Skip to Main Content

Double Major in Criminal Justice and Social Work

Because social factors play such a role in crime and delinquency and due to the need for social workers who understand the criminal justice system, the Department of Family Studies and Social Work and the Department of Justice and Community Studies offer a double major in Criminal Justice and Social Work.

Graduates of this program will be exceptionally well prepared to offer critical services to vulnerable populations, consisting of both offenders and victims, on a variety of levels including individuals, families, groups and communities. Social workers are employed in both public and private agencies and throughout criminal justice and legal settings including courts, police departments, and community based treatment programs. Jobs include:

  • Probation officer
  • Parole officer
  • Correctional treatment specialists
  • Juvenile justice counselor
  • Family court social worker
  • Forensic social worker
  • Law enforcement

Core competencies and skills for social workers in criminal justice and legal settings:

  • Knowledge of the legal system and terminology
  • Strong assessment and interviewing skills
  • Ability to advocate for needs of clients, including advocating for community resources
  • Work successfully as part of an interdisciplinary team
  • Understanding of human development and its interaction with societal factors that increase the likelihood of interacting with the criminal justice (e.g., substance abuse, racism, poverty).

What Courses Would I Take?

Students are advised to follow the suggested curriculum plan closely.

Core Social Work Classes

  • FSW 201 Introduction to Social Work & Family Life Education
  • FSW 206 Social Welfare Policies & Programs
  • FSW 245 Children & Families: Ages 0-12
  • FSW 261 Diverse Families Systems Across Life Cycle
  • FSW 295 Research and Evaluative Methods OR CJS 461 Applied Research Methods
  • FSW 304 Professionalism & Ethics for Practice
  • FSW 306 Trauma Responsive Assessment & Intervention (only offered in Fall​​)
  • FSW 312 Human Behavior in the Social Environment counts as CJS elective
  • FSW 365 Family Life Sexuality Education Across Cultures
  • FSW 406 Group Theory & Practice (only offered in Spring)
  • FSW 411 Senior Field Experience I
  • FSW 412 Senior Seminar in Social Work I
  • FSW 413 Senior Seminar in Social Work II
  • FSW 414 Senior Field Experience II
  • FSW 415 Culturally-Informed Practice
  • FSW 418 Program Development & Evaluation
  • FSW 442 Family Resource Management
  • FSW 451 Interpersonal Violence
  • FSW 466 Interpersonal Perspective on Adulthood & Aging
  • FSW 475 Family Theories
  • FSW 481 Adolescence Development: Ages 13-25
  • PSY 242 Abnormal Psychology also counts as a CJS elective(PSY 111 & PSY 112 are prerequisites for PSY 242)
  • STA 261 Statistics required for CJS as well

Core Criminal Justice Classes

  • CJS 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies
  • CJS 125 Law and the Courts
  • CJS 211 Policing in America
  • CJS 231 Criminal Procedure
  • CJS 271 Introduction to Criminal Behavior
  • CJS 281 Corrections in America
  • CJS 282 Writing in Criminal Justice
  • CJS 451 Comparative Justice Systems
  • CJS 245 Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery
  • CJS 312 Community Corrections
  • CJS 461 Applied Research Methods OR FSW 295 Research and Evaluation
  • One more 3 credit hour CJS elective (in addition to FSW 312, PSY 242, CJS 245 and CJS 312) 

Fall Semester of Senior Year - Requires Full Relocation to Oxford

  • FSW 411 Social Work Field I
  • FSW 412 Senior Seminar I (Concurrent with 411​​)
  • FSW 418 Program Development and Education
  • FSW 442 Family Resource Management
  • FSW 451 Interpersonal Violence
  • FSW 475 Family Theories

Spring Semester of Senior Year - Requires Partial Relocation to Oxford

(Note: take a 1 credit hour elective from a Regional campus to be a Regional campus student)

  • FSW 413 Senior Seminar II (Concurrent with 414​​)
  • FSW 414 Social Work Field II
  • CJS 485 Seminar in Criminal Justice
  • Fine Arts
Quotation marks icon in white warm color.

"I am glad that I double majored in social work and criminal justice at Miami University because I feel that this combination prepared me well to work with both people and systems. I am currently in an MSW program at Washington University in St. Louis, where I will soon begin a field practicum at a shelter for women impacted by domestic violence. I believe that having knowledge in both fields will inform my future practice and aid me in serving clients who are navigating social and legal institutions that have not historically been designed to empower them."

Taylor Bridgett

Contact for More Information

Social Work

Criminal Justice

Mosler Hall exterior
CONTACT INFORMATION

Department of Justice and Community Studies

Hamilton Campus
Phelps Hall 103
513-785-7702