Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of 正义 Studies

声明 a major in 一个 of our degree programs means that you will be joining a department with a deep tradition at 菠菜网lol正规平台. We began in the 1930s, when T.W. MacQuarrie, president of the college, established a course of study for aspiring police officers. 声明 a major in 正义 Studies also means that you will be joining 一个 of the largest departments at 菠菜网lol正规平台. When you graduate, you will be part of our extensive network of alumni working in criminal 正义, forensic science, legal services, and social 正义.

正义 Studies graduates cross disciplinary boundaries to understand the realities of crime, law and 正义; and lead efforts for improving current practices and developing meaningful alternatives. We want our graduates to apply analytical thinking and interdisciplinary perspectives; develop a repertoire of transferable skills, including writing, research, problem-solving; and maintain a commitment to work for positive change in institutional and social responses to crime, inequalities, and in正义. 

When the Police School opened in 1930, 菠菜网lol正规平台 became the first university in the USA to offer a degree in criminal 正义. That tradition of excellence and innovation 仍在继续. In 2003, we added forensic science and became the Department of 正义 Studies, a multidisciplinary department that encompasses criminal 正义 and criminology, but also forensic science, legal studies, and human rights. We offer the BS in 正义 Studies, with a concentration in criminology; a BS in Forensic 科学 with concentrations in Biology and Chemistry; and minors in Legal Studies, Human Rights, and Forensic 科学. Starting Fall 2020, we offer a concentration in Digital Evidence within the Forensic 科学 program.

In addition to our undergraduate programs, we offer two graduate programs: the MS degree in 正义 Studies, and an online program, the MS in Criminology-Concentration in Global Criminology. We have designed our curriculum to provide an academic and practical understanding of 正义 in local, national, and international contexts.

All of our degree programs feature an outstanding faculty who are recognized for their research in criminology, law and society, forensic science, criminal 正义 and public 政策. 教师 research projects are underway in areas of crime control in under-privileged communities, concentrations of re-entry of formerly-incarcerated individuals; predicting externally visible traits from DNA samples; criminalization of immigrants by news media; applications of molecular biology in criminal 正义; using entomology to age blood stains since the time of bloodshed; politics of terrorism and international conflict; poverty, racial inequalities, and social 政策; social movement organizations and human trafficking; at-risk Latino and African-American youth; cybercrime and online sex crimes; immigration, crime and victimization; and the rise of transnational crime and transnationalization of criminal law.

Our faculty contribute to theoretical advances, including theories of punishment and control, feminist theory, critical theories of race and racism, and international and comparative political theory, and they demonstrate a wide range of methodological expertise, including techniques including urban ethnography, 政策 analysis, statistical applications, quantitative methods, discourse analysis, social network analysis, cross-cultural inquiry, archival research. And yet 正义 Studies is more than the study of theory 和方法. You will have the opportunity to engage in real-world activities with a major impact. The Record Clearance Project trains volunteers to make presentations concerning expungement law and employment rights of people with criminal convictions.

In the Department of 正义 Studies, a lot happens outside the classroom. 学生 are active in the Alpha Phi Sigma Iota chapter of the National Criminal 正义 Honor Society; Chi Pi Sigma Fraternity; 正义 Studies Task Force, and Forensic Studies 学生俱乐部.  学生 benefit from activities such as the Ann Lucas Lecture Series in Law and 正义; Beyond the Books Lecture series; and 忒弥斯—Research Journal of 正义 Studies and Forensic 科学. We have built an extensive base of linkages with agencies and organizations outside the university to provide students with opportunities for internships and international study abroad.

You can apply for scholarships including the Kristofer Boaz Claspill Memorial, Officer Jeffrey Fontana Memorial, Shelby B. Brewer Memorial Theresa Edel Memorial, Daniel P. Lomio Memorial, Paul St一个 Hubbell Endowment, and Gene Simpson & Gordon Silva Memorial.  We offer multiple graduate assistantships each year. 研究生 assistants receive a stipend to assist faculty in research, teaching or administrative activities while pursuing their degree.

Finally, declaring a major in 一个 of our programs means that you will benefit from all those who have g一个 before you and have given us such as great reputation. 正义 Studies graduates from San José State University are prominent in legal practice, probation services, policing, forensic sciences, security, juvenile 正义, and victim service organizations throughout the region, the state, and beyond. 来加入我们吧!

Paul Knepper, Ph.D.

Department Chair
教授