Criminal Justice, Law & Society | Academic Advising Handbook

The Criminal Justice, Law and Society program is a multidisciplinary field of study that draws from CJLS, SOC, POLS, PHIL, and HIST to explore complex issues of crime, justice, and social policy from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Students will explore the theory and philosophy of law and justice in the United States and grapple with the challenges of the pursuit of justice in our complicated and quickly changing social environment.

Students pursuing the major in Criminal Justice, Law, and Society may pursue careers in non profits, transformative/restorative justice, advocacy, criminal justice reform, social policy, law, government agencies, and international organizations. The CJLS major is also excellent preparation for graduate work in law, political science, sociology, social work, criminology, law and society, public administration, education and other academic disciplines.

In 2023, the CJLS major went through a significant revision. Continuing students will have the option to switch their catalog year to fulfill the new major requirement. This decision should be done in consultation with an academic advisor. The new requirements as well as the previous requirements are explained below.

Students can learn more about the Criminal Justice, Law and Society program and the department on Instagram.

Major in Criminal Justice, Law and Society (CJLS) for (2024 and later)

For a current list of all CJLS major course offerings for the 2024-25 academic year, refer to this advising guide (box link).

Complete All of the Following Introductory Courses (8 Credits):

• CJLS 101: Introduction to Law and Society, 4 Credits
• CJLS 300: Criminal Justice Systems, 4 Credits

Complete One of the Following Criminology Courses (4 Credits):

• SOC 304: Criminology, 4 Credits
• CJLS 310: Green Criminology, 4 Credits
• CJLS 370: Sex-Positive Criminology, 4 Credits

Complete One of the Following Social Change Courses (2-4 Credits):

• POLS 321: Protest, Dissent, and Social Change, 4 Credits
• SOC 251: Social Justice and Social Change, 2-4 Credits
• SOCWK 351/PH351/POLS351: Social Policy and Social Change, 4 Credits
• CJLS 250: Transforming Justice, 2-4 Credits 

Complete Both of the Following Methodology Courses (8 Credits):

• SOC 300W: Qualitative Research, 4 credits
• SOC 301: Social Statistics, 4 credits

Complete All of the Following Practicum and Capstone Courses (6 Credits):

• CJLS 380: Practicum, 4 Credits - fall
• CJLS 493: Capstone, 2 credits or CJLS451: Directed Research in CJLS (Capstone), 2 credits - spring

Complete 14-16 of the Following Elective Credits: 

• Any course with a CJLS prefix
• PHIL 202: Ethics and Society, 4 Credits
• POLS 322: Suppression of Dissent
• POLS 324: Politics of Policing, 4 credits
• SOC 334: Drugs and Society
• SOC 366: Deviance, 4 Credits
• SOC 360: Critical Race Theory, 4 Credits
• GSS 201: Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies
• SOC 316: Gender and Sexuality, 4 credits
• PHIL 212: Language and Logic, 4 Credits
• PHIL 315: Philosophy of Law, 4 Credits
• POLS 325: Constitutionalism I, 4 Credits
• POLS 326: Civil Liberties, 4 Credits

Therefore, the following are needed to complete the CJLS major: 

• Introductory Courses 8 Credits
• Criminology Course 4 Credits
• Social Change Course 2-4 Credits
• Methodology Courses 4 Credits
• Practicum/Capstone Courses 6 Credits
• Electives 14-16 Credits

Total Credits 40-44 Credits

Sequencing

Students interested in CJLS should take CJLS 101 and CJLS 300 as soon as their schedule permits. CJLS 101 is offered annually in the fall and has no prerequisites. CJLS 300 is offered annually in the spring; CJLS 101 is a pre-requisite, and interested students who have not yet taken CJLS 101 should contact the CJLS 300 instructor to inquire about waiving the pre-requisite. 

Criminology and Methodology courses should ideally be completed by the end of junior year. At least one Criminology course is offered every year. Methodology courses: SOC 301 is offered every semester and also fulfills the Math core requirement. SOC 301 has a pre-requisite of Math Level II (placement at Level II or higher, or completion of MATH 122 if placed at Math Level I). SOC 300W is typically offered once per year.

Annual Class Planning Guide

This planning guide shows the predicted offerings for certain courses in this program. Use the guide to help you think about future terms. For a list of classes currently offered and how they fulfill core requirements, please see BoxerOnline and cross-reference this page as needed. Meet with your advisor and/or reach out to the department if you have questions.

Sample Four-Year Schedule

Major in Criminal Justice, Law and Society for 2022 and prior.

Please work in conjunction with the Advising Center and CJLS major advisors if you started in Fall 2022 or prior and are following the requirements below. 

Core Courses:
CJLS 101 Introduction to Law and Society (4 credits)
CJLS 300 Criminal Justice System (4 credits)
SOC 304 Criminology (4 credits)
POLS 321 Protest, Dissent, and Social Change (4 credits)

Complete one of the following Critical Lens courses:
PHIL 202: Ethics and Society (4 credits)
SOC 366: Deviance (4 credits)
SOC 360: Critical Race Theory (4 credits)
SOC 316: Gender & Sexuality (4 credits)

Complete two of the following methodology courses:
SOC 300W Qualitative Research (4 credits) or ANTH 302W Designing Ethnography (4 credits)
SOC 301 Social Statistics (4 credits)
SOC 302 Quantitative Research (4 credits)

Complete twelve (12) credits of from the following elective courses:
Courses with a CJLS prefix, 2-4 Credits
HIST 370: Crime, Corruption, Scandal (4 credits)
PHIL 212: Language and Logic, (4 credits)
PHIL 315: Philosophy of Law, (4 credits)
POLS 325: Constitutionalism I, (4 credits)
POLS 326: Constitutionalism II, (4 credits
SOC 334: Drugs and Society (4 credits)
SOCWK 215: Conflict Mediation and Resolution (4 credits)
PH/SOCWK/POLS 351 Social Policy & Social Justice (4 credits)

*Suggested electives for students interested in focusing on law and social policy: (1) PHIL 212: Language and Logic, (2) PHIL 315: Philosophy of Law, and (3) POLS 325: Constitutionalism I, (4) POLS 326: Constitutionalism II

Complete all of the following application courses:
CJLS 380: CJLS Practicum (4)
CJLS 491W Senior Capstone I (2)
CJLS 492W Senior Capstone II (2)

Therefore, the following are needed to complete the CJLS major:

• Foundational Courses: 16 Credits
• Critical Lens Course: 4 Credits
• Methodology Courses: 6-8 Credits
• Elective Courses: 12 Credits
• Application Courses: 8 Credits

Total: 46-48 Credits