California State University, Bakersfield Criminal Justice Department offers coursework for individuals who are interested in understanding the causes, responses, and impact of crime on communities. Students learn about the criminal justice system’s place in society, its development through time, and how society’s views towards crime and punishment have shaped the system’s actions, values, philosophies, and resources.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Criminal Justice is designed to provide the student with familiarity in the major components of the U.S. criminal justice system, including law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and corrections. Criminal Justice majors leave CSUB grounded in the intricacies of the U.S. justice system network, the theories underlying criminal behavior, and the research methodologies required to understand complex criminal justice issues. CSUB also offers a minor in Criminal Justice.

Additionally, majors and non-majors have the opportunity to take elective courses on ethics, drugs, prisoners’ and victims’ rights, white collar crime, and terrorism, as well as classes addressing race gender, crime, and justice.