Return to: Academic Departments

SCHOOL OFFICE
Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center
Room # 244
Phone: (323) 343-4610
Katharine Tellis, Interim Director
Website: www.calstatela.edu/academic/hhs/crim_jus/

Programs in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics are designed to prepare students for successful positions in law enforcement, corrections, social service agencies that provide services to victims or other criminal justice clients, criminal justice planning and/or law, as well as for further study in graduate or professional schools in any of these fields. The curriculum provides intensive study in the areas of criminology, research methodology and data analysis, criminal law, organizational functioning, program planning and criminalistics. The program strives to promote understanding of key criminal, legal, and scientific issues affecting contemporary urban society and respect for racial, ethnic, cultural and gender diversity.

The School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, a minor in Criminal Justice, a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master of Science degree in Criminalistics. The Criminalistics degree builds upon undergraduate preparation in the natural sciences. Also offered is an undergraduate forensic science minor for students majoring in a natural or physical science at Cal State LA.

The Faculty

Professors: Denise Herz, Donald Johnson, Joseph L. Peterson, Katherine Roberts, Bill Sanders.
Associate Professors: Lisa Graziano, Katharine Tellis.
Assistant Professors: Akhila Ananth, Carly Dierkhising, Jane Gauthier, Jay Vargas.
Emeriti: Allen P. Bristow, William M. Cole, Harry Diamond, G. Douglas Gourley, Richard C. Grace, Robert H. Morneau, Jr., Nathaniel Trives, Beatrice Yorker.

Certificate Program

In addition, the school offers course work acceptable toward fulfillment of requirements for the interdisciplinary credit certificate in Child Maltreatment and Family Violence offered by the College of Health and Human Services.

Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Programs

Two Master of Science degrees are offered by the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics: Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Criminalistics. The Master of Science in Criminal Justice is designed to provide the background necessary for administrative, practice, policy, social services and research positions in criminal justice. The school recognizes the value of diverse methodological and theoretical approaches and encourages their complementary use and integration. The program leading to the Master of Science degree in Criminalistics offers a specialization in the application of science to the criminal justice process.

Admission to the Program

Students must complete a university application in order to be admitted into a graduate studies program. In addition to university requirements for admission to graduate study, applicants must satisfy specific school requirements before admission to either the criminalistics or criminal justice graduate degree programs. Application forms to the school are available on the school website and in the school office.

Please refer to the departmental website for current application dates. New criminalistics and criminal justice graduate students are accepted only in the fall semester of each academic year.

Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be submitted with the school application in addition to the transcripts required by the Office of University Admission and Outreach. Students must also arrange to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and to have their GRE scores sent directly to the school by the Educational Testing Service. An acceptable GRE score is required for consideration. Students must also submit two letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Applicants may be admitted to the M.S. degree program in Classified or Conditionally Classified Standing. Classified Standing is granted to accepted applicants who have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter units (or last 60 semester units) and 3.0 in the undergraduate major. Conditionally Classified Students must achieve a 3.0 grade point average after completing four qualifying courses (that have been approved by the Graduate Advisor) by the end of their second semester of graduate study in order to be granted Classified Standing. See School website for a detailed description of requirements.

Programs for this School:

Undergraduate Major

• Criminal Justice, B.S. 
Undergraduate Minor

• Criminal Justice Minor 
• Forensic Science Minor 
Undergraduate Certificate

• Undergraduate Certificate in Child Maltreatment and Family Violence 
Graduate Major

• Criminal Justice, M.S. 
• Criminalistics, M.S. 
 

Return to: Academic Departments