The Criminal Justice certificate offers a critical examination of the many facets of the criminal legal system, including law enforcement, courts, and corrections. The certificate takes an interdisciplinary approach based on the understanding that “criminal justice” consists of multiple, interdependent subsystems. Courses from several disciplines and an intensive fieldwork/internship/research experience offer students the opportunity to learn about the dynamics of this field. Students engage in practical experiences in a variety of areas including those focused on mental health, social justice, substance abuse disorders, youth initiatives, prevention programs, legal representation, policing, community corrections, and programs that focus on people who have been victimized. These experiences develop skills transferable to future professional, community, and educational pursuits.
How to Get in
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/research seminar courses require advanced planning and authorization by the administering program.
Requirements
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 six courses and a minimum of 14 credits. The courses must be distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one course from each of the six defined Groups | ||
| Of the six courses, one course should be related to race and justice studies. | ||
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 |
| SOC WORK 612 | Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice | 2 |
| SOC WORK 643 | 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/GEN&WS/SOC 425 | Crime, Gender and Justice | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/AFROAMER 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 |
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/ED POL 143 | History of Race and Inequality in Urban America | 3 |
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| HDFS 474 | Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/RP & SE 135 | Disability and the Criminal Justice System | 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 | Adult Psychopathology | 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 | 3 | |
| SOC WORK 627 | Sex Trafficking and Sex Trading | 2 |
| SOC WORK 640 | Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice in Social Work | 3 |
| 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 |
| HISTORY 300 | History at Work: Professional Skills of the Major | 1-2 |
| 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 |
| POLI SCI 316 | Careers in Political Science | 1 |
| SOC 205 | Intercultural Dialogues | 3 |
| SOC WORK 441 | Generalist Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups | 3 |
Group 6—Fieldwork/Internship/Research Seminar
The primary internship course administered by our program is LEGAL ST/SOC 694 The course requires a concurrent internship. To be eligible for the course, students complete a pre-internship placement process the semester prior to the internship. The pre-internship process begins with a required orientation.
The other listed internship and research opportunities are administered by other programs. Some may be limited to students who are declared in those specific programs. All require advance lead time and authorization for enrollment by the specific program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CSCS 601 | Internship | 1-6 |
| GEN&WS 660 | Internship in Gender and Women's Studies | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 473 | Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 694 | Criminal Justice Field Observation | 3 |
| HDFS 592 | Research Experience in Human Development and Family Studies | 1-3 |
| HDFS 601 | Internship | 1-8 |
| POLI SCI 315 | Legislative Internship | 3 |
| POLI SCI 402 | Wisconsin in Washington Internship Course | 4 |
| PUB AFFR 327 | Administrative Internship | 3 |
| RP & SE 630 | Internship in Rehabilitation or Special Education | 2-6 |
| SOC 320 | Research Practicum in Sociology | 1-3 |
| SOC WORK 400 | Field Practice and Integrative Seminar I | 2-6 |
Race and Justice Studies
At least one course in the certificate must have substantial content dealing with race and justice studies. For this requirement, a course can count both for purposes of meeting a Group requirement and the Race and Justice Studies requirement. The following courses fulfill the Race and Justice Studies requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 625 | Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| HDFS 474 | Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/AFROAMER 435 | Civil Rights: Policing, Prisons, Voting, Housing, Employment | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 440 | Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 443 | Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | 3-4 |
| SOC WORK 420 | Poverty and Social Welfare | 3 |
| SOC WORK 640 | Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice in Social Work | 3 |
| SOC/AMER IND/C&E SOC 578 | Poverty and Place | 3 |
| SOC 633 | Social Stratification | 3 |
Electives
Students can take additional courses from any category as needed to meet the 14 credit minimum.
Residence and Quality of Work
- At least 7 certificate credits must be completed in residence
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on all certificate courses.
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- 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 and Careers
Advising Appointments
Please Schedule via Starfish with Martine Delannay or Micha Schwab.
If you are not a current UW–Madison student, please email us at cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu to schedule a meeting.
Careers
Students who earned the Criminal Justice certificate have secured jobs at law firms, nonprofit organizations, treatment providers, public defender offices, district attorney and prosecutor offices, community corrections providers, social justice agencies, legal clinics, law enforcement agencies, and programs providing services to persons impacted by incarceration.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students
Wisconsin Experience
Involvement in the Criminal Justice certificate provides a solid educational foundation in criminal legal studies. It introduces students to basic concepts about our legal system and its impact on individuals and society. It encourages a critical exploration of issues facing the legal system today and offers opportunities for an evidence-based investigation into realistic solutions. All students complete an intensive fieldwork/internship/research program with an agency or organization related to the legal system.