Associate Professors--Busacca, Keith
B.A. in Social Science: Concentration in Criminal Justice
Minor in Social Science
M.A. in Social Science: Concentration in Interdisciplinary Studies
The concentration in criminal justice is designed for students who wish to explore the field of criminal justice as liberal arts education, and/or as preparation for graduate education (e.g., law school, graduate school in one or more substantive behavioral and social sciences), and/or as a potential career.
The minor gives students an opportunity to complement their disciplinary major with an experience with several other disciplines as well as the interdisciplinary approach to knowledge.
The Master of Arts in Social Science with a Concentration in Interdisciplinary Studies is intended for students who want an inter-departmental program. Each student's program is planned around a topic or problem chosen in consultation with an adviser and committee. The degree program provides for students who are interested in: studying human phenomena through the integrated perspectives of several social and behavioral science disciplines; preparing for careers in public agencies or private concerns which require a broad and coherent preparation in the social and behavioral sciences; expanding their backgrounds for more advanced graduate study; and seeking secondary, single subject, or community college teaching credentials.
Units
SS 300 Social Sciences Core I 3
SS 301 Social Sciences Core II 3
SS 600 Seminar in Method and Interdisci-
plinary Analysis 3
SS 697 Senior Project Seminar 1
SS 698 Senior Project in the Social
Sciences 2
Total required units 12
Nine upper division courses in the social and
behavioral sciences and related fields
must be selected around a focus, theme,
concentration, or integrating principle to
form a coherent program based upon the
individual student's interest. Approval of
department adviser is mandatory. At least
two of the nine upper division courses
must bear the Social Science prefix, and
not more than four of the nine courses
can be from any one department or pro-
gram. The total number of units will vary
according to whether courses carry three
or four units of credit. 27-36
Total 39-48
SS 300 Social Sciences Core I 3
SS 301 Social Sciences Core II 3
SS 600 Seminar in Method and Interdisci-
plinary Analysis 3
SS 697 Senior Project Seminar 1
SS 698 Senior Project in the Social
Sciences 2
Total for core 12
One course from each of the following nine
areas:
Area 1. Introduction to the Field of Criminal
Justice 4
CJ 300 The Criminal Justice System (4)
Area 2. The Nature of Crime and Deviant
Behavior 4
SOC 362 Deviance and Conformity (4)
SOC 451 Criminological Theory (4)
Area 3. Law and Justice in History and
Society 4
CJ 500 Criminal Law (4)
SOC 459 Criminal Law and Social
Process (4)
PLSI 552 Individual Rights and the
Constitution (4)
Area 4. The Administration of the Law 3-4
CJ 450 Jails and Prisons (4)
SOC 455 Punishment and Social
Control (4)
An upper division course on advisement
Area 5. The Law as Philosophy 3
PHIL 335 Law and Society
PHIL 380 Philosophy of Law
Area 6. Law Enforcement and Public Policy 3-4
CJ 400 Police and Public Policy (4)
An upper division elective course on
advisment
Area 7. The Law as Reflection of Culture and
Change 3
SS 360 The Individual in Modern Society
SS 410 Perspectives on American Culture
SS 510 Sociocultural Change and Inter-
disciplinary Analysis
Area 8. The Law as History or Economics 3
An upper division elective on advisement in
History or Economics
Area 9. Field Study in Criminal Justice 4
CJ 680 Field Course in Criminal Justice (4)
Total for concentration 31-33
Total for major 43-45
SS 300 Social Sciences Core I 3
SS 301 Social Sciences Core II 3
SS 600 Seminar in Method and Interdisci-
plinary Analysis or
An equivalent methods course from another
discipline in the behavioral and social
sciences 3-4
Three upper division courses from three differ-
ent disciplines in the behavioral and
social sciences and related fields. These
courses must be chosen in consultation
with an adviser, and students majoring in
a behavioral or social science may not
double count courses taken in their major
discipline to meet this requirement 9-12
Minimum total 18-22
After the student has completed between nine (9) and fifteen (15) units of work toward the degree, the graduate adviser will assist in choosing a three-member faculty committee. This committee will normally include at least one member of the Social Science Program (Interdisciplinary Studies) and at least one member from the faculty of a specialized discipline who has an interest in the core topic around which the student plans the degree program. The full committee is responsible for guiding and supervising the student's graduate study.
Courses for this discipline are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference). Except for S S 600, 650, and 698, all upper division and graduate courses offered by all departments within the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, as well as certain courses offered elsewhere in the university, may be considered as potentially applicable to the student's program. At least one half of all units included on the GAP must be earned in graduate level courses.
Units
S S 710 Interdisciplinarity in the Social
Sciences 3
S S 800 Seminar in Interdisciplinary
Applications 3
Graduate seminars in each of two social
science disciplines relevant to focus of
student's program 6
An advanced course in research methods and
techniques 3
Additional upper division or graduate courses
in two or more disciplines selected in
consultation with adviser which are rele-
vant to the topic or problem of student's
program focus 15
S S 898 Master's Thesis 3
Minimum total 33andMaster's Comprehensive Written Examination
Thesis.The student is expected to select his/her thesis topic with the help of his/her faculty committee and file the thesis topic form as soon as possible but prior to enrollment in S S 800. Though filing a thesis topic form is required prior to enrollment in the thesis course (S S 898), the filing is a totally separate act from enrollment or registration in the course. The thesis proposal should be detailed enough to present a clear idea of the nature of the research effort. The thesis should be a serious effort to analyze an aspect of the problem or topic around which the student is focusing his/her program. Its primary objective is to serve as a training experience in gathering, evaluating and manipulating data within an interdisciplinary frame of reference. The completed thesis must be read and approved by at least a two-member committee, the chair of which must be a member of the social science faculty.
Examinations.The candidate will take a six-hour written examination after completing 24 units of course work and before enrolling for the thesis. Each member of the candidate's three-person committee will prepare questions designed to take the candidate approximately two hours to complete. The chair of the committee, who must be a member of the social science faculty, is responsible for coordinating the administration of the examination. The examination will cover knowledge of theory and method in the social sciences, both disciplinary and interdisciplinary, and substantive knowledge relevant to the individualized program of courses taken by the student. The candidate must pass all three segments of the examination as evaluated by the committee members. In the event of failure, the committee may at its discretion invite the student to take part or all of the examination a second time, but this may only be done once.