The Criminal Justice Certificate Program (CJCP) includes an interdisciplinary sequence of classes and an internship, for students interested in the American criminal and juvenile justice systems. Certificate students select courses in legal studies and from the departments of Sociology, Political Science, Social Work, Psychology, Gender and Women's Studies, Anthropology, History, Human Development and Family Studies, Rehabilitation Psychology, Integrated Liberal Studies, and Counseling Psychology. Students gain a broad understanding of the philosophy, theories, and operation of the adult and juvenile justice systems.
Any undergraduate regardless of major or college affiliation may earn this certificate. Students interested in earning a certificate in criminal justice must declare the certificate with the Criminal Justice advisor. Students are encouraged to declare the certificate as early as possible within their college careers. Field work/internship seminar courses require prerequisite courses and availability may be limited. The internship courses are in high demand and enrollment may be determined by the date of declaration in the certificate program.
To earn a criminal justice certificate, a student must complete all requirements for a bachelor's degree, requirements of the declared major(s), and graduate from UW–Madison. In addition, students must take all required certificate courses for a letter grade versus pass/fail. It is not necessary to take classes in any particular sequence; however, individual courses may have prerequisites.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CERTIFICATE
The certificate requires a minimum of seven courses and 21 credits. The courses must be distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one course from each of the six defined Groups | ||
| Complete one additional course from Group 3 or Group 4 | ||
GROUP 1—CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| LEGAL ST/SOC 131 | Criminal Justice in America | 3-4 |
GROUP 2—THEORIES OF CRIME AND DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 421 | Processes of Deviant Behavior | 3-4 |
| SOC 441 | Criminology | 3-4 |
| SOC 446 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3-4 |
| PSYCH 510 | Critical Issues in Child Psychopathology | 4 |
| PSYCH 526 | The Criminal Mind: Forensic and Psychobiological Perspectives | 4 |
| PSYCH 601 | Current Topics in Psychology | 3 |
| SOC WORK 612 | Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice | 2 |
| SOC WORK 643 | Social Work and Delinquency | 2-3 |
GROUP 3—CRIME AND JUSTICE/OPERATIONS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 426 | The History of Punishment | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 325 | Wrongful Convictions | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/GEN&WS/SOC 425 | Crime, Gender and Justice | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 435 | Civil Rights: Policing, Prisons, Voting, Housing, Employment | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 440 | Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/L I S 460 | Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers | 3 |
| POLI SCI 314 | Criminal Law and Justice | 3-4 |
| PSYCH 401 | Psychology, Law, and Social Policy | 3 |
| PSYCH 601 | Current Topics in Psychology | 3 |
GROUP 4—BROADER PSYCHO/SOCIO/ECONOMIC PROCESSES RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 625 | Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| ANTHRO 448 | Anthropology of Law | 3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| HDFS 474 | Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | 3 |
| HDFS 501 | Special Topics | 1-3 |
| LEGAL ST 400 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 409 | Human Rights in Law and Society | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/GEN&WS 422 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 443 | Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 444 | Law in Action | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 450 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 477 | History of Forensic Science | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 641 | Sociology of Law | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 412 | The American Constitution: Rights and Civil Liberties | 4 |
| PSYCH 405 | Abnormal Psychology | 3-4 |
| SOC/AMER IND/C&E SOC 578 | Poverty and Place | 3 |
| SOC 633 | Social Stratification | 3 |
| SOC WORK 420 | Poverty and Social Welfare | 3 |
| SOC WORK 453 | Substance Use Disorders | 3 |
| SOC WORK 462 | Child Welfare | 3 |
| SOC WORK 523 | Family Violence | 3 |
| SOC WORK 627 | Sex Trafficking and Sex Trading | 2 |
| SOC WORK 646 | Child Abuse and Neglect | 2 |
GROUP 5—ETHNOGRAPHY–INTERNSHIP PREP
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COM ARTS 371 | Communication and Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| COM ARTS 373 | Intercultural Communication & Rhetoric | 3 |
| COM ARTS 565 | Communication and Interethnic Behavior | 3 |
| COUN PSY 225 | Intersectionalities, Self Awareness, and Social Actions for Social Change | 3 |
| COUN PSY 237 | Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities | 3 |
| COUN PSY 325 | Seminar: Students Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) | 3-4 |
| COUN PSY 650 | Theory and Practice in Interviewing | 3 |
| COUN PSY 655 | Clinical Communication Skills | 3 |
| INTER-HE 202 | SoHE Career & Leadership Development | 1 |
| INTER-LS 210 | L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative | 1 |
| INTER-LS 215 | Communicating About Careers | 3 |
| SOC 205 | Intercultural Dialogues | 3 |
| SOC WORK 441 | Generalist Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups | 3 |
GROUP 6—FIELDWORK/INTERNSHIP SEMINAR
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CSCS 601 | Internship 1 | 1-6 |
| GEN&WS 660 | Internship in Gender and Women's Studies 1 | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 694 | Criminal Justice Field Observation 1 | 2-3 |
| HDFS 601 | Internship 1 | 1-8 |
| POLI SCI 315 | Legislative Internship 1 | 3 |
| POLI SCI 402 | Wisconsin in Washington Internship Course 1 | 4 |
| PSYCH 412 | Field Experience in Psychology 1 | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 327 | Administrative Internship | 3 |
| RP & SE 630 | Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Education 1 | 2-6 |
| SOC WORK 400 | Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I 1 | 2-6 |
- 1
Must be a criminal justice/juvenile justice/law/policy-oriented internship; student must receive approval of placement from a criminal justice advisor before enrolling in the course.
RESIDENCE AND QUALITY OF WORK
- At least 11 certificate credits must be completed in residence
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on all certificate courses.
Undergraduate/Special Student Certificates
This certificate is intended to be completed in the context of an undergraduate degree and for those seeking this certificate that is preferred. For students who have substantially completed this certificate at UW–Madison and may need one or two courses to complete the certificate, they may do so immediately after completion of the bachelor’s degree by enrolling in the course as a University Special (nondegree) student. The certificate must be completed within a year of completion of the bachelor’s degree. Students should keep in mind that University Special students have the last registration priority and that may limit availability of desired courses. Financial aid is not available when enrolled as a University Special student to complete an undergraduate certificate.
- To develop an appreciation for how the criminal justice system works and how it affects American society as a whole.
- To develop and improve critical thinking and analytics in written and oral communication skills.
- To develop an appreciation of mental health and substance abuse as they intersect with the criminal justice system.
- To develop skills transferable to future professional, community and educational pursuits.
Advising
ADVISING APPOINTMENTS: PLEASE SCHEDULE VIA STARFISH
- Log in to your MyUW
- Open the Starfish app (if you do not see it, you can begin by searching for it in MyUW and adding it to your dashboard)
- Within the Starfish app, select Martine Delannay or Micha Schwab and find an available date and time
More help on using Starfish can be found here: https://advising.wisc.edu/facstaff/starfish/starfish-student-resources/.
If you are not a UW student, please email us at cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu to schedule a meeting.
CAREERS
CJCP graduates have secured jobs in police departments, district attorneys' offices, public defenders' offices, juvenile group homes, adult halfway houses, public schools, and prisons. They have been involved in restitution programs, deferred prosecution alternatives, victim–witness projects, and home detention/electronic monitoring experiments. The options are numerous and interesting. Many CJCP students pursue a degree in law or attend graduate school in a related field.
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science provides students with a wide range of career-related services.
L&S career resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
All students complete an intensive internship with an agency or organization related to the criminal and juvenile justice fields. Involvement in the CJCP provides a solid educational foundation in criminal justice. It introduces students to basic concepts about our justice system and the individuals it serves. It encourages exploration of critical issues facing the system today and fosters investigation into realistic solutions.