Foundations of Criminal Justice - UC

About This Certificate

The Foundations of Criminal Justice certificate introduces students to the core components of the criminal justice system.

Completion requires three courses totaling nine credit hours, beginning with the required course CJ 1010 Introduction to Criminal Justice, which provides an overview of law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and criminology. Students then select two electives from the following: CJ 1300 Introduction to Corrections, CJ 1330 Criminal Law, CJ 1340 Criminal Investigations, or CJ 1390 Introduction to Policing. This certificate is available to everyone but targets concurrent enrollment students that want to build a solid academic foundation before they arrive on campus.

What You Will Learn

Students will gain foundational knowledge of how the criminal justice system operates, including the roles, responsibilities, and challenges of policing, courts, and corrections.

Through their selected electives, they will explore topics such as criminal procedures, correctional philosophies, investigative techniques, and the principles of criminal law. Together, these courses provide a broad understanding of system functions, legal processes, and frontline criminal justice work—preparing students for further study or entry-level engagement in the field.