2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Courts, Law and Society Certificate

Introduction 

The Undergraduate Certificate in Courts, Law, and Society provides detailed, comprehensive, and advanced instruction in court processes and concepts, as well as an innovative education and analysis on the intersections of law and society. It provides students with the opportunity to explore temporal, spatial, social, political, economic, and other relationships between stakeholders within and between various systems and institutions and particularly focuses on the connections between legal and social change. This program is designed for students who are employed or plan to work in a field related to courts or criminal justice legal practices.  The program will also prepare students for an advanced education in criminal justice or related disciplines, or law school.  

Program Delivery 

  • Courses are offered on campus, online, and occasionally in remote and occasionally hybrid formats. Students should be aware that certain classes may only be offered online or on campus and not all classes are offered in both formats.  

Declaring This Major

Program Requirements

  1. The Courts, Law and Society Certificate will require 18 credit hours.
  2. No more than 6 credit hours of transfer coursework may apply to the Courts, Law, and Society Certificate.
  3. Students must receive a minimum C- grade in each course applied to the certificate.
    Required9
    CRJU 1000
    		Criminology and Criminal Justice: An Overview
    CRJU 4044
    		Courts and Judicial Process
    CRJU 4430
    		Law and Society
    Topic Area Electives6
    Select two courses from the list below
    CRJU 3250
    		Violence in Society
    CRJU 3252
    		Violent Offenders
    CRJU 3420
    		Pleas, Trials and Sentences
    CRJU 3600
    		Introduction to Federal Wildlife and Environmental Laws
    CRJU 4100
    		Administration of Criminal Justice
    CRJU 4172
    		Crime Forensics
    CRJU 4252
    		Criminal Offenders: Evidence-Based Decision-Making
    CRJU 4410
    		Criminal Law and Constitutional Procedures
    CRJU 4440
    		Courts and Social Policy
    CRJU 4600
    		Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice 1
    CRJU 4840
    		Independent Study: CRJU 2
    Professional Setting Electives3
    Select one course from the list below
    CRJU 2000
    		Professional Development in Criminal Justice
    CRJU 4700
    		Community-Based Field Experience and Seminar
    CRJU 4939
    		Internship 3
    PUAD 3002
    		Organizational and Strategic Management
    PUAD 3110
    		Seminar in Nonprofit Management
    PUAD 4002
    		Leading and Engaging for the Public Good
    PUAD 4003
    		Strategic Communications for Public Engagement
    Total Hours18
1

For CRJU 4600 Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice to count toward an elective, it must be related to courts, law, or the legal system and be pre-approved. See your academic advisor for more information.

2

For CRJU 4840 Independent Study to count toward an elective, it must be related to courts, law, or the legal system and be pre-approved. See your academic advisor for more information.

3

For CRJU 4939 Internship to count toward an elective, it must be related to courts, law, or the legal system and pre-approved. See your academic advisor for more information.