Overview

The Criminal Justice Studies program of San Francisco State University has a curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking about the administration of justice, crime and delinquency, legal studies, and working with diverse communities. As part of the major, students participate in a culminating field experience at the end of their program. The program is intended for a diverse group of students whose interests range from the local to the global, from street crime to terrorism, from municipal policing to international courts.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Identify major social issues that shape crime, law and justice systems.

• Develop critical thinking skills that enable analysis of crime, law and justice issues.

• Learn about the role of class, race, age, sexuality, and gender in shaping criminal justice systems.

• Develop methodological reasoning skills that enable the challenging of assumptions and structures, including assessment of alternative solutions to problems associated with the identification, control, and prevention of crime and delinquency.

• Apply critical analysis, methodological reasoning and ethical reasoning to field experiences.

Career paths

The major and minor provide training for students who anticipate they will be engaged in their communities regarding issues of law, crime, and justice as well as those seeking related careers in government, law and higher education. Career opportunities include those in law enforcement, diversion, crime analysis, probation, parole, corrections, juvenile justice, victim advocacy, corporate security, community development, and justice research. Students who intend to pursue graduate education in criminal justice, justice studies, criminology, and related fields, as well as those planning to apply to law school, are encouraged to consider the major and minor in criminal justice.