Criminal Justice and Criminology

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OFFICE: Adams Humanities 4108
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6224 / FAX: 619-594-1165
WEBSITE: http://spa.sdsu.edu

Undergraduate Information

The Major

The purpose of the criminal justice program is to provide current and future decision-makers in criminal justice with the foundation for critical and balanced as well as responsible and effective administrative responses to crime and victimization. As the systems designed to deliver justice services are continually asked to accomplish more with fewer resources, the need for skilled professionals becomes more pressing. The mission of the program is to provide graduates with the background knowledge and skills to meet these challenges.

Criminal justice majors with the B.S. degree have typically found employment in local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies or in private business or security positions (e.g., loss prevention). At the local level, graduates can begin service in various capacities with police, sheriff’s and marshal’s offices, probation, county supervisors, city administration, and criminal justice planning agencies. At the state level, graduates may enter the Highway Patrol, Alcohol Beverage Control, Attorney General’s Office, Department of Corrections, California Youth Authority, or related agencies. At the federal level, graduates are employed in agencies such as the FBI, Customs Service, Border Patrol, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, Naval Intelligence Service, Defense Investigative Services, Homeland Security, and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

A significant number of graduates of this degree program also enter law school or go on to graduate programs after graduation.

Impacted Program

The criminal justice major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the criminal justice major, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete with a grade of C (2.0) or better: POL S 102 ; SOC 101  and SOC 102 ; and a 3-unit course in elementary statistics. These courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/NC);
2. Complete a minimum of 45 transferable semester units (a minimum of 60 units is required for all transfer applicants);
3. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.80 or better.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor or major at SDSU and must be continuously enrolled.

Graduate Information

General Information

The School of Public Affairs in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts offer graduate study leading to the Master of Science degree in criminal justice and criminology.

Students pursuing a Master of Science degree in criminal justice and criminology will master criminological theory, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and will learn to apply theory and methods to real-world research and policy issues. Students will also examine criminal justice policy issues at the local, state, national, and international levels.

The San Diego metropolitan region affords significant research and internship opportunities for graduate students in federal, state, and local agencies as well as in community-based or non-profit organizations.

Admission to Graduate Study

All students must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the university with classified graduate standing, as described in Admission and Registration . Students must also satisfy the following requirements:

1. Letters of Recommendation (two recommendation letters from professors, relevant employers, internship supervisors, or others familiar with your academic abilities and accomplishments.
2. Unofficial Transcripts.
3. Current Curriculum Vitae that shares your academic achievements and other relevant professional experience.
4. Personal Statement (500-word essay about your professional and educational goals).
5. Writing Sample that displays your academic and/or professional writing skills.

Students are expected to have undergraduate proficiency in the following four areas: (1) basic knowledge of the criminal justice system; (2) basic knowledge of criminological theory; (3) statistics; and (4) research methods.

Students whose preparation is deemed insufficient by the graduate adviser may be conditionally admitted and will be required to complete specified courses in addition to the minimum required for this degree.

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the application fee.

All applicants must also submit official transcripts separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions. Supplemental materials should be uploaded to Interfolio.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions

Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

1. Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all postsecondary institutions attended;
   • Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
   • Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree.
2. English language score, if medium of instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).

School of Public Affairs

The following admissions materials must be submitted to Interfolio electronically before March 1:

1. Letters of Recommendation (two recommendation letters from professors, relevant employers, internship supervisors, or others familiar with your academic abilities and accomplishments.

2. Unofficial Transcripts.

3. Current Curriculum Vitae that shares your academic achievements and other relevant professional experience.

4. Personal Statement (500 word essay about your professional and educational goals).

5. Writing Sample that displays your academic and/or professional writing skills.

For information regarding the admissions process, visit the school’s website at http://spa.sdsu.edu.

Assistantships

Graduate research assistantships, graduate teaching assistantships, and scholarships are available to a limited number of qualified students. Please speak with the school director for more information. This program can prepare students for a career in college teaching.

Faculty

Director: Colvin, Roddrick A., Professor (B.A., Indiana University, Bloomington; M.P.A., Seattle University; Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York) 

Undergraduate Adviser: Beltran, Samantha, Academic Adviser (B.A., CSU San Marcos; M.A.,United States University)

Academic Graduate Adviser: Kras, Kimberly R., Associate Professor (B.A., M.S., University of Missouri - Kansas City; Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis)

Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Chanin, Joshua M., Professor (B.A., University of Pennsylvania; M.P.A., Indiana University; Ph.D., American University)

Kaplan, Paul J., Professor (B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine)

Welsh-Carroll, Megan B., Professor (B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.S.W., Temple University; Ph.D., City University of New York)

Mobley, Alan C., Associate Professor (B.S., Regents College of the University of the State of New York; M.A., Vermont College of Norwich University; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine)

Kras, Kimberly R., Associate Professor (B.A., M.S., University of Missouri - Kansas City; Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis)

Vann, Jr., Burrel J. Associate Professor (B.A., M.A., California State University, Fullerton; Ph.D., University of California Irvine)

Osborne, Jeffery R., Assistant Professor (B.S., University of California, San Diego; M.A., John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Ph.D., City University of New York)

Redner-Vera, Erica, Assistant Professor (B.A., University of Nevada, Reno; M.S., Ph.D., Arizona State University)

Trejbalová, Tereza. Assistant Professor (B.A., Metropolitan University in Prague; M.A., University of Nevada, Reno; Ph.D., University of Nevada, Las Vegas)  

Lecturers:

Avera, Brian A., MPA, Criminal Justice and Criminology

Bowman, Blaine K., J.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Bracy, Nicole L., Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Braun, Michael F, Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Burkeen, Annette, J.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Celik, Nihat, Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology, Public Administration

Ehnow, Robert M., Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Mendez, Gonzalo, M.S., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Moore, Konrad, J.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Stacy, Dan F., Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Valenzuela, Sylvia L. Ph.D., Criminology, Law and Society

Vandersip, Jeffery, M.S., Criminal Justice and Criminology

Emeritus:

Boostrom, Ronald L., D.Crim., 1971-1996, Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies

Gitchoff, Thomas, G., D.Crim., 1969-2001, Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies

Henderson, Joel H., Ph.D., 1971-2000, Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies

Henry, Stuart D., Ph.D., 2006-2018, except 2010-2011, Professor of Public Affairs

Nurge, Dana M., Ph.D., 2003-2023, Associate Professor of Public Affairs

Sabath, Michael J., Ph.D., 1993-2015, Associate Professor of Public Affairs, SDSU Imperial Valley

Sutton, Paul L., Ph.D., 1981-2011, Professor of Public Affairs

Programs

• Criminal Justice and Criminology, M.S.
• Criminal Justice, B.S.
• Race and Policing Certificate

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