects and consequences. [CSL may be available]
C J 570 Urban Violence (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the role violence plays in the lives of ghetto subjects; conceptual problems and the socio-political and historical contexts of contemporary manifestations of violence; the world socioeconomic-system in shaping the contours of violence in the American Ghetto.
C J 600 Youth Gangs in Community Context (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300; C J 330GW or C J 323GW; or permission of the instructor.
Examination of youth gangs in America within their social, economic and political contexts from their earliest development to the present day; theories of gang formation and stories of the gang experience.
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.
COMM 571 The Rhetoric of Terrorism (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Communication Studies majors and minors and Criminal Justice Studies majors; GE Areas A1 and E.
Rhetorical implications of terrorism sponsored by individuals, dissent groups, criminal enterprises and/or states; examines how symbolic messages are rhetorically communicated and disseminated for and interpreted by audiences. [Formerly COMM 445]
COMM 573 The Rhetoric of Criminality and Punishment (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Communication Studies majors and minors, Criminal Justice Studies majors, and Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies minors; GE Areas A1 and E.
Contemporary rhetoric of violence and hate, including social discourses of crime and punishment, war and peace, and hatred related to race, sex, gender, sexuality, and class. [Formerly COMM 449]
ECON 515 Economics of Crime and Justice (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Economic theory of choice and rationality applied to the analysis of crime. Examines social policy to minimize losses due to crime and the costs of crime control. Economics of crime generation, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and punishment.
I R 361 Terrorism and Covert Political Warfare (Units: 4)
Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Terrorism and covert political warfare as international instruments especially since World War II. The use of terror and covert political warfare and the responses to their use.
(This course is offered as C J 461 and I R 361. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
LTNS 430 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
LTNS 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
PHIL 378 Philosophy of Criminal Law (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Philosophical examination of concepts and principles that are central to our criminal law, including investigation of whether there is a role for moral rationales.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Social Justice
SOC 362 The Social Construction of Deviance and Conformity (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; completion of GE Areas A and B4 requirements.
Social processes of rulemaking, enforcing and breaking; theoretical and methodological problems of conceptualizing and analyzing values, rules, power, social judgments and punishment.
SOC 451 Criminological Theory (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.
The social, economic, and political context in which criminological theories (past and present) emerged and how they are reflected in legal practices.
(This course is offered as SOC 451 and C J 452. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
SOC 452 Juvenile Justice (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.
Analysis of "delinquency," emergence and administration of juvenile law, and analysis of social organizations for youthful offenders. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as SOC 452 and C J 470. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
AFRS 375 Law and the Black Community (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Contemporary and historical investigations of city, state, and federal laws and how they affect the human rights, self-determination, and survival of the Black community in America. Administration of justice by court, police, security, and legislative agencies.
Course Attributes:
- Calif State & Local Govt
- U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
- U.S. History
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AFRS 376 Government, the Constitution, and Black Citizens (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Nature and source of constitutional power: federal and state. The interaction between the Supreme Court, Congress, and Presidency. Constitutional issues involving poor and Black citizens. [CSL may be available]
Course Attributes:
- U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
- U.S. History
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AIS 330 American Indian Law (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Introduction to Native epistemologies, worldviews, social structures, and institutions relating to customary or "traditional" law, governance, justice, and ethics; overview of customary perspectives and practices; examination of contemporary revitalization efforts to restructure colonial paradigms of Native governance.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
C J 335 Legal Writing and Research (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; C J 300 (may be taken concurrently); a GWAR course; or permission of the instructor.
The legal brief as the focus of strong inference writing in criminal justice. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
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.
C J 505 International Criminal Law (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; C J 300, a GWAR course; or permission of the instructor.
Comparative legal systems and the U.S. system of criminal law. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as C J 505 and I R 332. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
COMM 564 Issues in Free Speech (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Communication Studies majors and minors, Criminal Justice Studies majors, and Conflict Resolution Certificate students; GE Areas A1 and E.
Issues and cases involving freedom of expression. Historical and current controversies involving national survival, public morality, law and order, academic freedom, and privacy. Symbolic and non-verbal free speech issues. [Formerly COMM 461]
COUN 630 Legal Center Training I (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; permission of the instructor.
Interviewing and legal information to function appropriately in the Legal Center 3-4 hours per week.
COUN 631 Legal Center Training II (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; COUN 630; permission of the instructor.
Practice in interviewing skills and additional legal information for staffing the Legal Center 4 hours per week.
ECON 516 Law and Economics (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102.
Application of economics to law and legal institutions. Effects of laws on resource allocation. Public regulation of the market. Antimonopoly, landlord-tenant laws, regulation of business and financial markets, environment, zoning, income and wealth distribution, and tort and property law.
GPS 375 Peace Law and Human Rights in the U.S. (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; one lower-division composition course; or permission of the instructor.
Law of peace from the local to the international level; international treaties, covenants, statutes of Congress, legislatures, and city councils, criminal indictments, court affidavits, judges' opinions, jury instructions, and relevant articles.
(This course is offered as GPS 375 and PHIL 375. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
HIST 470 The U.S. Constitution to 1896 (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, B4*, and E* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.
History of the U.S. Constitution from its origins in the late 1700s to the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896. Special attention to the changing structures of governance, powers of the courts, debates about African American slavery and Native American sovereignty, the struggles of women and minority groups for equal rights and social justice, and the reconstruction of the Constitution after the Civil War.
Course Attributes:
- U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
- U.S. History
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
HIST 471 The U.S. Constitution Since 1896 (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, B4*, and E* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.
History of the U.S. Constitution from the late 19th century to the present with special attention to new constitutional amendments, shifts in the politics and powers of the Supreme Court, debates about racial segregation and immigration restriction, controversies about civil liberties and civil rights, and discussions about citizenship rules and voting rights. The struggles of Native Americans, racialized minorities, immigrants, women, gender and sexual minorities, and people with disabilities are emphasized.
Course Attributes:
- U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
- U.S. History
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
LABR 650 Labor Law: An Introduction and Overview (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
An overview of the history and development of the National Labor Relations Act, public sector and farm labor law, Taft-Hartley, Landrum Griffin Act, and benefits legislation.
PHIL 335 Law and Society (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
The relation between law and society, developed through the analysis of court cases centered on topics (capital versus labor, the individual versus the state) in their historical setting. Legal research.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
PHIL 379 Philosophy of Constitutional Interpretation (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Sophomore or higher standing; one lower-division composition course; or consent of the instructor.
Study and critique the most influential attempts to devise philosophical justification of or motivation for particular theories of constitutional interpretation.
PHIL 380 Philosophy of Law (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Relationship of law and morality. The basis for legal accountability. Who should be accountable? For what? Why?
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Social Justice
PLSI 552 Individual Rights and the Constitution (Units: 4)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
Principles and meaning of the U.S. Constitution controlling the relationships between the individual and government.
Course Attributes:
- Social Justice
PSY 472 Introduction to Legal Psychology (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Psychology and Criminal Justice Studies majors; PSY 200 or C J 300; or consent of the instructor.
Topics include laws and the ethics of therapy, alternative dispute resolution, mental health aspects of criminology, police psychology, the insanity defense, treatment of prisoners, the psychological forces toward crime and delinquency, expert mental health testimony, eyewitness testimony, and jury behavior.
SOC 457 Sociology of Law (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.
Examination of legal institutions, developing knowledge and understanding of the social nature of law, the operation of existing institutions and their relation to social conditions and process.
AA S 595 Asian American Communities and Public Policy (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Public policy issues and their impact on and the responses from the Asian American communities. The relationship and complexities of local, state, and federal policies facing the Asian American communities. [CSL may be available]
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AIS 460 Power and Politics in American Indian History (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Modern political and social issues arising from U.S. American Indian relations: land, water, civil, and tribal rights with underlying historical and attitudinal differences behind these problems. [CSL may be available]
Course Attributes:
- U.S. History
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
COMM 503 Gender and Communication (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Communication Studies majors and minors, Criminal Justice Studies majors, and Conflict Resolution Certificate students; COMM GWAR or equivalent (may be taken concurrently).
Analysis and application of the research on the interrelationships among communication, gender, and power, in a variety of micro, meso, and macro contexts.
COMM 525 Sexualities and Communication (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Communication Studies majors and minors, Criminal Justice Studies majors, and Conflict Resolution Certificate students; COMM GWAR or equivalent (may be taken concurrently).
Analysis and application of research on the interrelationships among communication, sexuality, and power in a variety of micro, meso, and macro contexts.
COMM 531 Conflict Resolution (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Communication and conflict in two-person, small group, and organization settings. Conflict resolution and leadership skills development.
Course Attributes:
- E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
- UD-D: Social Sciences
COMM 541 Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Study of communication and culture from a critical perspective in a variety of contexts ranging from local to global. Focus on how non-dominant or marginalized groups' identities, representations, and personal narratives are shaped by history, power, and privilege.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
COMM 543 Dialogues Across Differences (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Communication Studies majors and minors, Criminal Justice Studies majors, and students in the Conflict Resolution Certificate program; GE Areas A1 and E.
Dialogue as a means to make connections between disparate worldviews, integrating theory and practice. Using facilitation as a vehicle to improve the quality of communication to address difficult and sensitive issues through systemic questioning in public dialogue.
ETHS670/HIST462 Making Whites: Race-making in America (3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor. Cross listed with RRS 670 [formerly ETHS 670]. For course description, see RRS 670. (May not be repeated under alternate prefix.)
HIST 465 American Ethnic and Racial Relations II: 1890-Present (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, B4*, and E* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
The effects of ethnic and race relations on American life from the closing of the frontier to the present including Russian Jews, American Irish, Mexican Americans, Japanese, and African-Americans.
Course Attributes:
- U.S. History
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
LTNS 415 Economic Progress of Latinos in the U.S. (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.
Critical analysis of the changing political and economic condition of Latinas/os. The ways in which historical changes in land tenure, barrioization, and the racialization of labor impact the current political economy of a diverse community. [CSL may be available]
LTNS 470 Latina/o Immigration to the U.S. (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Theoretical, historical, socioeconomic, legal, and political issues of Latin American immigration patterns to the U.S. Socioeconomic and political impact of documented and undocumented immigration to Raza communities and mainstream U.S. society. [CSL may be available]
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
PHIL 455 Sex and the Law (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
A philosophical investigation of legal issues pertaining to sexuality. Legal enforcement of morals and specific cases and statutes regarding marriage, sex discrimination, abortion, rape, homosexuality, pornography, pedophilia, and other sex-related activities.
(This course is offered as PHIL 455 and SXS 569. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Social Justice
PLSI 464 Race and American Politics (Units: 4)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Examine racial and ethnic politics in contemporary U.S. society. Drawing on theoretical models, historical comparisons, and local case studies, study racial and ethnic communities from a comparative perspective. Explore the constraints and opportunities, tensions between separatism and assimilation, electoral politics and protest politics, definitions of immigrants and minorities, and cooperation and competition within and among minority groups. [Formerly PLSI 466/AFRS 466]
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
PLSI 512 Urban Politics and Community Power (Units: 4)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
Political dynamics in the contemporary metropolitan context; bases and distribution of power in urban and suburban areas. Intergovernmental relations and urban political power.
(This course is offered as PLSI 512 and USP 512. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
PSY 547 Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Psychology majors, Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies minors, and students enrolled in the Conflict Resolution Certificate program; PSY 200, PSY 371, or equivalent.
Review of theory and research concerning conflict between individuals and groups. Principles of perception, expectation, subjective expected utility, payoff matrices, prominence, communication restriction, and expectations of personality.
RRS 330 Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.: Class, Gender, and Nation (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.
Examine dynamics of race and racism by analyzing intersections of class, race, gender, and nationalism, including theoretical perspectives shaping the subfield of comparative race and ethnicity in sociology, theories of racial formation, constructivist theory, ethnic boundaries, assimilation, and ethnocentrism.
(This course is offered as RRS 330 and SOC 330. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
RRS 571 Women, Class, and Race (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Effects of class division and racism on the experiences, self-images, and social identities of women in U.S. Nature and relationships of the ideologies which underlie these divisions. [CSL may be available]
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Environmental Sustainability
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
SXS 455 Sex, Power, and Politics (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.
Examine how the state and social institutions define gender roles, regulate sexual practices, and police sex as a means of social control. Issues include morality campaigns, AIDS/STDs, pedophilia, pornography, sodomy, abortion, etc.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
WGS 513 Gender, War, and Militarism (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Examine the literature, history, media, and theory, to analyze the gendered political, cultural, and ideological stakes of war and militarism.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
WGS 514 Women and the Prison Industrial Complex (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.
Incarceration of women and children in prisons, jails, juvenile, and mental institutions. Treatment on the basis of race, class, and ethnicity; reforms or alternatives to incarceration.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
WGS 554 Gender and Global Migration (Units: 3)
Prerequisites for WGS 754: Graduate standing; WGS 700; or consent of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 554: Upper-division standing; WGS 200; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or consent of the instructor.
Study of gender, migration, and labor. Causes, conditions, and challenges of displacement.
(WGS 754/WGS 554 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)
Note: Total 16-20 units are required for minor, but 120 units are required for graduation.
General Education and Transfer Student Information
Many of the courses offered through this minor program meet Upper Division GE requirements. It is advised that all prospective minor students meet with a CJS advisor to review unofficial transcripts and degree progress report to better inform minor course selections that also meet remaining GE requirements. In addition, ASSIST is a great resource to help determine applicable transfer courses.
Requirements
Many of the CJS minor course offerings fulfill upper division GE requirements.
Upper Division GE Requirements: 9 units minimum (three courses) with one course in each of the following groupings:
- UD-B--Upper Division Physical and/or Life Sciences
- UD-C--Upper Division Arts and/or Humanities
- 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
- SJ—Social Justice
Please note, students can also complete GE requirements through lower or upper division coursework.
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.
All Transfer 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 largest college or university attended.
- Complete 30-semester units (45-quarter units) of General Education, including four basic skills courses:
- One course in oral communication (same as CSU GE Area A1)
- One course in written composition (same as CSU GE Area A2)
- One course in critical thinking (same as CSU GE Area A3)
- 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.
For those who do not have a transfer degree, if you’ve taken AJ2 (Intro to Criminal Justice) or AJ4 (Criminal Law), these courses also transfer into the major.
Note: A total of 13 units must be upper-division courses. Up to a total of 6 transfer units from either Introduction to Administration of Justice or Concepts of Criminal Law completed at a California community college may be counted towards meeting requirements for the minor.
Explore Gator Resources
To Meet with a CJ advisor, please contact:
- Elizabeth Brown, Department Chair - Professor, eabrown@sfsu.edu
- Carina Gallo, Associate Professor, cgallo@sfsu.edu
- Cesar Ché Rodriguez, Assistant Professor, crodrig@sfsu.edu
- Jeff Snipes, Professor, jsnipes@sfsu.edu
- Dilara Yarbrough, Assistant Professor, dilara@sfsu.edu
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.
Already part of the Gator community? Learn more about declaring Criminal Justice as your minor!
You can now declare a minor online!
How to Change Your Major/Minor Video
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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Have questions?
Please contact cj@sfsu.edu for additional questions or concerns.
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