Criminal Justice program

Are you interested in a career in the criminal or juvenile justice system?

With a criminal justice minor, you will expand your understanding of deviance, crime, approaches to justice, law enforcement, courts, corrections and more.

UWL's Criminal Justice minor is an interdisciplinary program that is complementary to a variety of majors. The minor can lead to diverse careers in areas such as law and policy, justice and corrections, social work, or in local, state or national law enforcement. The minor is fully grounded in the liberal arts, and prepares students through development of a sound knowledge base and analytical and critical thinking skills necessary in the field.

Undergrad minor

A program within the Department of Sociology & Criminology

What is criminal justice?

Criminal justice is a system used for criminal proceedings and punishment. It includes the major areas of law enforcement, corrections, probation, the courts, crime and delinquency. UWL's program focuses on the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that influence definitions of crime, individual offending and crime rates, policy choices about how society responds to crime, and all aspects of the criminal justice system.

People say bigger schools may have more opportunity, but I think UWL has those opportunities. And I’m able to keep the smaller classes, and I have the ability to talk to my instructor and go to office hours.

Vanessa Mbuyi

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Criminal justice jobs

The criminal justice minor will be advantageous to those seeking entry-level careers in criminal and juvenile justice, private security or corrections, or those who are considering graduate or professional school in criminology or criminal justice. Students may also pursue studies leading to law school or other graduate school programs. Jobs in criminal justice-related fields for students with a bachelor's degree in a major field of study with a minor in criminal justice include all entry-level law enforcement and corrections positions, as well as social service related fields such as case management, reentry programming and planning, or social service specialist positions.

Criminal justice careers

Social worker
Local, state and federal law enforcement
Probation/parole officer
Prison caseworker
Youth care worker in a juvenile facility
Private security/loss prevention specialist
Private Investigator
Investigator for an insurance company
Domestic violence counselor
Victim services worker
Court service worker
Halfway house counselor
Substance abuse counselor
Correctional officer/jailer
Data analyst

What distinguishes UWL's Criminal Justice minor?

Applicable to a variety of majors

The criminal justice minor is complementary to a variety of major programs offered at UWL. Majors in sociology; political science; public administration; psychology; philosophy; Spanish; geography; accountancy; computer science; chemistry; therapeutic recreation; communications studies; economics; race, gender, and sexuality studies; or the pre-law program (in conjunction with a major), will maximize student experiences and opportunities in criminal justice related fields.

Internships, community engagement and career exploration

Internships, community engagement, and career exploration are at the forefront of department faculty interests, and faculty consistently provide the encouragement, support and advising students need to pursue these activities. Students have completed internships in a wide variety of settings throughout Wisconsin and the U.S. Recent examples of internships show the diversity of opportunity.

La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office
WI State Public Defender, La Crosse County
La Crosse County Justice Support Services
La Crosse County Probation & Parole
La Crosse Police Department
La Crosse County Sheriff's Office
City of Onalaska Municipal Court
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Coulee Recovery Center

Interdisciplinary program = marketable skills

Given that the criminal justice system is not an independent institution and logically reflects the structure, ideas and concerns of society, the Criminal Justice program draws from a variety of academic disciplines, including sociology; political science; psychology; race, gender and sexuality studies; philosophy; geography and history. The minor requires a minimum of 21 credits, and courses must come from at least three different departments. A maximum of three credits may be counted toward the fulfillment of both the criminal justice minor and a student's major. Through the program, students gain skills and breadth of knowledge expected of those working in a complex and diverse society, which allows them to expand their working knowledge of these areas to develop marketable skills for their future.

Direct work with local and state agency programs

Criminal Justice program faculty work directly with local and state agencies on various programs, providing real world examples and opportunities for their students.

Community Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) (Dr. Shanna Felix)
Criminal Justice Management Council (Dr. Kruse)
Fresh Start Jail Reentry Grant Program (Dr. Bakken and Dr. Kruse))
Human Rights Policing Certificate Program (Dr. Marina)
La Crosse County District Attorney's Office (Dr. Felix, Dr. Kruse, and Dr. Bakken)
La Crosse County Drug Treatment Court Evaluation (Dr. Kruse and Dr. Bakken)
La Crosse County Disproportionate Community Juvenile Justice and Disproportionate Minority Contact Task Force (Dr. Bakken and Dr. Kruse)
La Crosse County Justice Support Services Treatment and Diversion Program Evaluation. (Dr. Kruse and Dr. Bakken)
La Crosse County Study Committee on Policing (Dr. Kruse)
La Crosse County System of Care Evaluation (Dr. Kruse and Dr. Bakken)
La Crosse County Youth Justice Evaluation (Dr. Bakken and Dr. Kruse)
La Crosse Police Department (Dr. Marina)
School Resource Officer (SRO) Advisory Committee for the La Crosse School District (Dr. Kruse)

Courses provide knowledge for effective decision making

Evidence-based policy choices and practices about crime and justice require an understanding of the etiology of crime, criminal behavior, criminal justice processes, and the law. The study of criminal justice at UWL addresses these phenomena. The program is structured around a core of criminal justice courses on such topics as criminological theory, drug use and mental illness, law enforcement, juvenile delinquency, corrections, victimology and criminal law.

Sample courses

SOC 324

SOC 323

SOC 321

SOC 322

SOC 325 Sociology of Mental Illness In this course students examine mental health and illness, and mental health care systems in the U.S. and other industrialized and non-industrialized societies. This includes the processes involved in identifying and recruiting patients into the mental health care system; a social analysis of psychotherapy, including talk therapies, medications, electro-convulsive treatment and psychosurgery; and social organization of mental hospitals and of community mental health centers; socio-legal issues related to mental illness; and a review and synthesis of social psychological and sociological theories relevant to understanding mental health and illness. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101 or PSY 100. Offered Occasionally.

SOC 330 Social Psychology This course explores social psychology from a sociological perspective. The course focuses on social behavior and communication patterns in terms of their genesis and change in the context of social groups and social relationships. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101 or PSY 100. Students may only earn credit in SOC 330 or PSY 241. Offered Occasionally.

SOC 326

POL 221 The American Legal System An introductory survey of the American legal system in operation; utilizing case materials, class discussion, and hypothetical conflict situations to illustrate and study the range of problems, proceedings, actions, and remedies encountered. Offered Fall, Spring.

PSY 204 Abnormal Psychology This course introduces students to various clinical presentations of psychopathology that may occur throughout human development from a trauma-informed perspective. It provides an overview of specific psychological disorders as well as disorder-specific etiological considerations, associated clinical features, defining characteristics, and diagnostic criteria. The course also includes overviews of current treatments for the major disorders, and ethical considerations in mental health care. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or PSY 212; sophomore standing. Offered Fall, Spring, Summer.

SOC 313

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