Justice Studies Collage

Welcome to the Department of Justice Studies

The Justice Studies Department has had many iterations during its time at SJSU. Starting as a Police School we then became a major called Criminal Justice, and finally have transitioned to what we know as Justice Studies. One thing has stayed true regardless of the name, we are here to help students succeed in the fields of criminal justice, social justice, and more.

Read the '23-'24 Justice Studies Annual Report

group of students in caps and gowns

Spring 2025 Commencement

Congratulations Class of 2025!

Click here for more information on Spring 2025 Commencement!

Campus

Justice Studies Summer Classes 2025

Interested in fulfilling more of your requirements for graduation? Summer classes for 2025 are now available, click the link below to see some of the many JS and FS courses available for summer 2025.

Summer Classes

Nhu Nguyen

Congratulations to Nhu Nguyen! She is the recipient of the 2025 SJSU Service-Learning & Community Engagement Student of the Year Award for her outstanding service to the community. As the award recipient she has also received the Endowed Scholarship Fund which provides a scholarship to one student a year who has demonstrated excellence in service-learning activities that made a positive difference in San Jose.

Everett and International Policing Conference in Ukraine

International Policing Conference in Ukraine

Everett Glynn, Instructor and Project Assistant for the Record Clearance Project, gave an invited presentation on the Records Clearance Project at the All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference on Law, Communication and Society hosted by Lviv State University, April 4, 2025.

Joseph Di Salvo

2025 Hart Vision Equity and Innovation Awards

We are proud to announce that on March 13th, Professor Joseph Di Salvo, both a professor and Alumni of San Jose State, was awarded by the California Charter Schools Association with the 2025 Hart Vision Equity and Innovation Award for elected official of the year. This award celebrates exceptional leadership, policy innovation, and best practices that ensure charter schools receive the oversight, support, and resources needed to thrive. Congratulations!

To Hear More

COIL event

COIL: Collaborative Online International Learning.

On February 27, we had our first COIL event: Collaborative Online International Learning. Faculty from Leeds Trinity University in the UK and Linnaeus University in Sweden discussed "Policing in the 21st Century" in Greg Wood's JS 102 class. COIL is the first blended learning session of our new international symposium series, which brought together policing and criminology academics and our Justice Studies students from San José State University, together with Linnaeus University & Leeds Trinity University.

Maile Gillis

Newman Civic Fellowship Awardee

It is with great pride to announce that Maile Gillis was awarded with this prestigious fellowship. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a prestigious year-long program that recognizes and supports community-committed students dedicated to solving public problems. Congratulations!

To Learn More

Dalia Cruz presenting her project

SJSU Student RSCA Competition

Congratulations to Dalia Cruz for winning the 2025 SJSU Student RSCA Competition! The SJSU Student RSCA Competition gives undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to present original Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity. Winners of the competition represent SJSU at the 39th Annual California State University (CSU) Student Research Competition, to be held in April at Cal Poly Humboldt, where they will compete and present their research alongside students from the other Cal State universities.

For More Information on RSCA

Adriana Vazquez-Chavez, a student assistant with the Record Clearance Project, holds hands before embracing Carmen Navarro, whose son was cleared of past convictions, at Family Justice Center in San Jose. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Photo Credit: Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group

The life-changing work of the Record Clearance Project was featured on the front page of the Mercury News in December 2024. The story recounts a record clearance hearing in court, an expungement rights presentation in jail, and interviews with current and former students and clients. One former client who volunteers at presentations told the reporter, “It’s awesome to give back, to share my life with somebody and say, ‘Hey expunge it, because there is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.’" The Record Clearance Project endeavors to help more people reach that end of the rainbow.

For more information

Major advising logo

We're Here to Help

Confused about graduation requirements for your Justice Studies major? Do you know how to enroll in your internship or senior seminar? Unclear about which classes to take next semester? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Department Major Advisors can help.

Contact An Advisor

Student seeking assistance

Need Assistance? SJSU Cares.

SJSU Cares is here to provide assistance when you need it most. Resources and services are provided for SJSU students facing unexpected financial crises. If you’re having trouble paying for food, housing, or other bills, visit their webpage above, or put in a direct request for assistance below.

Request Assistance

Tommie Smith and John Carlos statues

About Us

Take a deeper dive into the history of the department of Justice Studies, learn more about our expert faculty, our mission, and more.

Advising

Applications and Admissions

Ready to apply to the Department of Justice Studies? We have all of the information you need when it comes to declaring a major, finding a scholarship, and more.

Students at convocation

Degrees

With two graduate degrees, two undergraduate degrees, and four minors to chose from, we at the Department of Justice Studies have something for every interest.

Confidence challenge

Current Students

Discover the many resources we have available to ensure our current graduate and undergraduate students have all of the support they need during and after their studies.

Science research

Research, Projects and Events

Explore the various faculty research projects, opportunities to participate, and the events that we in the Department of Justice Studies hosts for our students.

Eddith Kinney and students at award ceremony

Alumni

Meet some of our distinguished alumni and how you can help support the future of the Department of Justice Studies.