Welcome to the CCJS Department
The Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies Department at Sonoma State University invites you to join us in the study of crime, criminology, criminal justice and society.
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The Major
We live in a rapidly changing society in which the criminal justice system is growing rapidly and crime and criminal justice have become increasingly politicized. In light of these and other major changes, there is a great need for a critical understanding of the rapidly changing field of criminology and criminal justice.
The criminology and criminal justice studies major offers a liberal arts curriculum concerned with the changing nature and content of law, the shifting public expectations of criminal and civil justice agencies, the implications of diversity along the lines of race, gender and class, and the reactions of agencies to social perceptions and political pressures. The student is offered an interdisciplinary, multi-methodological academic approach to the understanding of the mechanisms of social control, resolutions of criminal justice problems, and a knowledge of accepted procedures and alternatives.
This general but all-important background serves as a base for the areas of emphasis that are of interest to the individual student. Adult and juvenile probation, law enforcement, judicial administration, public advocacy, prevention and diversion, and correctional and parole services are studied in detail from several perspectives. Criminology and criminal justice studies majors are prepared to pursue careers in the field of criminal and social services as well as graduate education in justice studies, law, criminology and other graduate fields. A partial listing of careers and agencies is available.
To learn more about the course requirements in the major pick a topic on the left.